OhSewCrafty

2023 WIPocalypse: January

Hello friends!  It's been a great stitchy month.  Despite a few days off here and there, I managed to finish my model stitches and knock out my personal goals as well, so I'm thrilled!  

My oldest WIP, Fairy Rain, had 1.5 days love & 1,506 stitches added, much of was backstitch counted as half.  I finished the wings, the skin including her face, filled in many ninja stitches and worked extensively with the metallics, mostly backstitching.  She is very close now.

Alice SAL, the lovely and terrible (j/k), had 1.5 stitchy days and 1,207 added.  I kept bringing her for the Daily 30 weekly challenge(s) to do 300 stitches on a SAL.  Somewhat perfectly, 4 of those tasks were just right to finish the Cheshire Cat and Frog & Fish Footman panels, including backstitch and borders.  It feels good to be on track with this project again, hopefully I can keep it up.  

Fata dell' Aurora had a bit less than a day attention, and 813 stitches added.   In addition to frogging some of the (misplaced) stitches I did for Bingo last year, I worked on the mountains on her right, a bit of her skin, and a little bit of wings.  She's starting to come together, but I really need to get the 6! colors of Petite Treasure braid that are needed, mostly for her dress and wings.  

Easter Bunny House, my other main goal, also had 1.5 stitchy days and a whopping 1,803 stitches added.  Mostly I worked on the garden to the right and below the door, but I did start backstitching the house's lower level, and realized that there is still some stitches to fill in.  So I have decided to put on the brakes and backstitch as much as I can before continuing with the garden.  My strong preference would be avoid thousands of backstitches at the end.  

Bellatrix was called for WIPGO, so I set a 1k goal for myself, and gave her 2 days and 1,203 stitches.  Last year's progress was kind of patchy from bingo, fortunately everything seemed correct, so I started at the midline and began working down to fill in the lower left quadrant, including metallics.  I used almost an entire spool of black Kreinik #4 braid! 
The Scary Apothecary series was also called for WIPGO, or Skeleton Polish and Broomstick Fuel, specifically.  So I had to start them, giving each about a day, 1,201 stitches added on Skeleton, and 1,301 added on Broomstick.  Finishing Cackle Lozenges from last year was also a personal goal, that a took an hour or two and 291 stitches.  

Witches Werewolves Warlocks Watching (say that five times fast!), had a 1.5 days and 1,204 stitches added. I worked on the werewolf, borders, and started backstitching (just the witch's shoes so far). 

Christmas Angels kept coming up for Daily 30 challenges, strangely.  So, they got 1.25 days love and 1,200 stitches added.  I finished the right border section, with the exception of metallics, and made a nascent start on the left angel's dress.  It calls for DMC light effects; I won't be bothering with that, but I haven't figured out the right color of Kreinik to substitute yet.  

As for Christmas ornaments, I worked on 3 and even got a finish, over 2 days. Christmas Love by the Little Stitcher / JCS Ornaments 2022 was a start and 1,025 to finish, not including a little extra backstitch I added to jazz it up.  It's on 36 count opalescent linen (Silkweaver) and I think the white snowflakes pop against the blue fabric.  And I did french knots for the eyes.  Vinney reindeer had 405 stitches added, Santa's on his Way was a new start with 400 added, I do plan to work on it a bit more today.    

So January was a productive and fun stitchy month, including 10k stitches I did to finish 2 models (sorry, can't share pics yet).  Now for the question of the month:

If you have been to retreats, what are you must-bring items and supplies?  Mighty bright clip on light (battery operated), plus the extension cable for when a plug is available, extra needles, portable scroll frame/stand and carefully selected projects that will fit on it, scissors, double check of patterns & threads required, plus a project bag or two to keep everything together.  Burt Bee's Lip balm, Udderly Smooth hand cream, a hoodie and/or hat to keep warm even in summer (sometimes AC is overdone!)  

And now for my February Goals, which are extensive, it's a short month but I'm ready! 

•Fairy Rain, Witches Werewolves, Vinney, Believe, Penguin Greetings, Goodness and Light, My Wishes for You (ornaments): to finish all

•Alice SAL: Finish Knave of hearts including backstitch & border

•Fata dell' Aurora, Bellatrix, Easter Bunny House, Renaissance Mermaid, Santa's Workshop: minimum 2k stitches each

Please come back soon for an update on my 2023 new start, Minecraft Sampler for my kiddo.  

Happy Stitching 

WIPocolypse 2023

Hello, is this thing on? 😉 After a long hiatus, I finally picked up my needles in the waning days of 2022.  I didn’t stitch, craft, or do much of anything productive, for the bulk of last year.  (I did read a lot, go hiking, “unplug”, get covid twice… ). Anyway, I finally started feeling better and I’ve been logging big stitch counts recently.  Here are my goals:

1. Fairy Rain by Joan Elliott.  My oldest WIP, started June 2020.  She’s quite close, and she would be a January finish goal, though model stitching is taking priority this month. 
2. Alice SAL by Amanda Butler / Cross Stitcher magazine.  Alice my albatross.  Not really, but this project is fiddly to the nth degree.  This will be a spring finish goal.

3. Fata dell’ Aurora by Passione Ricamo.  She’s my largest WIP, and there’s quite a lot to stitch including wings, face, and all the metallics.  A mid year finish might be feasible.

4. Easter Bunny House by Tiny Modernist.  Well, I’m working on the last section presently.  It’s mostly garden with a couple more bunnies.  Another spring finish goal.

5. Santa’s Workshop by Jim Shore / Mill Hill.  It was my old stash new start in January 2022, and I do love it, though there’s a lot left to stitch.  An autumn goal.

6.  Bellatrix by Bella Filipina.  The bottom half is coming along.  I’d love to finish her by Halloween, we’ll see.

7. Renaissance Mermaid by Mirabilia.  She had a decent start last year, but progress was limited since I didn't have many of the specialty fibers.  But I do now.   She stitches up easily, I think a summer finish is within reach.

8. Scary Apothecary Series, notably Cackle Lozenges, Broomstick Fuel, and Skeleton Polish.   I hope to finish (& start) these various pieces throughout the year.

9. Witches Werewolves by Glendon Place.  It mostly needs  border and backstitch.

10. Christmas Angels by Sandy Littlejohns.  This one had a tiny start for bingo last year.  I’m not doing bingo again.  It possibly killed my stitchy bug last year.  Anyway, it’s a finish goal for December.

11.  Ornaments.  I have 9 on the go, including a new start last week.  And I decided to participate in the JCS Ornie SAL again, so there will be more.  The plan is to finish 1 or 2 each month.

12.  Framing!  No need to specify (see last wipocalypse), but I still have all those materials and all those projects need to see the light of day.  

And now, for my January Goals, which are all subject to my model stitching, but hope springs eternal….

 •1.5 k each on Fairy Rain & Easter Bunny House 

• Start Minecraft Sampler & stitch 1k

•Finish Cheshire & Footmen panels on Alice 

 •Finish Cackle Lozenges