Gift post

 So this is a post of the cross-stitch gift projects I finished in 2023. In no particular order.

First up is a gift for a workmate. His wife has just had a baby girl in the past few days. 

I do still need to add the name and date of birth before I frame it and pass it on, but obviously I'm not going to put that information on the internet. :)

The pattern is from Whimsical Cross Stitch by Cari Buziak and it's stitched on 16-ct white aida. It's entirely done in shades of pinks and purples with a few yellow highlights and it's very cute in person.

Second is a gift for a friend of mine. (Please excuse the wrinkles, it still needs to be ironed.

Her birthday was in October, but that deadline passed, so the plan was to give it to her for Christmas... ahem. At this point it may just be a very very very very belated birthday present. She's of Dutch heritage, and I'm fairly confident she will love it.

The pattern is by Emma Congdon, and is from Contemporary Cross-Stitch. I stitched it on 16-ct white aida, which is my go-to fabric for basically everything.

Third is destined to be a somewhat belated birthday gift for J's mother. Her birthday was earlier this month.

Again, it needs to be ironed and framed. It's pretty small so I need to search for a rather small frame - I feel some secondhand shopping coming on - you can usually find some nice frames for a few dollars.

The pattern is by Durene Jones, and comes from the magazine 365 Cross Stitch designs. Again stitched on 16-ct white aida.

Fourth was a gift for a friend's 40th birthday, in April 2023.

Obviously, she likes the odd gin. :) This one was ironed, framed and passed on many months ago, so this is the picture I took just after I'd finished it.

The pattern is by Durene Jones and is from the June 2022 issue of Cross Stitcher magazine. Again stitched on 16-ct white aida.

The fifth one was a gift for a workmate. 

I had stitched other gifts for workmates/friends, and she was feeling left out. (She has the WORST fomo).

So I found this chart, and thought it would be perfect.

It has - since this photo - been ironed and framed, and handed on.

And it still sits on her desk. :)

The pattern is designed by Felicity Hall, and is from Contemporary Cross Stitch magazine. Again stitched on 16-ct white aida.

Last (I think) but certainly not least is this festive llama pattern I did for a friend's birthday last year.

She loves llamas and although her birthday is in June, I know she didn't mind getting these Christmas themed ones. :) Again, taken before it was ironed and framed and passed on.

Designed by Cheryl McKinnon, the pattern is from the December 2020 Cross Stitcher magazine. Stitched - I *think* on 16-ct fiddler's blue aida.

That's actually a pretty productive year, for me. :)