My blogging friend Claire is holding a SAL for a lovely little piece of blackwork on her French blog. If you haven’t tried blackwork before, this would make a great introduction to it as the project she is doing is small enough to fit into a card for someone special and the chart is free 
Why not take a look at Claire’s blogs and join in the fun?
Here is my progress so far.
I am going to put it in this card when I have finished. This first stage took me a couple of hours to do. I know it isn’t black 
I am already thinking dark blue aida with white snowflakes for next Christmas. Sorry! 
I’ve just linked up at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday. Hop over and take a look at the other projects
Happy crafting!
Avis x
claire93
/ January 2, 2013that’s the fun with blackwork – it doesn’t have to be black lol
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013…and it only takes a tiny bit of thread
Patch
/ January 2, 2013Pretty. And dark blue aida and white snowflakes sounds lovely too.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013Thank you
Avis x
adaisygarden
/ January 2, 2013Love that shade of blue… looks beautiful!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013Me too! Thank you
Avis x
mtetar
/ January 2, 2013Very nice, is there a tutorial? I would love to learn. Thanks for sharing. Mtetar
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013If you go to Claire’s French blog link she has her own link to the chart. It is just backstitch even though it looks quite intricate. I hope you can join us Mtetar
Avis x
mtetar
/ January 2, 2013I will visit her blog link. Thank you for the info. Mtetar
1marylou
/ January 2, 2013A job well done! I found Claire’s blog rather interesting.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013Yes, she does lots of different crafts
Avis x
basildonkitchens
/ January 2, 2013Lovely! I haven’t done needlework in such a long time…this could be a good starter project
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013Go for it Connie
Avis x
Stella Nemeth
/ January 2, 2013I haven’t done blackwork in decades. I liked this piece even in the thumbnail over at WIP Wednesday and just had to see it. One of the things I like is that it isn’t black.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013Hi Stella, You must come and join us in Claire’s SAL! It is a very small project and is making up fast. You will be able to teach me some blackwork as this is my very first piece. I’m totally addicted to it already. Welcome to my blog. I’ve added yours to my blogroll
Avis x
Teje
/ January 2, 2013Hi Avis! This seems to be something new to me – I’m happy to see your lovely blue and white because black is not for me.Your design is beautiful and so nice for Christmas! So I guess you speak French! I was smiling when I saw my links in your blogroll. Have a lovely time with the blackwork! x Teje
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 2, 2013Hi Teje, It is a free design found by Claire and could easily be changed to make it even more snowflakey
I can understand most of written and spoken French but they must speak very slowly. However, I don’t speak very much French myself. I was also smiling when I wrote the links 
Avis x
Teje
/ January 2, 2013Sweet dreams my friend! x Teje
treadlemusic
/ January 3, 2013Lovely! Another talent!! I don’t dare bring something else out to work on. My sewing room overflow-eth!!!! LOL!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 3, 2013I’m so pleased Claire is doing the SAL as I’ve wanted to try this for ages. I’ve finished this piece and I’m hooked. It’s nice to have a little project that is done in a few hours. I got storage boxes for Christmas so I’m all tidy and organised again. Now I only have three projects on the go (apart from all the quilt tops to quilt)
Avis x
treadlemusic
/ January 3, 2013Ahh, yes, and we “launch” in to the New Year! Happy “clean slate/calendar” to you!!!!!! D
witchylin
/ January 3, 2013Your card will be very special Avis. like Doreen, I dare not start anything else. Quilts waiting to be finished, knitting a snowdog, knitting a jazzy cardigan for me to wear at camps. Then there are the cross stitch WIP that I just can’t find under the piles of fabrics, threads and wool. I really need to get sorted out before I begin anything else. I have made a good start on the house so there are a few more spaces to put projects in some sort of order. I could do with two weeks of doing nothing but look at everything in my den and see just what it is and what I can use it for, then do it. How I would love to find the time to sit and read as I once did. LOL. Looked at the french blog, pictures only. I have no french what so ever.
I wish I had only three projects on the go. I didn’t think I had so much stuff started then put to one side when I found something more interesting. I never thought retirement would make me so sloppy with my crafts. When I was working I was so organized. Maybe I had better find a job again.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 3, 2013Oh Lin!! Every time I need to have a giggle, I’m coming back to read this
I do tend to spread out a bit while I’m busy but when I finish a project, everything is put back in its place again. The stacking storage boxes were pricey but they have really helped me to organise. I shouldn’t really have to buy more fabric but I know I will 
So, I now have one cross-stitch, one crochet ripple and a dozen quilt tops to quilt. That should be enough for this year. Oh….and there’s a vintage knitting machine somewhere??? which I must drag out and try out sometime 
Avis x
dragonflyquiltworks
/ January 3, 2013Avis, this is lovely. I think the snowflake piece will be beautiful! I did some Huck Embroidery in the last six months. That is about all the handwork I have done in years!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 3, 2013Hi, I did huck embroidery at school but I’ve only just learned what it was called. We used a special fabric with loops to sew under and over instead of taking the thread through the fabric. The embroidery cotton was very thick and brightly coloured. I’ve never been able to find the fabric again. I think my Mum might have some table mats that I made somewhere
Thanks for the memory! Avis x
Mareenchen
/ January 3, 2013So pretty and what a lovely card it will be. I really must muster up the time to get into embroidery one of these days.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 3, 2013Well, if you have a scrap of aida fabric and a length of embroidery floss you can definitely find the time. I’m onto my second one. The first one took a total of five hours to make. Have a go! Thank you for visiting my blog. I’ve added yours to my blogroll on the right
Avis x
rutigt
/ January 3, 2013Followed the link and………….it was in french
I studied french 3 years in school, but that was a long time ago 
In Sweden, in Dalcarlia, they sew a embroidery almost like that, called “svartstick” ( blackstitch). The hard thing about it, was that it should look the same on both sides. I never managed to do that 
Gun, Sweden
Oh Sew Tempting
/ January 3, 2013Oh, I had a teacher who used to say “It should look as good on the back!” but of course it never did. She didn’t like knots at the back of any embroidery so, to this day, I still don’t have knots. She was a wonderful teacher
Avis x