My Stitchery Journal

WIPocalypse April 2021 Check-In - April 25, 2021

4/25/2021

The topic for this month's discussion is:

"Have you found yourself to be more or less productive in your stitching during the Covid-19 pandemic?"

Well, to be honest, since I hadn't stitched much at all between 2016 and 2020 (only one traveling needlepoint and one twinchie in 2019), ANYTHING would have been an improvement! I started stitching again in January 2020 and our state went into stay-at-home orders in mid-March of that year. From that time until the end of the year, I completed 10 pieces: seven stitch-alongs and three long-term WIPs. If we are only counting 2020, for March through December, then yes, I was more productive.

In 2021 (we are still under mandatory mask orders and social distancing recommendations so I basically am still acting as if we are under stay-at-home orders), I have slowed down bit, only finishing one stitch-along this year (and this had been started in 2020), working on two new stitch-alongs, and beginning one new. piece. A few stitches have been placed into my last long-term WIP but not enough to trumpet any kind of progress on that front. I am not doing any free-hand embroidery, beading or crazy quilting, all of which which dominated my stitching time between 2011 and 2014, so my total stitching output looks significantly smaller, even though the cross-stitching may actually be similar or more productive.

Currently, I am finding stitching time limited by other activities (mainly mixed media). I also have motivation issues with the charts and kitted up potential new starts that are in my project bag (I am still drawn to BAPs but really an hesitating on starting even one of my kitted up pieces with that old BAP still outstanding...). So in 2021, I seem to have backslid a little...

Overall, however, I have to say that, measured against my stitching activity pre-Covid (and pre-hand injury), my over-all productivity is probably similar to the pre-pandemic "era".

~~~~~WIPS~~~~~

I haven't stitched at all on Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches" since November, 2020.

I have made limited progress on the Glendon Place sampler "Hope & Strength".

I have been fitting this into the down times of the SALs I have committed to and so I usually only get in about three days in the month for this piece. I really am enjoying stitching with the silks, however.

~~~~~SALs~~~~~

Besides this WIPocalypse, I have two (mystery) SALs in progress:

1. The Faithwurks/Just Cross Stitch Christmas Quaker, which now has three parts complete:

rThere are charms om parts two and three but I am holding off on these until the entire six parts are stitched.

Part four is due out in early June in the next issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine.

2. The Stitchonomy 2021 Sal series, part one of which is "Homely Houseplants II" a partner to the "Homely Houseplants" sampler completed in 2020. First installment was April 16 although I signed up for early access (April 9th). So far, the shelving and three plant patterns have been issued to the general public:

New plant patterns are issued every three days, with the next due out on April 25 (today!).

~~~~~Travelling Needlepoint~~~~~

Not having travelled since the pandemic, I have not been motivated to stitch on "Butterfly on Scroll" since February 2020. No progress to report. However, there will be a road trip to Illinois in July, pandemic willing, and I may get in a few stitches in while my husband is doing his daily "thing"!

~~~~~~ In the Pipeline ~~~~~

While my stitching mojo seems a little low, my interest in new charts is not. In addition to the two Elizabeth Almond blackwork pieces in the February ("Frosted Windows") and April ("Spring Celebration") issues of Just Cross Stitch, the latest Linen and Things annual SAL, and the LongDog monster "Pandemic" which I have more-or-less kitted up; I ordered the kits for two Lakeside Needlecraft SALs ("Time to Stitch", 10 of 12 installments, and "Steampunk Musical Instruments, one installment so far) which arrived yesterday. Fitting any of these in in the coming months is unlikely but one never knows...

Stay safe and healthy out there...

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WIPocalypse March 2021 Check-In - March 28, 2021

3/28/2021

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The topic for this month's discussion is:

"What is your process for working on WIPs? Are you a one-at-a-time stitcher, a rotation stitcher, or something else?"

I guess I would have to admit to being a rotation stitcher, although I can't pinpoint the exact time when I switched from being a one-at-a-time stitcher. It may have happened around 2012 when I embarked on a number of on-line challenges like TAST, the Crazy Quilt Journal project and the Bead Journal Project. Cross-stitching became a part of a cycle filling the time between these three different stitchery methods.

At the beginning of 2020, I had just gotten back into stitching after a four-year hiatus due to two different wrist surgeries and the accompanying physical therapy, so I have to say that ration became mandatory for me. I had three BAPs and one small long-term WIP that had languished in that four-year period and when I started stitching again, it was with the pure intention of clearing those pieces from my list. But... I got bit busy the SAL bug and found myself involved a five different SALs, one of which was a five-in-one challenge! Rotation became routine, even mandatory if I wanted to keep up, let alone make progress on the WIPs!

In 2021, with the completion of those five SALs and the elimination of three of the long-term WIPs, things have changed. I am only enlisted in two SALs this year, one of which has long intervals between installments and I have found that this month, while waiting for the third installment of one of the SALs and the first patterns for the second, I have slowed down a lot and found it hard to motivate on the remaining long-term WIP. I can't even find the motivation to start on any of the non-SALs that I have kitted up! In fact, during this slow period, I have only stitched three days on a new start (see below).

Basically, I have scaled WAY back on my stitchery in favor of the Mixed Media class I am enrolled in. My taxes are wrapped up and filed and so I have no excuse ofter than a lack of ambition.

~~~~~WIPS~~~~~

I re-started Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches" in November 2020 and made a little progress on blocks 70 - 74. However, I haven't stitched on it at all since then.

~~~~~SALs~~~~~

Besides this WIPocalypse, I have scaled back this year and only have two (mystery) SALs in progress:
1. The Faithwurks/Just Cross Stitch Christmas Quaker, which now has two parts complete (see last month's post). Part three is due out in the June 2021 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine, the digital version of which should be available April 6, 2021.

2. The Stitchonomy 2021 Sal series, part one of which is "Homely Houseplants II" a partner to the "Homely Houseplants" sample completed in 2020. First installment is April 16 although I have signed up for early access (April 9th).

~~~~~New Beginnings~~~~~

Back in May of 2020, on a whim, I ordered the full kit (32-ct Jade Lugana, Dinky-Dies silks, Mill Hill Beads, and Petit Lame Braid) for a sampler from Glendon Place called "Hope and Strength". I pulled it out this past week and stitched three days on it...

I am loving stitching with the silks and am surprised how easy stitching on 32 count Lugana, 2 over 2, after struggling al last year with 28 count linens!

Stay safe and healthy out there...

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WIPocalypse February 2021 Check-In and I'm late again...

3/1/2021

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The topic for discussion this month is:

"What stitch-a-longs (SALs) are you participating in this year?"

Well, besides this WIPocalypse, I have scaled back this year and only have two (mystery) SALs in progress:

1. The Faithwurks/Just Cross Stitch Christmas Quaker, which now has two parts complete:

Part three is due out in the June 2021 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine, the digital version of which should be available in late April, early May, 2021.

2. The fifth and final SAL in Stitchonomy's Year of SALs: "Winter 2020", stitched on 16 ct Riviera Aqua Aida, using DMC threads as called for in the chart, now finished and awaiting finish-finishing:

I have enrolled in the next Stitchonomy SAL, Version Two of "Homely Houseplants" and have ordered the floss/fabric kit.

That pretty much completes my current SAL participation although I have fabric and thread up the wazoo for potential BAP/SAL projects but have yet to decided on which, if any, will get stitched:

a blackwork sampler SAL by Peppermint Purple which is a blackwork sampler intended as a companion for the one I completed in 2020
the 2021 mystery sampler SAL by Linen & Threads, called "Talavera"

In the non-SAL arena, The Long Dog "Pandemic" pattern is also "kitted up" with oodles of thread choices and at least two fabric possibilities lined up but not sure I will actually stitch it or not. In addition, I have my eye on two Elizabeth Almond blackwork pieces which appeared in the February 2021 and April 2021 issues of Just Cross Stitch. Ironic since my BAP Elizabeth Almond "Save the Stitches" piece languishes again...

Basically, I have scaled WAY back on my stitchery in favor of the Mixed Media class I am enrolled in. Once my taxes are wrapped up and in the hands of the accountant, I may scale back up again in March, but it may require a lot of ambition which I currently lack.

Stay safe and healthy out there...

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WIPocalypse 2021 Check-In - January 31, 2021

2/1/2021

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And I'm late, as usual. Still... I don't have that much to report so this will be short and sweet(-ish)!

The topic for discussion this month was:

"Tell us about a WIP on which you’ve really struggled to make progress. Explain its history. What appears to be the reason you’re struggling?"

Here it is... "Save the Stitches" by Elizabeth Almond. I'm on blocks 70 - 74 0f a 125+ block piece. I started this back in February of 2014 and made pretty good progress until I had basically four years of physical therapy (which resulted from a broken left wrist followed two years later by a left thumb tendon rupture caused by the tendon rubbing across the plate in that same broken wrist). During that time, I had limited and limited use of my left hand. In 2020, I started stitching again and inserted this piece into a rotation of four long-term WIPS/potential UFOs and a set of 5 SALs. I finally picked it up after all the other WIPS were completed and began stitching again in November/December 2020.

So my struggle was physical. This is a BAP and the full yard of fabric is heavy so holding the QSnap frame is tiring, to say nothing of the fact that after an hour or so, my hand start cramping and I have issues with holding onto the needle! Needless to say, my left hand isn't ever going to be as dextrous (is it an oxymoron to apply dexterity to the left hand of a right-handed person?) as it once was and so picking up this piece to stitch doesn't compete with smaller pieces in my rotation.

Nonetheless, I will persevere!

Now, as for what I am stitching in February...

~~~~~WIPS~~~~~

While "stay at home" orders here in Ohio are have mostly lifted, Covid is on the rise again in Ohio and (we're still on a "mandatory mask" order right now and cautioned to "go out" only if necessary), I have had the time to do quite a bit of stitching.

I re-started "Save the Stitches" (see above photo) in November 2020 and made a little progress on blocks 70 - 74. However, I didn't stitch on it at all in January 2021.

~~~~~SALs~~~~~

I have two SALs in progress at present:

1. Faithwurks/Just Cross Stitch Magazine's "Christmas Quaker", on 28ct Sage Jobelin, Anchor floss as called for in the chart. The first installment of six was completed in January. I await installment 2 with the April issue of Just Cross Stitch (although the digital version pattern will likely arrive in March).

2. 2. The fifth and final SAL in Stitchonomy's Year os SALs: "Winter 2020", stitched on 16 ct Riviera Aqua Aida, using DMC threads as called for in the chart. The first 13 installments are now public:

Because I belong to the SALs pattern club, I have completed the final two installments and am ready to finish it as a bell pull, as soon as the hardware arrives. It will be counted as a completion in next months WIPocalypse report.

I admit that, after the frenzy of stitching I participated in last year, my urge to take up new stitching has waned a bit. I am considering three additional SALs - one by Peppermint Purple which is a blackwork sampler intended as a companion for the one I completed in 2020 (the first four installments and the "frame" are out now but I haven't decided whether or not to stitch it and, if so, what colors I will use.

The second is the 2021 mystery sampler by Linen & Threads, called "Talavera". I am collecting threads at the moment and trying to decide what fabric to use.

I'm also contemplating starting the Long Dog "Pandemic" which was released last year - I have thread and fabric, just not courage (that is one HUGE piece).

Finally, there is a blackwork piece by Elizabeth Almond in the February issue of Just Cross Stitch that I have kitted up. I may, or may not, start that this month while waiting fo the April Issue of the magazine.

And of course, my stash isn't just overflowing with WIPS and UFOs (and finished pieces waiting to be "finished") but also with charts (some kitted up, some not) and kits accumulated over the years. My stash is truly a SABLE and I am spoiled for choice...

Oh, as I reported in December 2020, stitching isn't my only "craft". I dabble in Mixed Media and am heavily into paper crafting. I maintain a blog for my paper crafting and also maintain a website (and two back-ups) for a quilt guild I belong to. Add to that a life-long addiction to reading (primarily crime fiction, but also history, biography and a little science fiction). Finally, it's tax time and I have to get my records in order for the accountant so I have to budget my time!

In all, I'm just going to go with the flow!

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WIPocalypse 2021 Check-In

1/3/2021

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Hi, everyone. I'm Carol Harper, AKA thatyank, and I've been stitching since graduate school "way back in the middle ages" as my old high school Latin teacher Miss Reed used to say! I started by helping a friend complete an eyeglass case as a gift for her mother (until then, I had only done crewel and needlepoint) and was immediately hooked. And for the longest time, I was pretty good about keeping up and finishing what I had started before taking on a new project.

However, due to the fact that we moved from Houston, TX to London in 1992, and from there to Beijing in 1996, and then to Saudi Arabia in 1998, before returning to to Ohio in 2002, our personal belongings (including my stitchery supplies) had been, in stages, packed and put into storage with each move until we finally settled down in 2003!

I believe I started WIPoccalypse in 2011 (although the first post on my blog that references WIPoccalypse was in January 2012 so I can't be sure...) with an attempt to rectify the huge collection of WIPs/UFOs that has resulted from these intervals of packing/storing away between moves. Wipocalypse was partially successful in rectifying this backlog. However, I still have a number of needlepoint canvases (most requiring backstitch although one is in need of cleaning, and another, a painted canvas of a leopard that was a bequest from a deceased friend, is barely started), and one set of crewel pillow covers left over from that accumulation. In addition, I have one major blackwork piece by Elizabeth Almond ("Save the Stitches", roughly 60% complete, which was started in February of 2014 and languished through periods of physical therapy ( resulted from a broken left wrist followed two years later by a ruptured left thumb tendon) . Odds are, the blackwork is the only piece I will take out this year as a long-term WIP.

Here is where "Save the Stitches: is now:

I have two SALs in progress at present:

1. Faithwurks/Just Cross Stitch Magazine's "Christmas Quaker", on 28ct Sage Jobelin, Anchor floss as called for in the chart. The first installment of six is complete:

and the second is due out with the April issue of Just Cross Stitch (although the digital version pattern will likely arrive in March).

2. The fifth and final SAL in Stitchonomy's Year os SALs: "Winter 2020", stitched on 16 ct Riviera Aqua Aida, using DMC threads as called for in the chart. The first four installments are now public:

with additional installments being released every three days.

I am considering two additional SALs - one by Peppermint Purple which is a blackwork sampler intended as a companion for the one I completed in 2020 and the other a mystery sampler by Linen & Threads. I'm also contemplating starting the Long Dog "Pandemic" which was released last year - I have thread and fabric, just not courage (that is one HUGE piece). And of course, my stash isn't just overflowing with WIPS and UFOs (and finished pieced waiting to be "finished") but also with charts (some kitted up, some not) and kits accumulated over the years.

Oh, and stitching isn't my only "craft". I dabble in Mixed Media and am heavily into paper crafting and I maintain a blog for this as well as a blog for a quilt guild I belong to. Add to that an addiction to reading (primarily crime fiction but also history, biography and a little science fiction), and I sometimes have to budget my time!

In all, I'm just going to go with the flow!

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WIPocalypse 2020 Check-In, December 27, 2020

12/9/2020

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The topic for this month is:

"Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc)."

Finishes:

A number of cross stitch pieces were started this year so there are no before pictures. they were:

Michael Powell Scissor Keep, completed January 18, 2020:

Stitchonomy "Homely Houseplants SAL", completed February 25, 2020:

"Colorful Critters SAL', design by Stitchonomy, completed May 19, 2020:

Fantastic Fungi SAL, design by Stitchonomy, completed August 12, 2020:

Christmas Shadowbox SAL, Faithwurks and Just Cross Stitch Magazine; finished October 14, 2020:

Halloween 2020 SAL by Stitchonomy, finished October 30, 2020:

Friends & Family SAL by Linen & Threads, completed December 8, 2020:

Peppermint Purple "52 Weeks of BlackworK" SAL, finished December 25, 2020:

There were two long-term WIPs that were finished this year as well:

"Historic Biltmore" by The Posy Collection, PC-776, originally started in July 2014, restarted on May 23, 2020(left photo) and finished September 13, 2020

"Love is..." by X's and Ohs, originally started in September of 2016, restarted on January 23, 2020 (left photo) and finished November 26, 2020

And finally, finally two sewing projects, begun and finished in March 2020: face masks for myself and my husband. Really pretty pathetic attempts but they made due until real face asks were available to buy.

Now, as for what I am stitching in December...

~~~~~WIPS~~~~~

While "stay at home" orders here in Ohio are have mostly lifted, Covid is on the rise again in Ohio and (we're still on a "mandatory mask" order right now and cautioned to "go out" only if necessary), I have had the time to do quite a bit of stitching.

I re-started "Save the Stitches" last month. This WIP was started in February 0f 2014 and stopped at the end of block 69 in April of 2015 (Photo #1). This blackwork sampler by Elizabeth Almond is my last, and largest, WIP. I haven't progressed far (only three nights of stitching in November and December) (photo#2, close-up in photo #3), but restarting wasn't as onerous as I had anticipated.

~~~~~Travelling Needlepoint~~~~~

No progress to report on "Butterfly on Scroll".

~~~~~SALs~~~~~
I have stitched on 4 SALs this past month, and completed two - the Linen & Threads 2020 SAL "Friends and Family", stitched on 28ct "Lavender Sunset" (not very lavender) Jobelin using Threadworx "Rocky Mountain (1070)! For photo, see above in the year-end report.

"52 Weeks of Blackwork" by Purple Peppermint; various randomly selected shades of pink, purple and blue DMC on 28ct tea-colored evenweave. Completed weekly installments Week 49 through 52. For photo, see above in the year-end report.

Two new SALs were started in December.

1. Faithwurks/Just Cross Stitch Magazine's "Christmas Quaker", on 28ct Sage Jobelin, Anchor floss as called for in the chart. The first installment, with one mistake and subsequent fudging:

The second installment is due out in the next issue (April, 2021) of the magazine.

2. The second SAL is the fifth and final SAL in Stitchonomy's Year os SALs: "Winter 2020", stitched on 16 ct Riviera Aqua Aida, using DMC threads as called for in the chart. The first installment is now public:

~~~~~Goals for the New Year~~~~~

I still am not at all inclined to get out there and play, travel or otherwise risk my health. So I will continue to "stay home" a except when "necessary" (haircuts, doctor's appointments, financial consultant, and the like)...

I will continue watching online chats, tutorials and the like for paper crafting which can take up as much as 8 hours a week that otherwise could be devoted to stitchery.
I will continue to participate in the on-line art community, where members engage in facilitated learning through monthly mixed media art projects and challenges. The december challenge and project are...
I gave up on the television episodes in my storage space on my DVR, purchased the series in iTunes, and restored my available storage to 90%+.
I am sticking to my goal of at least 30 minutes a day of reading, both for pleasure (crime fiction and science fiction) and for enlightenment (I love histories and biographies).

I have been rationing my stitching time to two or three hours a day, for about five days a week. The release of SAL installments varies from project to project so planning a rotation has been iffy, at best.

What I HOPE to do in January is:

a) work on the Faithwurx "Christmas Quaker" SAL (although I doubt the next installment will be out until February
b) complete the Stitchonomy "Winter 2020" SAL
c) work on "Save the Stitches"

I may, or may not, start SALs with Peppermint Purple (a companion piece to the 2020 SAL) and Linen & Threads (Talavera SAL for 2021). I haven't decided yet. Also, I'm thinking that I owe myself a new start that isn't an SAL... I've been eyeing the fabric and floss for Long Dog's "Pandemic" which sit atop my sewing basket in my bedroom, but it might be wiser to try something smaller... like the five chart Michael Powell "Place du Marché" (IF I have fabric and floss in my stash that will work)...

Meanwhile, I'm saying home, keeping healthy and hoping the same for all of you!

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WIPocalypse 2020 Check In, November 29, 2020

11/29/2020

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The topic for this month is:

"What new discoveries did you have in the stitching world this year?"

Well, I'm not exactly sure I actually did make any "new" discoveries. I pretty much stuck to my usual techniques and designers; I didn't learn any new techniques; and I didn't discover any new tools. Possibly not surprising given how long I have been stitching and now many stitching techniques I have taken up over these decades (crewel, needlepoint, cross-stitch, free embroidery, encrusted embroidery, blackwork, knitting, quilting, crazy quilting, beading... to name a "few".).

New designers? Well, first there were the designers whose SALs I've been working on all year: Peppermint Purple, Stitchonomy. and Faithwurx. There were the designers that I knew the names of (Long Dog Samplers; Linen & Threads) that I had never tackled before but whose designs I now look at with great desire... And then there were those whose designs I have been accumulating but haven't stitched yet: Frau Rosa, Stitchingly, and Seba. Do these count as new discoveries?

That is about it...

~~~~~WIPS~~~~~

While "stay at home" orders here in Ohio are have mostly lifted, Covid is on the rise again in Ohio and (we're still on a "mandatory mask" order right now and cautioned to "go out" only if necessary), I have had the time to do quite a bit of stitching.

"Love Is..." is complete! Chart from X's & Oh's, design by Jo Gatenby. Started in September 0f 2016 and left off in February 26, 2017, restarted on January 23, 2020 (photo #1), and completed on November 26, 2020 (photo #2)!

I have re-started "Save the Stitches". Started in February 0f 2014 and stopped at the end of block 69 in April of 2015 (photo #1), this blackwork sampler by Elizabeth Almond is my last, and largest, WIP. I haven't progressed far in two nights of stitching (photo #2), but restarting wasn't as onerous as I had anticipated.

~~~~~Travelling Needlepoint~~~~~

No progress to report on "Butterfly on Scroll".

~~~~~Completions~~~~~

The long-standing WIP "Love Is..." (started in September 0f 2016) was completed on November 26, 2020! See also SAL #3 below

~~~~~SALs~~~~~
I have stitched on 3 SALs this past month, and completed one!

1. "52 Weeks of Blackwork" by Purple Peppermint; various randomly selected shades of pink, purple and blue DMC on 28ct tea-colored evenweave. Completed weekly installments Week 44 through Week 48, plus completed the border. Week 49 comes into my mailbox on December 2, 2020.

2. Linen & Threads 2020 SAL "Friends and Family", stitched on 28ct "Lavender Sunset" (not very lavender) Jobelin using Threadworx "Rocky Mountain (1070). The November installment was completed on November 14, 2020. The final (December) installment is due online on December 1.

3. Stitchonomy 2020 SAL, "Halloween 2020", was started in late September, with subscribers getting some advance information early in the month. The fabric and floss kit didn't arrived two days after the first pattern piece (the frame) was issued so I started using the recommended DMC colors on a lavender 14ct linen.
I made some substitutions in pattern (several cats instead of the icons provided, using an alternative set and a previous SAL pattern to create my cats; a substitute spell book for day 4); and substituted designs of my own (movie "Psycho" and "Jaws") for horror films in the last row;and used DMC4245 variegated thread for the letters and date in the frame, silver blending thread in day 2; and backstitching to pop some images...
I used beads for animal eyes in the border and a charm was added to the pumpkin in the middle.

I finished this SAL on October 30, 2020, just in time for Halloween!

The fifth Stitchonomy SAL, Winter 2020, will begin mid-December... Kit is on order but I have a back-up from stash in the event mail from the Netherlands is held up somewhere along the way.

~~~~~Goals for December~~~~~

I still am not at all inclined to get out there and play, travel or otherwise risk my health. So I will continue to "stay home" a except when "necessary" (haircuts, doctor's appointments, financial consultant, and the like)...

I am still watching online chats, tutorials and the like for paper crafting which can take up as much as 8 hours a week that otherwise could be devoted to stitchery.
In the year-long art community, where members engage in facilitated learning through monthly mixed media art projects and challenges, I have competed the fifth challenge and project. The sixth challenge and project is scheduled for November, and I have already seen a sneak peak...
I gave up on the television episodes in my storage space on my DVR, purchased the series in iTunes, and restored my available storage to 90%+.
I am sticking to my goal of at least 30 minutes a day of reading, both for pleasure (crime fiction and science fiction) and for enlightenment (I love histories and biographies).

a) keep up with "52 Weeks of Blackwork": the installments, weekly on Wednesdays, are small and, along with some additional border stitching, are doable in one night of stitching per installment. I just need to motivate on the border stitching...
b) begin the Stitchonomy "Winter 2020" SAL
c) complete the December installment of "Friends & Family" by Linen & Threads
d) work on "Save the Stitches"

I'm thinking that I owe myself a new start... I've been eyeing the fabric and floss for Long Dog's "Pandemic" which sit atop my sewing basket in my bedroom, but it might be wiser to try something smaller...

Meanwhile, I'm saying home, keeping healthy and hoping the same for all of you!

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WIPocalypse 2020 Check-In - October 25 , 2020

10/25/2020

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The topic for this month is:

"How do you choose what you’re going to stitch on next?"

I'm not sure how to answer this, to be honest.

This year, I have been working on eliminating WIPs (managed two of the five so far and well into a third) and I tend to choose the WIP that is least onerous to me when I have time to fit it into my stitching schedule.

I say "stitching schedule" because this year, I also am participating in four (yes, count 'em, FOUR) Stitchalongs (SALs) which all have different timing. One issues an installment once a month; a second once every two months; a third daily, and the fourth weekly (on Wednesdays) ! So I set up a rotation where I tried to fit the first three in around that fourth weekly SAL.

I try to stitch the daily installment SAL every other day (letting installments pile up if necessary) and the weekly SAL on the day of issue.
I tackle the monthly SAL on any free days that result in the above pattern, until the monthly installment is completed.
Then I tackle the bimonthly SAL until it is completed.

If it all works out this means my WIP stitching is slow to non-existent for two weeks out of every month

Needless to say, this means my WIP stitching is slow to non-existent for two weeks out of every month, sometimes even more. And there is NO WAY I am going to start a new piece in the midst of all this schedule/rotation chaos!

As I have said, two WIPS have been completed this year and one SAL was completed this month (see below), leaving me with more stitching time on the other three SALs and any outstanding WIP I might wish to take up. That means my eye has been turning to new pieces I might work on in the new year. Some patterns have already been purchased:

another SAL, sight unseen, by the same designer of this year's weekly SAL - I already have the thread in hand and at least two of her standalone blackwork patterns
fabric and potential threads have been accumulated for a that humongous "Pandemic" pattern from Long Dog that I have yet to start (I have pretty much settled on the fabric and the threads but haven't decided if I'm going monotone or will be adding accents in complimentary colors). I have purchased a grime guard for my two largest Snap frames and clips to hold the extra fabric under control while stitching (I have been practicing using these clips on my current SALs). This piece is so big and complex that I am almost afraid to start it.
a Christmas ornament from Linen & Threads is on order and said to have shipped

My stash is packed with charts and kits that I have purchase over the years, and and various charts have been collected in my computer files. If and when I decide to add a new piece to my rotation, it will all be on what takes my fancy at the time and it is entirely possible that none of these will qualify. It all depends on my mood at the moment.

But I can promise that there will be no more 4 SALs at the same time again (probably --- never say never)! Too stressful!

This month had a challenge to do at least one stitch a day. I didn't manage that - there were some days I took off due to schedule overload and general malaise, but I did manage three hours or more most days, so my average over the month was much more than one stitch a day. How's that for an excuse! pretty lame, yes?

~~~~~WIPS~~~~~

While "stay at home" orders here in Ohio are have mostly lifted (we're still on a "mandatory mask" order right now and cautioned to "go out" only if necessary), I have had the time to do quite a bit of stitching.

"Love Is..." hasn't been touched since September 22... and I still have not re-started "Save the Stitches".

~~~~~Travelling Needlepoint~~~~~

No progress to report on "Butterfly on Scroll".

~~~~~Completions~~~~~

See SAL #4 below!

~~~~~SALs~~~~~
I have stitched on four SALs...

1. "52 Weeks of Blackwork" by Purple Peppermint; various randomly selected shades of pink, purple and blue DMC on 28ct tea-colored evenweave. Completed weekly installments Week 40 through Week 43, plus completed the border. Week 404 comes into my mailbox on October 28, 2020.

2. Linen & Threads 2020 SAL "Friends and Family", stitched on 28ct "Lavender Sunset" (not very lavender) Jobelin using Threadworx "Rocky Mountain (1070). October installment completed on October 14, 2020. The November installment is due online on November 1.

3. Stitchonomy 2020 SAL, "Halloween 2020", was started in late September, with subscribers getting some advance information early in the month. The fabric and floss kit doesn't arrived two days after the first pattern piece (the frame) was issued so I started using the recommended DMC colors on a lavender 14ct linen.

I made some substitutions in pattern (several cats instead of the icons provided, using an alternative set and a previous SAL pattern to create my cats; a substitute spell book for day 4); and used DMC4245 variegated thread for the letters and date in the frame, silver blending thread in day 2; and backstitching to pop some images...

I plan on using beads for animal eyes in the border in future and there is a charm to be added to the pumpkin in the middle. I also will create/piece together a bottom border using different sources (previous SAL patterns, patterns created by other stitchers, etc.).

4. Christmas Shadowbox SAL for Faithwurks and Just Cross Stitch Magazine. A COMPLETION! Installment 5 (the final installment) was finished on October 17. I had miscalculated how large the center square should be so had to improvise by adding a string of Christmas lights below the wording. Beads, buttons and ribbon bows were added at the very end..

~~~~~ In the Pipeline~~~~~

Nothing new at the moment, although, as stated in the beginning of this blog, fabric and floss (two sets - what I get for double ordering - including several cones of candidate colors!) for "Pandemic" by Long Dog Samplers have long been in my possession. Still made no choices as to which sets of thread/fabric to use. This is a HUGE project and I may chicken out long before I get started.

I also have in hand an order of threads from the ETSY shop of the designer of "52 Weeks of Blackwork" for her 2021 SAL.

And my computer files and real-life stash are PACKED with potential charts/kits to chose from, if I ever get around to that!

~~~~~Goals for November ~~~~~

I still am not at all inclined to get out there and play, travel or otherwise risk my health. So I will continue to "stay home" a except when "necessary" (haircuts, doctor's appointments, financial consultant, and the like)...

I am still watching online chats, tutorials and the like for paper crafting which can take up as much as 8 hours a week that otherwise could be devoted to stitchery.
In the year-long art community, where members engage in facilitated learning through monthly mixed media art projects and challenges, I have competed the fourth challenge and project. The fifth challenge and project is scheduled for November, and I have already seen a sneak peak...
I am stagnating at 11% remaining of my storage space on my DVR. I still have the same four recorded television series to catch up, all of which do not lend themselves well to stitching at the same time. With new series coming online in November, this could be a real issue.
I am sticking to my goal of at least 30 minutes a day of reading, both for pleasure (crime fiction and science fiction) and for enlightenment (I love histories and biographies).

a) keep up with "52 Weeks of Blackwork": the installments, weekly on Wednesdays, are small and, along with some additional border stitching, are doable in one night of stitching per installment. I just need to motivate on the border stitching...
b) complete the Stitchonomy "Halloween 2020 SAL
c) continue to stitch on "Love Is..." . There is a chance that I can finish this!
d) complete the November installment of "Friends & Family" by Linen & Threads

"Save the Stitches" may or may not enter into my stitching rotation.

Meanwhile, I'm saying home, keeping healthy and hoping the same for all of you!

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WIPocalypse 2020 Check-In - September 27, 2020

9/27/2020

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The topic for this month is:

"Are you a seasonal stitcher, or can you stitch on any holiday/seasonal stitch at any time of year?"

I don't consider myself a "seasonal stitcher" in that I stitch whatever appeals to me at the time. However, there are seasonal items which get started (and sometimes finished) ahead of the season when the magazines and charts start appearing on the market for Halloween and Christmas. Both seem to start in September of each year although there are some hints earlier in the summer (the dreaded Christmas in July issues of British stitchery magazines and Just Cross Stitch's "Christmas Ornament Sneak Peaks around the same time), most of which do not get me started!

Lately, when decorating for the holidays, I have determined the i have MORE than enough stitched ornaments for both Halloween and Christmas and so now the only seasonal attractions for me are the occasional larger piece. Not sure why --- no place to hang them and they take up so much room if framed so they tend to languish in a "finished stitching/finish it off" bag in my craft room once the stitching is completed.

~~~~~WIPS~~~~~

While "stay at home" orders here in Ohio are slowly lifting (we're still on a "mandatory mask" order right now and cautioned to "go out" only if necessary), I have had the time to do quite a bit of stitching.

"Love Is..." was actually tackled this month! It's not done yet but a long shot, but I'm past all those nasty French knots!

I still have not re-started "Save the Stitches".
~~~~~Travelling Needlepoint~~~~~

No progress to report on "Butterfly on Scroll".

~~~~~Completions~~~~~
I have a completion! "Historic Biltmore" by The Posy Collection, PC-776. Started July 2014, finished September 12, 2020. Finished size 15" x 10" on 14ct Charles Craft Aida, using DMC threads.

~~~~~SALs~~~~~
I have stitched on three SALs...

1. "52 Weeks of Blackwork" by Purple Peppermint; various randomly selected shades of pink, purple and blue DMC on 28ct tea-colored evenweave. Completed weekly installments Week 36 through Week 39, plus some additional border. Week 40 comes into my mailbox on September 30.

I'm thinking of signing and dating this along the both border so once I turn the corners on both sides, I will have to plan out the pacing for this before completing the border.

2. Linen & Threads 2020 SAL "Friends and Family", stitched on 28ct "Lavender Sunset" (not very lavender) Jobelin using Threadworx "Rocky Mountain (1070). September installment completed on September 4, 2020. The October installment is due online on October 1.

3. Stitchonomy 2020 SAL, "Halloween 2020", was started in late September, with subscribers getting some advance information early in the month. The fabric and floss kit doesn't arrived two days after the first pattern piece (the frame) was issued (the postal service is definitely slow these days) so I started using the recommended DMC colors on a lavender 14ct linen. I made some substitutions in pattern (several cats instead of the icons provided, using an alternative set and a previous SAL pattern to create my cats) and used DMC4245 variegated thread for the letters and date in the frame... I plan on using beads for scattered "sparkles" in future.

The fourth SAL is "Christmas Shadowbox Sampler" SAL by Faithwurks Designs & Just CrossStitch. Installment 4 was finished August 11 (not counting beads and other embellishments) on 28ct slubby white linen, using DMC, Weeks, Kreinik and Rainbow Gallery threads. Installment 5 is not due until the next issue of Just CrossStitch magazine, so I didn't stitch on this at all this month.

~~~~~ In the Pipeline~~~~~

Nothing new at the moment, although fabric and floss (two sets - what I get for double ordering!) for "Pandemic" by Long Dog Samplers have long been in my possession. Still made no choices as to which sets of thread/fabric to use. I have ordered some new cones and skeins of thread in hopes that they will make the selection easier... This is a HUGE project and I may chicken out long before I get started.

~~~~~Goals for October ~~~~~

I still am not at all inclined to get out there and play, travel or otherwise risk my health. So I will continue to "stay home" a except when "necessary" (haircuts, doctor's appointments, financial consultant, and the like)...

I am still watching online chats, tutorials and the like for paper crafting which can take up as much as 8 hours a week that otherwise could be devoted to stitchery.
In the year-long art community, where members engage in facilitated learning through monthly mixed media art projects and challenges, I have competed the third challenge and project. The fourth challenge and project is scheduled for October.
I am stagnating at 11% remaining of my storage space on my DVR. I have four recorded television series to catch up, all of which do not lend themselves well to stitching at the same time.
I am sticking to my goal of at least 30 minutes a day of reading, both for pleasure (crime fiction and science fiction) and for enlightenment (I love histories and biographies). A recent favorite is The Girl on the Wall, One LIfe's Rich Tapestry by Jean Baggott, 2009, Icon Books, LTD. London. An expert needleworker, she illustrated her life in a large tapestry/tablecloth and was encouraged by her history tutor at university (she was an adult student, getting her degree in history in her 60s!) to use it to illustrate her life growing up in England from the 1940s on. I read it on my iPad and really wish I could justify the huge price to purchase the book in hardcover because there is supposed to be a foldout print of the tapestry in color in the back of the book. The online version only shows small bits in each chapter, all in black-and-white.

I have been rationing my stitching time to two or three hours a day, for about five days a week. The release of SAL installments varies from project to project so planning a rotation is still iffy, at best.

What I HOPE to do in October is:

a) keep up with "52 Weeks of Blackwork": the installments, weekly on Wednesdays, are small and, along with some additional border stitching, are doable in one night of stitching per installment. I just need to motivate on the border stitching...
b) keep up with the daily installments on Stitchonomy "Halloween 2020) SAL
c) continue to stitch on "Love Is..." . There is a chance that I can finish this!
d) complete the October installment of "Friends & Family" by Linen & Threads

I will start work on "Christmas Shadowbox" SAL installment 5 if it comes out digitally in October.

"Save the Stitches" may or may not enter into my stitching rotation.

Meanwhile, I'm saying home, keeping healthy and hoping the same for all of you!

1 Comment

A completion!

9/13/2020

0 Comments

In July of 2014, I accompanied my husband on a road trip that included a long weekend in Asheville, North Carolina where the national convention of the American Daylily Society was being held. One of the side trips laid on for before the convention began was a tour of Biltmore. After walking around the gardens for a bit, I ended up in the gift shop where I found a cores-stitch kit of Biltmore House. I started stitching that very day in the courtyard of the gift shop --- stitching which I had to frog when I returned home (it was nearly impossible to see that pale beige on that antique Aida cloth and I was off by several stitches. The kit eventually languished in my travel stitchery bag, taken out now and then on subsequent daylily convention road trips, but never really tackled in depth until the coronavirus shut-down got me back into stitching.

Lots of mistakes:

The threads weren't sorted or identified, and my sorting left a lot to be desired since so many thread bundles were three strand only and I mixed up one of them for the house foundation By the time I figured that out, I was NOT going to frog so I left it, checked with the kit instructions, discovered that DMC numbers were included, and went stash diving for matching skeins. Good thing, too, because all that frogging at the beginning left me short several yards for the main house color.
The grid marking on the chart were similar in weight to the backstitching marks so there are some areas where I just winged it! This was especially so where there were all those fractional stitches, on Aida of all things!

But, in the end, it is now complete!

"Historic Biltmore" by The Posy Collection, PC-776. Finished size 15" x 10" on 14ct Charles Craft Aida, using DMC threads.

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WIPocalypse April 2021 Check-In - April 25, 2021

WIPocalypse March 2021 Check-In - March 28, 2021

WIPocalypse February 2021 Check-In and I'm late again...

WIPocalypse 2021 Check-In - January 31, 2021

WIPocalypse 2021 Check-In

WIPocalypse 2020 Check-In, December 27, 2020

WIPocalypse 2020 Check In, November 29, 2020

WIPocalypse 2020 Check-In - October 25 , 2020

WIPocalypse 2020 Check-In - September 27, 2020

A completion!

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