October WIPocalypse

This month I stitched on 3 projects.  Still concentrating heavily on Little Fairies at Play as I am getting close to a finish. 

 Little Fairies at Play page 18.

 Freedom by Joan Elliott.  Slow going on this one.  But once I get started I do enjoy working on it.

Jingle Pal Christmas Ornament.  I got 2 hours in on it this month while I was taking an online class for work.  I have 7 more classes to go so I hope to get more done on it.

This month's question is do you prefer stitching in a rotation or one at a time.  I started out as a one at at time stitcher (before I found the internet stitching community).  Since most of my projects are large, I did get bored and then would stop stitching for long periods of time.  Now I am a rotation stitcher with a focus piece.  This keeps me stitching almost every day.

I bought some supplies from Hobby Lobby to finish my Christmas Ornament.  I will post a picture when I get it done.

WIPocalypse September

This month I concentrated on Little Fairies at Play so I could finish up page 17.  I had half a page to go as previous months I didn't get alot done.  I did get at least 1,200 stitches in July and August but not alot extra.  So in September it worked all month to finish page 17.  I just finished up today with a total of 3,097 stitches this month.  I did have a week of not stitching as I was on vacation.

I also had a new start the end of August.  Jingle Pals.  There are 3 ornaments from Cross Stitching & Needlework January 2009.

 And here is what it will look when done.

 And here are my Orts.  I will tamp them down and keep on stitching.

This month we are to answer the question What Finishing Techniques would we like to try.  I need to learn some new finishing techniques.  I  have a tub of finished stitching and framing gets expensive.  I did buy a frame at an antique mall and hope to try framing one myself.  Since most of my stitching are large full coverage pieces I do want to frame those.

I have been thinking how I will revamp my  rotation for 2020.  I have 2 large projects I am close to finishing and a few more kitted up.  As 2020 gets closer I will get m rotation set up.

August WIPocalypse

 After my last July WIPocalypse post I continued to stitch on Faces of Faery 90 until the end of the month.  I just have this small amount to do to finish off page 3.

 Then I worked on Little Fairies at Play on the weekends during August.  I completed 2,024 stitches and moved the scroll rods so I can finish off page 17 in September.

 Butterfly Fairy Night was my week time project.  I only stitched on this for 2 weeks because I just don't like stitching on even weave.  I struggle to get the stitches looking right.  This is the one project in my rotation that I force myself to work on when it comes up.

My brother and I are still packing up our parents house.  This month we found these place mats and napkins that I stitched for my mother while I was in high school.  I picked the colors to match my mom's new every day dishes she had bought.  4 place mats and 4 napkins still in the box I put them in when I gave them to her. I can't remember if it was for her birthday or Christmas but they have never been used.

Last month I had purchased a 2nd project bag and forgot to post a picture.  Here it is Gnomes!

In August one Wednesday my Husband and I went to the flea market at Shipsewanna.  I was looking around in the back of a quilting booth and found some cross stitch kits that were 50% off.  These were projects that a stitcher had kitted up to start and she didn't get to them.  They were all older patterns.  I picked this Mosey n Me pattern.  It had the fabric, buttons, dmc, fancy floss and beads for $10.95.  I got it for half off $5.85 including tax.  The older gentleman who was running the booth said if I bought the rest of the kits all at once he would give them to me at 75% off.  I passed on that bargain.  I have more stash now than I will ever get to.  Someday mine will probably end up in a garage sale or flea market.

This month's questions is what do I have on my stitching bucket list.  Well in my stash I have a Chatelaine - Watergarden and several Teresa Wentzler patterns.  I would like to complete those in my life time as they seem to be more challenging.

July WIPocalypse

Another month has sped by.  I continue following my rotation.  I did have one small finish early this month.  I finished the Bumble ornament.  I need to fully finish it so I can give it to my sister for Christmas.

I need to hunt down a nice backing fabric.  This motivated me to pull out some magazines and pick other ornaments to stitch up.  I have all the floss pulled and just need to get some fabric out of my stash.

 Faces of Faery 90 was my focus piece this month.  I finished off page 2 and made good progress on page 3 which is very small.  This one won't come up in my rotation again this year.

Little Fairies at Play was my weekend project.  I started page 17 and put in 2,221 stitches.

My birthday was the end of June and  I decided to spend my birthday money on some stash.  While looking thru my magazines for ornament patterns I picked out some I wanted to start. So I have been busy kitting up some new starts.  Here is some of the stash I bought:

 Fabrick for some new starts - a light grey on top, putty to the side and the bottom one is light pink.  The picture just is not showing the correct colors.

 I got some perforated plastic and paper for ornaments.  Some lovely purple krenik for one of my projects.

 I caved in and bought a project bag from Garon Bags.  I mostly keep my projects in zip lock bags.  I did buy a second project bag from an Etsy seller and forgot to take a picture of it.  I will post it next month.

Here is floss for some of the projects and fabric I bought just because I liked the colors - opalescent Mint Green and Opalescent white.

I think 2020 might be the year of new starts which will mean coming up with a new rotation plan to make progress on all of my wips.

Measi's question this month is how do I get myself out of a stitching slump.  I enjoy looking at other stitchers projects and eventually that gets me going again.

With that being said I am off to see what everyone has accomplished this month!

June WIPocalypse

This month I worked on 3 projects.

 Bumble ornament.  I probably could have finished this one but I ran out of white and didn't have any in my stash.  I will be going to my LNS this week with birthday money for the white and whatever else jumps in my hands.

 Little Fairies at Play.  Finished page 16 and got my required stitches 1,566 for June.  I didn't realize I was stitching a frog until I finished and put this one down.

I stitched on Harvest Sampler for most of the month.  It is slow going on black but I got in the groove and made some good progress.

This month's question we are to recap how we are doing with our goals this year.  I made a calendar for my projects and have been sticking on target each month.  I do work on Bumble Ornament and Harvest Sampler that are not on the calendar after I get in progress on the schedule pieces for that month.

Here are my orts for June.

I have been busy planning out some new starts and will start kitting them up with my birthday money.


Hope everyone has a good stitchy month in July.

May Wipocalypse

This month I worked on 3 projects

 My bumble ornament got some attention the first week of the month and I plan on stitching on him some more this last week

 Dandelion Kingdom Fairy was the project I worked on during the week this month.  It is moving right along.  Still on page 1.

And of course I worked on Little Fairies at Play on the weekends.  I did 2,519 stitches.  I should finish up this page next month as Little Fairies at Play is up for the whole month until I get my 1,200 stitches in.  My new rotation is working good.

This month we are to talk about where we like to shop for stash.  I am lucky and have a local needlework shop Stitch N Frame.  I stopped in there Saturday to get some thread - 938.  And of course I browsed the new patterns, took a spin up and down the aisles, looked at the wall of models and pawed thru the clearance charts.  Here are a few that came home with my DMC 938.

I found this old Gnomes chart by Pat and Gloria.  I thought they did just Precious Moments.  I am starting to collect gnomes as my husband looks like a gnome (in a good way).

Here are some more of the projects inside.  This one is moving up to my sooner rather than later pile.

Then I found this sheep pattern by Kit & Bixby.  I think I was attracted to the colors in this one.  Note the floss is in the picture that was the main reason for going to my LNS.

And finally I picked up this Toad/Frog pattern from Stitchy Kitty. 

I am off tomorrow for Memorial Day.  It has been raining for days and we still have at least another 5 days of rain in the forecast next week.  I have not got any flowers planted yet. Told the husband we are planting next weekend no matter what the weather.

I have been enjoying floss tube.  I watch at night once the husband falls asleep.  Sunshine Stitchers, Just Stitching with Pam and Steph, Amy Loves Toads, Kansas City Girl in Colorado and then I pick others to watch based on how long they are.

Until next month. 

April WIPocalyse

April was another good stitching month.  This month's weekly project was Freedom by Joan Elliot.  It was a kit I purchased several years ago on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  Usually I am not motivated to stitch on this one when it comes up in my rotation.  But this month I really enjoyed working on it.

There will be alot of backstiching on this one.  I usually save that til the end.

And of course I worked on Little Fairies at Play on the Weekends.  Goal is 1,200 stitches a month with a page finish every three months.  I am on page 16 which is my second page for 2019.  I got 2,855 stitches in this month, which is my first month working on page 16.  I am almost half way done with page 16.

This month we are to talk about our oldest WIP.  Mine is Little Fairies at Play.  I started this one back in November 2011.  I have always had other projects in my rotation and I am a slow stitcher.  I was lucky to finish a page a year in the beginning.  I am now up to doing 4 pages a year.  I think the rotation I put in place last year is really helping me to make good progress on this piece.  I will finish it in 2020.

Here are my Orts.  I missed taking a picture of them in March.  It is time to tamp them down.

 Hard to believe April is almost done.  The year is speeding by.  I have been watching floss tube enjoying everyone's plans for stitch maynia.  I am not participating.  But it is tempting.  Once I retire this is something I would like to do.  On my bucket list.  lol