October WIPocalypse

Well September and soccer got the better of me and I missed check in last month. But last week was the last soccer Saturday and hopefully we will now be getting back to our regular schedule. Oh wait a sec, it’s almost November so make that holiday prep schedule. Good news is that I discovered my latest obsession/hobby at a time where it can be used for holiday gift making. Bad news is that means less cross stitch this year but overall probably more crafting in general so not all bad, right? Anyway, I do have a cross stitch finish to show for my time away. I finished Silver Creek Sampler’s My Christmas List recently.

 

Stitched on Silkweaver’s opalescent Chocolate Vanilla Swirl (evenweave not linen) with some color changes, mostly used subtly variegated threads for the words and added green to the red, blue, brown color scheme. Hoping to turn it into a bellpull before Christmas. On the beading front I’ve graduated to patterned stars and am adding some to my to-do list as Christmas gifts. Here are a few of the completed ones...

And the turkey star I’m currently working on. He’s going to be giant compared to the others and will be a November birthday gift for my mother in law as she was a Thanksgiving baby.

After I finish that one I have a few more in mind for Christmas presents, probably 2 fleece blankets to assemble for gifts, and then maybe some actual cross stitching again!

June WIPocalypse

Long time, no post! Sorry about that, the end of the school year and vacation got the better of me for a bit there. So what's been going on? Well, Josh finished up first grade and is a happy kiddo on summer break until mid-August. Soccer is over now too and we're beginning to consider a fall league at the suggestion of some of the coaches. The twins are looking and sounding much more like toddlers than babies as we approach the terrible twos. And we went on vacation:) We spent a fun week with my parents in beautiful Mackinaw City, MI and introduced the kiddos to the best fudge I've ever had. Josh can't wait to go back on a camping trip up there and neither can I!

I completely missed the May WIPocalypse check in so I've got extra stitching to report. I'm coming close to another page finish on Space Traveler...

Also picked up another HAED, Dragon Moon, and have stitched a skein (yes, a whole skein!) of 939 into the sky as I reach for the top of the first column. 

I took my Sugar Skull along for the car ride and made good progress on the black background, I also managed to bobbin all the floss for my next HAED start (graduation gift for my brother) and found some new magnets I'm going to use as needle minders.

Measi asks a fun question this month- 

Do you find yourself more productive with stitching in summer or winter?

That's actually a hard one, kind of depends on the weather we're having so it's not really the same every year. The more extreme it gets outside, the more likely I am to hide inside and stitch. 

Sounds like there is at least one Olympic challenge in the works so I've been considering my stitching plans for the next couple months. I think I'm going to take July and make it "Christmas in July" so I can get a start on ornaments and gifts and probably go back to a HAED in August. We'll see how far I get! 

April WIPocalypse

Two posts in a month and this one is only a few days late, look out world! So first up is Measi's WIPocalypse check-in. I finished a short page on Space Traveler and am slowly climbing up the second page in this column. Confetti isn't too bad yet but it's coming! Sorry it's sideways, Photobucket decided to turn it and crashes every time I rotate it.

I also started a Mill Hill kit while on a short vacation with the family over Josh's Spring Break. We spent a couple days in Indy and did some fun things like the Children's Museum and zoo, even got to visit with some college friends. I got a few colors in on Sugar Skull but there's a long way (and a ton of beads) to go before Halloween. 

I'll have to pack this one for our summer trip too if I don't decide to finish it first! 

And then there's the question of the month- What do you listen to while stitching?

It's a mix of TV and podcasts for me. Right now when Erich is downstairs with me we're rewatching Game of Thrones but I've been doing podcasts when I'm by myself and there are so many good ones! I listen to a wide range- several of the How Stuff Works shows, The Moth, Ask Me Another, Sawbones, Welcome to Nightvale, and The Sporkful to name a few. 

Outside of stitching we've been up to some Spring cleaning and getting ready for the end of the school year. And soccer is back too! Josh had his first game this weekend. He's moved into a new age division that follows more of the actual game rules so there are a few things different but all the kids played a great game. I even got a good pic or two...

He looks so grown up all of the sudden! Good to see him doing something he loves so much.

Can't wait to see what everyone else has been up to this month and I think I'll actually make TUSAL since I've got my orts back together.

February WIPocalypse

I meant to make it back in time for TUSAL but sadly missed this month.  Too much going on between work and school and Winter finally arriving. There are signs of Spring though- Spring Break is coming in about a month along with a short family trip in the works and Josh had soccer evals yesterday so we should be getting team info and practice schedule shortly. Can't wait to see him play again! We actually had a touch of warm weather before the snow last week and all the boys made it outside.

Thanks for the compliments on Snowy Friends from the last post. Mom did love it and is looking forward to more as she has a long and currently empty ledge along one wall of her family room. I'm trying to make her some non-holiday themed pieces she can display in between decorating for the holidays so this series should cover Winter nicely eventually.

I am in time for a slightly late WIPocalypse update. I did have a page finish on Dragon Master this month and now it looks like this...

So now I'm at a little over 3 pages finished out of 77. I've put it down for the moment to work on a few smalls but I'm debating whether to keep on stitching up or to start a second column and continue on stitching 2 pages wide. I guess it depends on my mood when I get back around to it and if I feel like stitching shades of yellow or grey. 

The smalls I'm working on are the  2015 Christmas ornaments for the kids and a Halloween ornament  I started and abandoned a while back.  I really want the ornaments done but I'm finding I need to alternate them with something else as I'm doing the backstitch as the needle is difficult to push through the plastic canvas with the cross stitches already in place and I'm getting some sore fingers but the end is in sight for all the smalls.

That's about it for now both crafty and otherwise. Can't wait to see what everyone else worked on this month!