Hello, this is several days late as October started off with many distractions, but here's it is!
I had a crazy serial starting September, as I participated in the Semisane alphabet challenge. It was so fun, I prepared by going through several magazines and tagging various charts. But more about that later, let's get to the main WIPs.
Minecraft was my main focus for the month, with 4 days love and 4,027 stitches. That was a lot! Page 12 was finished with backstitch, then I stitched pages 13 and 14 as well. The pages across the bottom don't have a large stitch count, but they do have a lot of color changes. I love how the treasure chest came out, it practically glows.
My other focus was Autumn Bellpull, which had 4 days and 3,822 stitches. I finished the second U panel and managed a 1.5 k stitch count start on the next panel, M. I'm approaching burn out on this piece (too much brown), but it's close enough, I'll keep at it and hopefully get a finish soon.
Christmas Angels received some love, 2.5 days and 2,005 stitches. I worked mostly on the blue dress and the blue end piece, but I also stitched most of the blue angel's wings. This piece is getting close! Soon I'll need to figure out metallics because I'm not using DMC Light Effects. Probably Kreinik would suit.
Merry Christmas Motto had 2.5 days and 2,058 stitches (satin stitch counted as half). I worked exclusively with the Waterlilies Flame, and I love it, it's perfect, however I will need another skein. Satin stitch sure uses a lot of thread!
Halloween Memories got some attention, about 2 days and 2,018 stitches. I stitched several letters, the candy corn flag, and worked on the butterfly girl, the ghost, the black cat, the witch, and the mummy, though progress is a little patchy since I ran short of a couple key colors. No worries, I have since replenished my DMC stash.
Another large WIP that received a little love, but fell short on my 3k goal was Bellatrix, with 1.5 days and 1,552 stitches. I added some Kreinik on the cat, window frame, vinery, and dress. I added a few colors to her dress bodice and shawl, and worked the borders up. Finally, I stitched a lot on the window frame and decorative arch.
My last large-ish WIP is Santa's Workshop, which had 1 day and 568 stitches added. I worked on the faces, the hats, a couple flowers in the border, cleaned up some parked threads, and generally got it ready for beading. I'm aware there are stitches missing in several (or perhaps many) colors in several small areas, but I think they will be easy enough to fill in as I'm beading.
Now for the start-a-palooza! My new lady love, Fairy Wind by Joan Elliott, was actually started in the last few days of August. So far, she's had the equivalent of 1 day and 1,212 stitches. I started in the center, working towards the bottom left corner. I absolutely adore this, I'm working her on a custom dye Cashel from Silkweaver (soft grays, greens, purples) and it's perfect. Shh Santa by Bobbin & Fred / JCS Ornaments 2022 was also started at the tail end of August, and it basically finished after 3 days and 2,016 stitches (it still needs beading).
Now for the alphabet ornies, clockwise from top left. Yuletide by Dames of the Needle / JCS Ornaments 2022 (1 day, 601 st), Ireland Santa by Mill Hill (1 day, 400 st), Wild Witch by Liz Almond / JCS H'ween 2023 (half day, 602 st), Very Corny by Frony Ritter / JCS H'ween 2022 (quarter day, 613 st), Gingerbread House by Alexandra Zamorina (older WIP, 1 day, 805 st), Jolly Christmas Elf by Autumn Lane Designs (half day, 401 st), 13 Spooky Street by Kate Spiridonova (2 days, 901 st), Un-welcome Sign by Frony Ritter / JCS H'ween 2023 (half day, 400 st), and the middle, Peculiar Pumpkins by Gretchen Myers / JCS H'ween 2023 (1 day, 1,009 st). Question of the month: Are you a seasonal stitcher? To a certain extent, yes. I enjoy participating in the Semisane Start-to-finish Seasonal SAL, though my plan to start Spooky Sampler in September didn't work out. Maybe I'll throw my hat in the ring with (yet another) Halloween ornie. I'm trying to finish my Autumn Bellpull by the end of November, because winter starts December 1 (in my mind). But I do stitch Christmas and Halloween year round, what can I say, I love those holidays and if I didn't stitch them year round, finishes would be greatly delayed.
Now, for October goals, time to focus on my WIPs and get some finishes.
•3k or finish: Merry Christmas, Bellatrix, Halloween Memories
•Autumn Bellpull: Finish M and make a good start on N
•Ornament finish goals: Un-welcome Sign, Peculiar Pumpkins, 13 Spooky Street, Wild Witch
•2k or more progress: Santa's Workshop, Christmas Angels
•Possible Halloween ornament start for Semisane Autumn SAL (if I finish the 4 listed above!)
Happy Stitching