January WIPocalypse

I made it back for a check-in, already doing better than last year! And I mostly kept to plans, even better. 2020 is definitely off to a promising start, I feel like I can accomplish quite a bit this year. As promised I finished the last snowflake pod for my son but sadly forgot to snap a pic before it got stashed away with the Christmas decorations until much later this year. Fear not though, it was a replica of the purple/gold/white one in last month’s pictures so you’re not really missing anything new. I also worked on both Coppervein and the Russian sampler. Coppervein is slow going at the moment as I truly despise the almost white on white stitching in the current section but I will slowly force my way through it. The Russian sampler, on the other hand, is coming together quickly. I managed to finish off the letters and am so close to a border finish.

I also managed to bead a Star for my Mom, Dimarca’s Heart Star. It is a free pattern on her site. Gave it to Mom as part of her birthday present and she loved it. Still working on adjusting my pics so they’re not sideways! 

Sadly the holly boxes did not get any love this month but there’s always February and I hope to make them my beading focus in the coming month. I have a feeling the Russian sampler is going to command most of my attention as I’m coming up on the fun part, the St. Basil’s center, and I hope to work on Coppervein a bit more as well. My other goal for the month is making it around to all the other blogs, missed you all last year and hope to have more time for blog hopping this year. 

In answer to Measi’s monthly question about SALs for 2020 I am participating in none. Too many WIPs and not a lot of crafty budget make it an easy choice for the most part except for a certain FB beading group that insists on posting gorgeous BAL projects. I’m trying hard to print them and tuck away for later and am succeeding so far but I never did spend my birthday money so maybe one day. 

See you all in a month!

WIPocalypse 2019 Recap/2020 Intro

So blogging didn’t happen in 2019. Had some image hosting issues at the beginning of the year and then work and family stress took over. Had two major family deaths- my mother-in-law, who was a big supporter of my craft, and also my grandfather. We also lost our 12 year old American Bulldog who occasionally appeared here. Somehow we’ve made it to the last day of 2019 and I’m sorry to see that my last check in was January but I’m grateful to be here now and hopeful for a much brighter 2020. 

Looking back I don’t actually have a lot of cross stitch to show but I did make a little progress, had a couple new starts, and did a bunch of beadwork. My goals for 2020 are pretty modest- annual Christmas ornaments for the kids, handmade Christmas presents for close family, and mostly stitch/bead from stash. 

A look back at 2019’s work-

DiMarca Halloween stars

Christmas pods

Tale of Beads Christmas star

DiMarca kaleidocycle

Tracy Lorraine Holly boxes

Plaid destined to eventually be a spider from my EGA

Sam Sarah pieces from JCS issues

More Christmas pods

Lady Lunar Cat Easter stars

My first kaleidocycle 

Coppervein 1/2019 and 12/31/19

Russian nights sampler

Mill Hill sleighs 

I’m not sure why Blogger opted to randomize and rotate some of my pics but we’ll go with it today and aim to fix it next time. My first goal for January is to finish off the 2019 pod ornaments for my boys. I started them before Christmas but needed to borrow a couple to use as presents and promised the boys remakes in their chosen colors. Hoping to put a bit of work into my own Holly box as well as one for my father-in-law. Also planning to put some more stitches into either Coppervein or the Russian sampler. January also happens to be my birthday month so all plans subject to change depending on gifts received. The DH has my crafty wishlist and knows where to buy.

Hope everyone has a bright and peaceful start to 2020. See you all at the end of January.

January WIPocalypse

The respiratory viruses and assorted sinus and ear infections that sometimes follow have hit our house pretty hard since Christmas and to be honest I’m in the middle of my second round of it at the moment so though I’ve been thinking a lot about it I haven’t made an official 2019 craft plans post. As far as stitching goes I have a big storage bin full of WIPs of various sizes and in various states of finish so I’m really not planning a bunch of new starts to add to it. I’m hoping to spend a lot of time on Coppervein with some deep dives into the WIP bin and maybe even a finish or two. The new starts I do have in mind are a Russian alphabet sampler I meant to start last year and some Christmas ornaments for the kids. Haven’t made a final ornament decision yet but I’m leaning toward the Mill Hill sleighs.

I have some more definite beading plans. I fell in love with Julia Pretl’s snowman box and have the beads to make at least 3. I’d like one for myself and my mother and mother in law. Might be persuaded to make them for the boys instead of ornaments if they decide they like them and the pattern works up relatively easy. I will attempt to up my skill level and tackle the Threadabead Ombré Star. I’ll decide on how many points once I get going, the pattern has directions for 6, 7 or 8. In my continuing attempt to decorate for holidays other than Christmas I also have plans for some Easter stars and have purchased Lady Lunar Kat’s egg and flower stars. 

So that’s what I have in mind and so far I’ve done pretty well in January. I pulled Space Traveler out of the WIP bin and did about half a page...

Also about a half page on Coppervein...

And a finished star, my colorway of a free pattern shared in a beading group I belong to...

And one more star, almost finished. This one was my pattern.

That about wraps it up for this month. Hoping to get around to seeing everyone else’s progress soon. Keep warm everyone! 

December WIPocalypse- Recap time!

I’m sure you’re shocked that I missed November’s check in. Nothing crazy happened except for the normal dash to the end of the year through the holidays. It was fun but I’m tired and have had way too much good food and am ready for some quiet, snowy days to craft and recharge.

I feel like I didn’t stitch near as much as I planned this year but I fell deep down the beading rabbit hole and did craft a lot overall. Glad I didn’t really set specific goals since they would have been completely out the window. I do wish I would have gotten round to the Russian sampler I had kitted at the beginning of the year so I think I will try to alternate it and HAEDs in my 2019 stitching. I don’t plan on much in way of goals since I’m apparently easily distracted but want to spend some time in the WIP pile for sure.

For now, how about a WIP/finish recap for 2018? I tried to find the earliest 2018 pics on the WIPs for a before/after. See you all in 2019!

December WIPocalypse check-in

So life kinda got in the way and I missed a few month but January is just round the corner and it is all about resolutions so I will try again and hopefully life will cooperate. Nothing particularly bad happened just got busy with kids and school and work and soccer.

Anyway since it is still December, how about a look back at what I've accomplished? My first big accomplishment was actually making it out to Celebration of Needlework in New Hampshire last May. It was a stitcher's dream to have so many teachers and vendors and stitchers in one spot and to meet in person so many stitchers I've gotten to know online over the years and some new ones too. The DH and I both took trips for our hobbies last year and had originally planned to alternate years but I think we've found a way to make Celebration 2018 fit into the budget😊

As for the actual stitching, I didn't do so well blogging toward the end of the year but I was stitching. The finishes of 2017...

Sleeping Baby (Vervaco)


Lovebirds (CCN)


Some Bunny Loves You (CCN)


America (LHN)


Joe's Garage (Mill Hill)


Chalkboard ornaments (Hands On Design)



You Were Hatched (TW)


Mill Hill ornament


Teddy Bear Birth Announcement (Vervaco)
 

I actually finished quite a lot more than it felt like during the year but none of them were the old WIPs, the ones that have birthdays and are older than my kids. I've got several of those and am hoping to clear out at least one or two in 2018. But we'll get into all that next time in the 2018 kick off post. I've been working on revising the WIPocalypse page of this blog for next year so check that out if you'd like a preview. For now, I think I'm going to go check out everyone else's blog and get some stitching time in while it snows and the kids are semi-quietly playing. Happy New Year, may it be a good and stitchy one.

July WIPocalypse

I think I've got my photo storage and linking problems solved with Flickr, still a little annoyed at the lack of notice from Photobucket on their policy change but I'll continue on with Flickr for now and maybe go back and redo old links as I get a chance. Good thing is the old pics are all still there at Photobucket, the links from here just don't show it because they don't want to do third party hosting without a hefty fee.

Anyway, on to the check in since it is once again last Sunday of the month and WIPocalypse time. I actually feel like I accomplished quite a lot this month. I managed a finish and work on several projects. First up, I finished LHN's America for my Mom. I stitched on a scrap of some unknown evenweave from my stash with the recommended DMC. I was hoping to get it backed and finished off before the 4th but just haven't had the time or been in the right mood.

 

I was also in the mood to stitch over one so I got some work done on Coppervein too. I'm getting close to a page finish but the light colored confetti on the right side of his wing tip goes on forever.

   

The ornament pile grew a bit too with a few additions to the chalkboard ornament pile. Hoping that by starting early I won't be scrambling in December but I'm sure I'd get sidetracked at some point, seems to happen every year! 

 

And finally a birth announcement start. There's a little one coming in October and he needs some teddy bears so I'm going to give him a Vervaco I've had for awhile. I can't find a name for it but I've got the kit# around here somewhere if someone wants to try to find it. This is my second time stitching it so I converted the leftover kit floss to DMC and bought some ivory 32 count Lugano to stitch this version on.

That's it for my July progress. Planning to continue on with ornaments and the teddy bears in August and hopefully finish the bears and replace them with Teresa Wentzler's You Were Hatched. We've got a trip to Chicago/WI planned in a couple weeks so I'll probably pull out some Mill Hill kits for the car that weekend. I've only got a bin full of them waiting to be stitched so not too many to choose from! With the trip and school and soccer starting up again August is looking like a busy month already. Hope you all are having a good and stitchy Summer too.