Running Downhill

Hi StitchyMites! 

Well we are certainly running downhill to Christmas now. I’ve been doing all the insane things we all decide to do at this time of year, like had block printing all my wrapping paper and making three Jingle Bell stockings by next week. Lucky they’re quick- not like the gift wrap!! It does look pretty though doesn’t it. 

I just bought a tube of red acrylic paint, a roll of plain cheap white paper- not glossy, just art paper- and some wooden block stamps from Amazon. Total about $16. It’s not the fastest job in the world but I’m just printing, waiting for it to dry, wrapping some things and then printing the next lot, so it actually takes the pain of sitting and wrapping for hours away. Swings and roundabouts. 

The stockings are for my brother and sister in law, and their daughter. I decided that instead of one large gift this year, I would make them all stockings with their initials to match their Christmas theme (pink, white, red and silver), and then fill them with little things. Haven’t done it yet so I’m loving that last minute sewing for me. The stocking does come together very quickly though, so as long as I get their initials appliquéd this week I should be ok.

While I’m doing all of these silly things I’m also doing all the Christmas baking, for us and for gifts (gingerbread, Christmas cakes, an apple, mint and chilli jelly, spiced nuts and jars of homemade granola). And it’s the deadline for my fabric collection next Friday, so if you think I’m ignoring my panic and squashing it down with Christmas fluff…. Well you’d be right. 😂 oh dear. 

Last week I hit my Goodreads 2025 challenge quota of 30 books- in fact I’ve read 31 now, nearly 32. I know you all like when I give book recommendations so I’ll do a big end of year round up post of what I read and what I enjoyed most. 

Damo has been busy this week getting all the orders in for my 2026 Block of the Month calendar! As we now have 12 finished quilts (if you don’t count Merry and Bright) it seemed perfect to do a calendar, and you can all have a pretty quilt to look at each month hanging in your sewing space… or the kitchen, or above the toilet. Or one in all three places, who am I to stop you! The orders close this afternoon but we have put a couple extra on the list, so if you want one scurry over there now and place your order before they’re all gone. 

I’m sorry my posts have been a bit chatter and not so much quilt in the last couple of weeks- like as all are at this time of year, I’m incredibly busy, very stressed and absolutely exhausted! There will be no post for Smites on January 7 as I’m going to lay on the beach with a book and pretend I don’t have anything to do. I’ll pop up the book round up for you on New Year’s Eve though! 

Every year on Christmas Eve we put up a sale code to thank everyone for their support throughout the year. I thought I’d give you guys the code a bit early, that way your parcels can go out before Christmas so long as you place the orders by December 17. The code is MISTLETOE and it’s 20% off everything except the calendars and the Slodki BOM, until 5pm January 1. You can’t use two codes at once though, so it’s this one OR your usual StitchyMites 5% (IMASMITE). 

See you next week peeps when hopefully I can show you three pretty stockings! 

Sarah x