January 2019 – Feather Stitching

Sweet Valentines

9 January, 2019 Anne S

The great thing about taking an extra week off work after Christmas is having more time to stitch and have a general overdue tidy-up at home. I came across this wee chart that has been kitted up for about 12 years as I was tidying up a pile of stitching ‘stuff’ – I figured rather than putting it back in it’s storage box where it belongs, I’d just suck it up and get it into the Qsnaps to get it stitched up. It took me two days to finish, but I really love it. And that also means another new start and another finish ticked off my 19 in 19 challenge for the year … bonus!! 😀

“Sweet Valentines” by The Sweetheart Tree
Stitched on 28ct white lugana (I think!)
Changed the red thread colours to be 309 and 816 instead of the chart colours (which were 316 and 3726)
Started 6 Jan 2019 – Finished 8 Jan 2019
Stitch count: 40H x 40W

Blue Ribbon Designs, Christmas Ornaments, Finishes, Glendon Place, Pickle Barrel Designs, Rovaris

Last finishes of 2018, and first ones of 2019

8 January, 2019 Anne S

I’ve come to realise today just how woeful my online activity has been over the last 12-18 months or so, and my online albums are missing a lot of information and projects haven’t been added at all … my blog used to be the ‘source of truth’ for all my projects and chart information etc, but not any more. After spending an entire day today doing a bit of a tidy-up (nowhere near finished yet though), and trawling through a few years of photos on my iPhone (!), it’s prompted me to add the details of my last finishes from the end of 2018, and the first finishes of the new year. So, without further ado, here are the details …

“Joy” by Rovaris
from the 2018 Just Cross Stitch Christmas ornament issue
Stitched on 32ct Belfast linen with recommended DMC threads
Stitch count: 36 stitches high x 71 stitches wide
Started and finished 28 December 2018

“Special Delivery” by Pickle Barrel Designs
from the 2018 Just Cross Stitch Christmas ornament issue
Stitched on 32ct Belfast linen with recommended DMC and Weeks Dye Works threads (except using DMC B5200 instead of WDW Whitewash)
Stitch count: 51H x 55W
Started 28 December 2018 – Finished 29 December 2018

Finished – Glendon Place: City Sidewalks ornament

“City Sidewalks” by Glendon Place
from the 2018 Just Cross Stitch Christmas ornament issue
Stitched on 32ct Blue Sky hand-dyed Lugana by Hand Dyed Fabrics with Stephanie
Stitched with a mix of Weeks Dye Works and DMC, using my choice of beads because I didn’t have all the ones as charted
Stitch count: 78H x 68W
Started 29 December 2018 – Finished 2 January 2019

“Two Stags and a Star” by Blue Ribbon Designs
from the 2018 Just Cross Stitch Christmas ornament issue
Stitched on 36ct evenweave from Sew-it-all
Stitched with recommended Weeks Dye Works, except using B5200
Stitch count: 57H x 37W
Started 3 January 2019 – Finished 5 January 2019

Goals, WIPocalypse

2019 WIPocalypse and craft goals

6 January, 20198 January, 2019 Anne S

It’s that time when we start to plan out the year and plot out all those wishlists of lofty goals for our crafts. Mine are no less mental than normal and I’m already laughing heartily inside at all the items I want to tick off my list this year. In a nutshell, though, it all comes down to wanting to whittle down some older WIPs/UFOs while still having the flexibility to add some new projects into the list to provide continued interest and motivation.

I’ve just created a planning document mapping out all my SAL due dates and details, and information for upcoming face-to-face stitching groups … all I need to do now is to not let life take over and to actually remember to fill them in each month 😉

Anyway, here are my lofty goals, along with piccies to make it more interesting (while also giving me a visual kick in the pants as to how long some of these pictures have been around for without changing in the slightest) {hanging head in shame}.

WIP start/finish stats:

Stitching/needlework:

45 = Number of WIPs/UFOs @ 1 January 2019 (!!!)

Crochet:

6 = Number of WIPs @ 1 January 2019

Cross Stitch goals

Quaker Diamonds by Rosewood Manor – I’d love to finish this one
Egyptian Garden Mandala by Chatelaine – Entirely finish the stitching of at least one full corner (ie one full page of the chart)
Red Lace Sewing Case by The Drawn Thread – add the felt/beads and do the finishing … and finally gift it to the intended recipient
Three Kings by Mill Hill/Jim Shore – finish the three kings in the centre
Quaker Christmas II by ByGone Stitches – finish the Let There be Peace on Earth motif in the centre
Progress on at least three other WIPs/UFOs
Ronald McDonald House charity XS
19 in 19 – Start a new HAED and stitch 19 colours on it
19 in 19 – 19 new starts
19 in 19 – 19 finishes
19 in 19 – some progress on 19 existing WIPs carried over from 2018
Stitch a charity quilt block
Stitch 12 Christmas ornaments

WIPs as they look today:

Egyptian Garden Mandala by Chatelaine as at 24 Nov 2018
After: Three Kings by Mill Hill/Jim Shore
Quaker Diamonds by Rosewood Manor

Quaker Christmas II by ByGone Stitches
Before: When Witches Go Riding by The Prairie Schooler
Mia mermaid by Nora Corbett

Before: Paris by Country Threads
Cottage Etui by CA Wells
Pyramid Etui by CA Wells

Apricot (Blue) Elegance by Cindy Valentine
Topiary Tree Bookmark by Textile Heritage
English Garden Sampler by Teresa Wentzler

Schwalmwork Pinkeep by Moss Creek Designs
Raphael’s Raspberries by Forget-Me-Nots in Stitches
Nature’s Resting Place by Stoney Creek

Noah’s Ark by Teresa Wentzler
Mediterranean Village Scene
Butterflies and Hearts Needleroll by Lorri Birmingham

Hussif by Martha Schmidt (class kit)
Before: Finch Song by Shepherd’s Bush
Frog longstitch

Bluebeard’s Princess Mirabella by Mirabilia
Before: The Tea Room by Country Cottage Needleworks
Before: Celtic Summer by Lavender & Lace

Sailor’s Valentine by CA Wells

Embroidery (non-XS) goals

Travel Cord Buddy by Michelle Marvig – I’d like to finish putting this together
Hearts & Berries by Marg Low – I’d like to finish putting this together
Make a Christmas Wish by Marg Low – I’d like to finish putting this together and framed before Christmas
Stumpwork – choose one old stumpwork UFO and make some progress
Start a new project from Inspirations magazines
Make some progress on one of the 2018 patchwork retreat projects

WIPs as they look today:

Make a Christmas Wish by Marg Low
Hearts & Berries by Marg Low

Berry Delightful Bag
Wool hot water bottle cover
Beaded Fish

Oriental Poppy by Jane Nicholas
Pomegranates and Beetle by Jane Nicholas
Honesty and Heartsease by Jane Nicholas

Stumpwork Goldfish (EGA Group Correspondence Course)
Dragonfly by Jane Nicholas
Stumpwork Thimblepip by Jane Nicholas

Goldwork Pea
Before: Hussif by Monica Hunt
Beehive needlebook

Summer Fruits pincushion
Bullion knot facecloth

Crochet

Make a 1920s-style hat for the Napier Art Deco Festival
Complete three crochet projects from “Crate Crochet”
Start a shawl
Finish my Atlanticus (mandala) blanket
Restart my Spice of Life blanket
Start a Briar Rose blanket
Start a top (clothing)
Start a crochet hook case
Start a blanket for Brenda & Nigel
Make a charity blanket for SPCA
Start the Nuts About Squares CAL

WIPs as they look today:

Quilting/Sewing

Make a small pincushion
Start a queen-sized bed patchwork quilt for myself
Start the Piece and Plenty BOM quilt
Make a sewing machine cover
Make a summer nightie
Make a top (clothing)
Choose three Pinterest projects to try (eg Project bags, Purses/pouches)

Stitchalongs/Challenges

JCS Christmas Ornie Facebook SAL
WIPocalypse
Hallowe’en ornie SAL
Gifted Gorgeousness
Stitch from Stash on Facebook
JK’s Groupies (AU/NZ) on Facebook – “19 in 19” (my choices are 19 new starts, 19 finishes, and use 19 colours in a project)
JK’s Groupies (AU/NZ) on Facebook – monthly challenges