May WIPocalypse

 Here is this month's question:

Question of the Month: What project brings you the most joy and why?

Of the projects I am currently stitching I would say I enjoy the Princess and the Dragon the most.  I have a collection of  Teresa Wentzler patterns and this one does not have any over one stitching.  I am an aida stitcher so over one is just not doable.  I love the colors Teresa Wentzler uses and I enjoy the blends.

Stitching was limited again this month.  I am still struggling with Sciatica.  I normally  stitch in bed at night while watching tv.  I cannot sit like that in bed any more.  And I can only stitch for about an hour and half at a time.  So I have been working on my smaller projects.  This will be the start of week nine for Sciatica.  If this continues on into July I will take my large projects off my scroll rods and stitch them either using a hoop or in hand.  Here is what I worked on this month:

Abominable Bundle I worked on this one for 2 days

Bee Gnome by Mill Hill  I finished this one on 5/4/23.  Just needs made into an ornament

Bigfoot Bundle this one got one day of work

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom I only stitched on this one for one day.  I have fallen behind on my schedule for this one.  I guess I will have to take it off the scroll rods if I want to continue working on it.

I took What a Hoot with us camping.  I managed 3 days on this one.

And the last project I worked on was Possum Song.  I made some good progress on this one.

I stitched for 17days in May.  

June will be another busy month.  We are finishing up our kitchen remodel and I retire the end of the month.

April WIPocalypse

 April has been another slow stitching month. My right hand was still swollen and stiff as I am still recovering from a broken wrist.  Then the first week of April I developed Sciatica .  It is extremely painful to lay in bed or sit.  I usually stitch at night in bed with my frame leaning on my bent knees.  That is a big no no.  I was only getting about 3 hrs of sleep a night because of the pain. So here are the projects that I did stitch a bit on.

Crane Paradise still plugging away on the middle crane

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom still working on page 16.

Freedom by Joan Elliott is finished!  I could do the backstitching without too much concentration.

Homestead Harvest I got a few more stitches in.

Princess & the Dragon.  I did work on this one a bit.  But I just could not concentrate enough to keep track of where I was to stitch next.

To Everything there is a Season  I did stitch on this one for 3 days and finished the first peacock.

This month's question was what 5 projects would you like to start.  I remember this question from last year so I looked back to see what my 5 projects were last year.  Of the 5 I picked I started 4 of them last year.  So here are 5 new ones I picked for this year:

Stony Creek Teddy Bear Afghan.  I have had this one in my stash for a long time.  I even have the afghan to stitch it on.  It is time to get it going.

Owl Faces.  This is a pdf I purchased from an Etsy site.  My Dad loved Owls and since losing him I find myself drawn to owls.

Queen of the Sea.  I think this is a Stony Creek.  I have had this one a long time also. I bought it to stitch for my sister who loves fish.

QS Magic Island by HAED.  Even though it is a quick stitch it is still 30pages or so.  I need to get it started to have it finished in my lifetime.

Unplug &Go Outside by Emma Congdon.  There are so many projects in this book that I want to stitch so I need to get going.

I hope my May stitching picks up.  I only got 2,597 stitches in April.  May has to be better.

 

WIPocalypse March

 I stitched on two projects this month.  I was actually able to start stitching on 3/19/23.  My wrist is healed.  I still do not have full use of my fingers and my wrist cannot bend all the different directions.  But I can stitch!  Slowly and not for long. I continue to go to physical therapy and let them work their torture on my hand. But therapy is helping.  I can type with both hands again.  So I will continue to go.  They want me to be able to make a fist and I am getting closer.

Here is my progress for the month:

Crane Paradise.  I stitched on this one quite a bit.  It is on scroll rods and I can rest my right hand on top.

Freedom I finished back stitching the D and I am about halfway done back stitching the O.  One more letter to go.  I will keep this one out and keep plugging away on it.

This month's question: Tell us about your favorite places to buy stitching supplies.

I like to shop at my local needlework shop Stitch N Frame.  I have been going there for more than 30 years. I occasionally buy something on line if I cant find the pattern at Stitch N Frame.  I usually use 123 Stitch for my on line purchases.

 

Hope to be back next month with more projects to show.

 

WIPocalypse January

 This month i participated in Brringo with the Magazine Monthly Challenge Group .  I completed all of the challenge prompts for a blackout.  Here is what i stitched

To Every There is a Season  149 stitches added

 

Garden Girl Gnome from Mill Hill was a new start with 100 stitches put in

Give Thanks to God was worked on twice for a total of 228 stitches

Jolly Snowman was worked on three times for a total of 747 stitches

 

What a Hoot from Cross Country Stitching October 2012 was started with 157 stitches

I put in 200 stitches on Homestead Harvest

Abominable Bundle had 171 stitches added

Crane Paradise was worked on twice for 426 stitches

Princess and the Dragon was worked on 3 times for a total of 493 stitches

Bigfoot Bundle had 216 stitches added

Possum Song 108 stitches added

Freedom i almost finished back stitching the D

 

Autumn Sampler by Sandy Orton a Janlynn kit was started with 110 stitches

Butterfly Fairy Night 136stitches added

Gathering Pinecones my oldest WIP  I put in 136 stitches avoiding the specialty stitches

Bee Gnome by Mill Hill 265 more stitches

Hedge Hog the brown blob grows with 145 more stitches

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom total of 1,301  My goal was 2,000 stitches.  Even though there are still a few days left in January I will not meet that goal

Saturday morning (1/28) as I left to go grocery shopping i slipped on ice on my driveway and broke my right wrist.  Currently i cannot move the fingers of my right hand.  So even though I am left handed I cannot thread my needle one handed.  So I will not be able to stitch for a while.   I am not sure what i will do to fill the time i usually spend stitching

WIPocalypse Introduction

 I am Cathy and have been participating in WIPocalypse since 2012.  I am married with 2 grown children and 2 cats.  I am getting ready to retire in June of 2023 and begin a new chapter.

I started out as a one at a time stitcher until I found the internet and my list of wips has grown.  I am starting off 2023 with 17 WIPs.  All of my WIPs are listed and have pictures on my 2023 WIPocalypse tab.  

Plans for 2023.  My oldest Wip is from 2001 -Gathering Pinecones by Hillside Samplers. It has not been an active WIP since 2001.  While digging in my craft room I found it and have decided to try working on it again.  It is on R&R Linen and full of specialty stitches.  I am an Aida stitcher and don't know what I was thinking when I bought the called for linen.  Also the specialty stitches have not been easy or fun.  It will get worked on once in January and then I will decide whether to keep stitching on it or dump it.

 

In January I am participating in Brringo with the Magazine Monthly Challenge Group. Each day a new number is called and I will work on the project for that day.  Most of my WIPs are that board along with 3 new starts.

Also with the Magazine Monthly Challenge Group I will do the monthly Acrostics.

With my 3 planned new starts in January I will have 20 active WIPs.  I would like to finish in 2023:

Freedom by Joan Elliott.  I am just doing the backstitching so this one should be finished in January or February.

 

Butterfly Fairy Night started in 2014 This one is being stitched on an even weave.  I got off on the count somewhere and I keep having to make adjustments.  I do not enjoy stitching on this project as I have to go slow and concentrate to stay on track.  I would like to get this one done in 2023.  I have already stitched Butterfly Fairy Day on evenweave and did not have all of the struggles that I do with this one.

 

I have a few small WIPs that I would like to finish in 2023.  I am learning to mix small projects in with my bigger projects so I can have a few finishes.

Bee Gnome by Mill Hill.  I should be able to finish this one in 2023

 

I would like to finish 5 more pages on Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  This is my largest WIP and still has a few more years before it will get finished

 

And here is my empty Ort Jar along with the filled Ornament with orts from 2022.

At our next posting I will show all of my January stitching progress and new starts.

December WIPocalypse

 We are at the end of 2022 already.  This post is to recap my stitching year.  First I will start with the projects I worked on this month:

Give Thanks to God Sampler.  Worked some more on adding leaves to the tree.

Dandelion Fairy Kingdom.  I finished page 15 and started on page 16.

Freedom.  I continue with the back stitching.  I have completed F, R, E E and I am working on D.

Jolly Snowman by Joan Elliott.  Work a little on filling in the background and I have started on the Snoman's hat.

Butterfly Fair Night.  I continue to struggle on with this one.  I have decided to push to finish it in 2023.

Gnomes.  Moving up to the face on the first gnome.

Possum Song.  Finished the head and added a hat.

Princess & the Dragon by Teresa Wentzler.  Worked more on the border.

To Everything There is a Season Sampler.  Started on the Peacock.

Hello Autumn.  I love how the colors look on my fabric.  But I am not happy with the placement on the fabric.  I am going to frog it all out and start fresh on this fabric but in a better spot.  

 

Here is my recap of 2022.

I started the year with 12 WIPs.  I had 11 new starts and 6 finishes leaving me with 17 WIPs going into 2023.  Here are my finishes:

Cat's Paw from Treasures in Needlework Premier Issue.  I changed the Cat colors to look like our cat Callie.

Reindeer Ornament from Cross Stitch & Needlework January 2009.  I have also completed the Santa ornament from this issue.

Hodge Podge Soup from Cross Country Stitching October 2013.  I loved the colors in this one.  This issue of the magazine has quite a few projects that I have or am stitching on.

Flamingo by Mill Hill.  This was a start and a finish in 2022.

Owl #4 from Cross Stitch & Needlework Sept 2014

Owl #5.  Both Owl's were started and finished in 2022.  They have been fully finished and given to my sister-in-law.  So far no new baby announcements so I might have no Owl stitching in 2023.

Here is my 2022 Ort Jar.  It is ready to be emptied into an ornament so that I can start off 2023.
 

In 2022 I stitched 345 days out of 365.  I completed the Full Coverage Fanatics group challenge of stitching 22,000 stitches in 2022 and I finished the Stitch Around Germany Challenge.  In 2022 I completed 79,413 stitches across all of my projects.

I have updated my 2022 WIPocalypse page with ending pictures for all of my WIPs.

2022 was a good stitching year for me and I look forward to 2023.