December WIPocalypse

I stitched on quite a few projects this month. 

I finished page 1 of Dandelion Fairy Kingdom by Ching-Chou Kuik (HAED).  I started this one back in June 2018.  29 more pages to go. 

 Little Fairies at Play by Mary Thompson (HAED) Ifinised page 18.

 I finished 4 pages in 2019.

I had to move the scroll rods and took a picture of what is done so far.  Only 6 partial pages to go.

Since I finished up my page on Little Fairies at  Play early in the month (12/11/19) I pulled Bless Our Harvest out and got quite a bit more done.

Jingle Bell Pals.  I had a class again in December and I also stitched on it after I finished page 1 of Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.

Here is my Ort Jar for the year.  I forgot to get my plastic ornament to fill.  Hoping Walmart will still have them out.

I will update my WIPocalypse page with updated photos for all of my projects.

Here are my goals for 2020:

Finish Little Fairies at Play in the first half of 2020.  I think this is doable. 
Dandelion Fairy Kingdom I will be using for some challenges in Full Coverage Fanaticis.  20,000 stitches in 2020 and the National Park Challenge.  I hope to get at least 4 pages done.
Faces of Faery 90.  I am going to work on this for the next 4 days until 1/1/20.  I  hope to finish the partial page 3 and get started on page 4.  Once Little Fairies at Play is done I will push to finish this one in 2020.

If I get 2 HAEDs finished in 2020 I have several non-HAEDs kitted up that I want to start.


I think I got alot of stitching done in 2019.  I will do another shorter post with an update on Faces of Faery 90

November WIPocalypse

I  worked on several projects this month:

 Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  This was my month to work on it during the week.  But I also worked on it last weekend to make big progress..  This one will become my project for the 1200 By the Numbers Stitch along in December on the Full Coverage Fanatics page.

 Little Fairies at Play close to finishing page 18 which is my goal for the end of December.  I don't think I have 1200 stitches left so will not use this project for that stitch along next month.  After this page I only have 6 partial pages left.  I am going to push for a finish on this one in the first quarter of 2020.

 I stitched on this one the end of October and beginning of November.  With my new glasses I can easily see to stitch it on black.  I am off on my counting from before my new glasses so I am making adjustments.

Jingle Pals Christmas ornament I got 3.5 hours of stitching time while taking a class in November.  I have another class in December so hope to make more progress

And here are my orts.  I could really smash them down and have plenty of room but I am just gently pushing them down.

This months question is what new techniques or stitches did I learn this month.  Nothing new for me.

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

WIPocalypse March

This month my main focus piece was Little Fairies at Play so that I could finish up page 15.  I did that on 3/10/19

I still needed to complete 1,200 stitches for the Full Coverage challenge so  I started on page 16.  I got my stitches done and put this one away until April.

Since I was done early this month I pulled out Bless our Harvest. I did not  stitch every day but made some good progress on it.

I made a stop at my local LNS as I was running out of some colors on Little Fairies at Play.  While there I went thru their clearance area and found this chart that I saw either on Just Keep Stitching with Steph and Pam or Sunshine Stitchers.  It had a chart for a Bumble in it and my sister collects bumbles.

 

 Here is my progress on the Bumble Ornament

This new pattern also caught my eye.  I like the woodie wagon with the camper

Then I also got the needed floss and a small piece of light blue aida that I am stitching the Bumble on.

On our anniversary my husband and I went to a large antique mall in Maumee OH.  There I found these 2 books

I have not discovered any new designers but I am watching Floss Tube now which is exposing me to different designers than I would normally pay attention to.