December WIPocalypse

As part of the WIPocalypse group it is time for another monthly update.  Here is this month's prompt:

 

Question of the Month: Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc).

 

2020 was a good stitching year.  Working from home gave me more time to stitch because of no commute and getting my housework done during breaks in my work.  I had 5 finishes this year:

 

 

From the Home for the Holidays leaflet by Sue Hillis I stitched this.

Toadally Romantic stitched on a pink fabric that is not showing up good.  I really enjoyed this one.

A Christmas Ornament Jingle Bell Santa from a magazine

My big finish my first finished HAED Little Fairies at Play framed and hanging in my bedroom.

And my last finish for the year Cowslip finished on 12/22/20.

This month I also stitched on:

Butterfly Fairy Night.  I made a small amount of progress this year.  It is my only project on evenweave and in spots my stitches are out of alignment which means adjusting the new stitches I put in.

Harvest Blessing.   I have made alot of progress on this one.  I did get off count in the beginning.  But when I got new glasses late last year I now have no problem seeing to stitch this one.  Again I have to make adjustments for being off in the beginning.

Freedom by Joan Elliott.  I finished the O and made good progress on the M this year.

Faces of Faery 90 another HAED.  This became my weekend project once I had made my goal on Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  Page 5 is half done and then only a partial page 6.

I had a new start on 12/23/20.  I started Mingle & Jingle by Ursula Michael on 18ct Opalescent.  Here is what it will look like when done:

I also fully finished an ornament I stitched last year - Bumble.  My finishing skills need worked on.

Here are my other WIPs that were worked on during the year:

Crane Paradise finished one page and working on the second page

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom. I stitched pages 2-4 and page 5 which was a partial page.  Top row finished.  I used this piece for the 20,000 in 2020 challenge in Full Coverage Fanatics.

I did get some stash this month also:

A piece of 16 count fabric.  It is a pretty light green.

And from Stash Unloading this magazine.  There a few projects in here for my future plans

I have enjoyed participating in WIPocalypse this year.  I enjoy seeing everyone's progress.  I will be participating in 2021 and will share my plans in that first post.

 

November WIPocalypse

 I had another good stitching month.  With the end of yardwork comes more stitching time on the weekends.

This month I worked on:

Cowslip.  I just have a little bit of border under the Cow and this one will be finished.  No backstitching on this one.  Maybe a December finish.

Crane Paradise. I finished up the Sun and began stitching on the branches adding the pine needles.  Hope to finish up these 2 pages on my next rotation.

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  I finished up page 5 which was a partial page.  I was done early in November so I put it away so I could concentrate on making alot of progress on Faces of Faery 90.

Faces of Faery 90 has become my weekend project for November and December.  I finished up page 4 and made a good start on page 5.  I hope to finish this one in 2021.

Harvest Blessings.  I stitched the white pumpkin and almost finished up the green pumpkin.  I have an owl to do and this one will be done.

Question of the Month: What new discoveries did you have in the stitching world this year?

No new discoveries for me.  I am trying to fully finish some of my stitching.  It is not as easy as the tutorials make it look.  

I did have to go to my local LNS for more floss.  And of course a few patterns jumped into my hands.

 

October WIPocalypse

 It is hard to believe it is October already.  I am still working from home and enjoying it.

As  part of Measi's WIPocalypse group, we have a question to answer each month.  This month's question is:  How do you choose what you’re going to stitch on next?  I have my main project I stitch each month which is Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  I devote weekends to that project.  I did have a rotation but this year I have just been stitching which ever project grabs my attention during the week.  I do have quite a few projects kitted up.  Whenever I feel like a new start I just look thru them and grab the one I am in the mood for.  I have looked at my kitted up projects and said what was I thinking I don't want to stitch this and then I unkit it.  That has only happened once.

And here is the progress I have made this month:

Crane Paradise I finished the sun and have started on the tree branches..

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom I finished page 4 and page 5 was a partial page.  I almost have it done.  I am going to continue working on it this week with the hopes of finishing this page before 11/1/20.  Then I will put this project away and work on my other HAED Faces of Faery 90 for the remaining weekends in the year.

I worked on Freedom the end of September and the beginning of October.  The M is about half done.  There will be alot of backstitching on this one.

I did have to visit my LNS to get more floss for Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  And of course I bought more than floss:

I got this Owl mill hill kit.

And this Waxing Moon chart.

Here are my orts for the year

I feel like I have done more stitching this year than other years.

I too am feeling the call to make some stitching plans for 2021. I want to make some realistic goals and hope for a finish or two with progress on all my WIPs. 

I forgot a project.  I worked on Cowslip.  I am really enjoying working on a small project.  I think this is what motivated me to purchase the Waxing Moon chart.  Here is my progress:

September WIPocalypse

 This Month's stitching was interrupted by our trip to Southern IN.  We spent a few days down there visiting Indiana Caverns, Squire Boone Caverns, O'Bannon Woods State Park, Marengo Caverns, Spring Mill State Park and Blue Spring Caverns.  All of the Caverns were different and we were glad we went. And all of the Caverns had cats.  Very friendly cats. At Blue Spring Caverns while we waited for the tour to start, the cat pulled a mole out of its hole and the Cat then pooped in the hole.

 I did take a project to stitch on - Cowslip - and made good progress.  Stitching this on 14ct coffee tea dyed aida.

Finished  the border and started on the flowers.  This is different than what I usually stitch and I am enjoying it.  I might try making it into a pillow or flat fold.

I did work on Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  I am almost done with page 4.  I might stitch on this one for the remainder of September in the hopes of finishing page 4.

I did work a few days on Faces of Faery 90

 And I worked on Bless our Harvest.

This month's WIPocalypse question is do I do seasonal stitching.  I work on Christmas ornaments when the mood hits me.  But I usually just stitch on my rotation.  I try to keep a variety of projects in my rotation.

While on vacation we did stay at a motel in Bedford for 2 nights.  To check in I entered the door marked office at the back of the motel and walked thru a narrow dark hallway to the front.  There was something creepy about this that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  There was soft music playing and it was dark and stuffy.  Before the clerk would check me in she had to show me the room. We stay at alot of motels and this is the first time I had to inspect the room before they would rent it to me. We walked down the drive way and looked at the room.  It was clean so I checked in.  We were kinda in a basement room.  Cement block walls.  My cell phone did not get reception and we could not get internet.  When we left for dinner I looked at the front of the motel and it looked like an old funeral home.  It was located across the street from a very large cemetery.  I think our room was where the caskets were stored or embalming took place.  It was under the main portion of the building and probably was where the hearse could drive in.  Very quiet and sound proof.  We slept like the dead.

August WIPocalypse

 This month's question that Measi who runs WIPocalypse gives us is:  Have you participated in any of the mystery SALs on Facebook (or other social media)? What do you think makes a successful mystery SAL?

I have done 2 mystery stitch a longs -BOINK from Ink Circles and I did finish it and a Barbara Anna mystery stitch a long.  I finished that one too.   I did enjoy both stitch a longs.  I think I was pulled into them by wanting to be one of the crowd.  I have not done any since them  But do enjoy watching others progress on their SALS

 

This Month I had a finish Toadilly Romantic.  I finished this one on 8/6/20.

I enjoyed stitching this one on the pink fabric and the different threads from what I normally use.  There is a scissor fob that goes with it and I think I will do that one also.  I still have plenty of pink fabric.

I worked more on the border of Cow Slip.  This past weekend we went to Michigan to a car museum and aquarium and I took this project to work on.  Still more border to do.

I finished page 3 and started page 4 of Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  3,000 stitches.  Happy with my progress on this one.  

Faces of Faery 90 was also worked on.  I am going slowly o this one so that I do not make any large counting errors.  

While in Michigan we went to an Antique Mall and I found this Teresa Wentzler kit.  It was 40% off and I got it for under $7.  It has 27 count even weave.  I am doing Butterfly Fairy Night on even weave and struggle to work on it.  But I am going to give this one a go and see what happens.

Here are my orts.  Very colorful.

I am still working from home.  Not sure when I will go back.  I will be glad if I can stay home during the winter and avoid driving in the snow.

July WIPocalypse

Somewhere at the end of the Month I lost my stitchy bug.  I was doing pretty good until then.  Here are the projects I worked n in July

Crane Paradise came out at the end of the month for a few days.  Still working on the sun.

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom I worked on each weekend.  I was so close to finishing up page 3.  Just a little in the bottom right hand corner.  But I lost my stitching mojo. 

 Faces of Faery 90 I worked on the first 2 weeks of July.  I moved my scroll rods.  This is page 3.  I had thought I could finish this one in 2020 but I am moving too slow. 

I worked a few days on Toadally Romantic.  I could finish this one up if I stitch on it exclusively for a few days. 

 Then I had a new start.  I coffee/tea dyed a piece of 14 count cream fabric.    Working on the border (and there is alot of border).  This will be Cowslip in the photo below.  Everything was in my stash.

I need to work on finishing something as my WIP list is growing longer.

This month's question is what new designers have I discovered.  Carolyn Manning was a new to me designer.  I picked up one of her charts. 

WIPocalypse June

The question this month is checking in to see how we are doing with our six month progress.

My main goal for 2020 was to finish Little Fairies at Play.  I did that in May and I now have it back from the framer and hanging up in my bedroom

I also wanted to finish up Faces of Faery 90.  I pulled it out from time out and frogged out all of the black I had in the wrong spot (about 400 stitches).  I did move forward stitching on this one. I am going to work on it each month with the hope of finishing by the end of 2020.

I worked some more on Crane Paradise my new start in May

Then I pulled out Butterfly Fairy Night and gave it some attention

I continued working on the Weekends on Dandelion Fairy Kingdom and hope to finish page 3 in July

And then I had a new start for my Birthday Toadally Romantic.  Here is what it will look like when done

And here is where I got to

Here are my Orts

I did get some stash when I picked up my framing

I was going to make this one my Birthday Start but I am still thinking about the floss colors.  Maybe I will start it in July.

I was at Michaels and found this frame for $6.  It is an 8x10. I went thru my finished pieces and found that most of my finishes are larger than 8x10.  This one fit so I laced and framed it myself.  It is a little crooked but the lacing is tight and wrinkle free so I didn't want to undo it.

So far in 2020 I have managed to stitch on all of my WIPs at least once.

I am also teaching my new nephew in law to stitch.

Thats about it for this month.