WIPocalypse 2018... here we go again!

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

The object of the WIPocalypse is to stitch on projects that you want to complete before the end of the world, or the end of the year - whichever might come first! WIPocalypse is run by Melissa over at Measi's Musings and is now in it's 7th year.  

For 2018 I am going to try and work on 18 projects (ie 18 in 2018!).  The full list of my projects can be found on my WIPocalypse 2018 page.

Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

Well, what can I can say about myself.... I have big plans that occasionally I manage to complete... truth be told I actually hate setting goals because I know that I will always struggle to complete them... but here we go again for another year of lofty goals / lofty heights to stretch for!

I have decided to again try and stitch on/complete the same number of projects as the year we are in - ie 18 projects for 2018.  Below is the list of 18 WIPs I have chosen to work on:

1.    12 Days of Christmas - Little House Needleworks

2.    Quaker Christmas II - ByGone Stitches
3.    Boo Club - Lizzie Kate
4.    Little Sheep Virtues - Little House Needleworks
5.    Happily Ever After - Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery
6.    Jingles - Lizzie Kate
7.    Snow Story - Lizzie Kate
8.    Moutons de Saisons "été" - Collection Tra La La
9.    Pumpkins 4 Sale - Country Cottage Needleworks
10.  Henry VIII - Cloudsfactory
11.  Dog Park - Satsuma Street
12.  Nantucket Rose - Lavender & Lace
13.  Shimmering Mermaid - Mirabilia
14.  Orchid Fairy - Nora Corbett
15.  Mini Mandala II "C" - Chatelaine
16.  Eightsome Reel - Papillon Creations
17.  Eiffel Quaker - Jardin Prive
18.  Coffee Saves Lives - Heartstring Samplery

The first 3 projects are the ones that I will stitch on every month for the Halloween and Christmas Ornie blogs.  The Little Sheep Virtues I have started for the LHN/CCN FB group monthly series SAL and everything else is a "would like to finish if I can" choice!

The lofty goals are the Mira, Nora and Lavender & Lace WIPs.  The Jardin Prive and Heartstring Samplery WIPs would be wonderful stretches but I won't hold my breath on those ones either!!

To make things even more interesting, I am going to try and stitch from stash as much as possible through out 2018... I spent way too much money in 2017 on stash enhancement!  I do have to get a couple of the Sheep Virtues charts, but as I don't need them til towards the end of the year I am hoping I will have some finish credits to use to buy the charts! 😉

I will post starting point pics of them all on the page that I have set up for the 2018 WIPocalypse at some point over the next week or so when I get myself organised!

Good luck everyone with your choices for the year!

Til next time, happy stitching

WIPocalypse 2017 Year in Review (better late than never!)

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

WIPocalypse is run by Melissa over at Measi's Musings and is now in it's 6th year (amazing!).  The object of the WIPocalypse is to stitch on projects that you want to complete before the end of the world! 

At the beginning of January 2017 I picked out 17 WIPocalypse projects to work on in 2017.  The full list of my 17 projects can be found on my WIPocalypse 2017 page.

This update post is going to be very quick... it is late and we now already 7 days into the new year and I need to get cracking on my 2018 post....

At the beginning of 2017 I picked a number of projects to work on with the hope that I could finish some of them.... well that didn't really work!

Results are in and they're not good!

1.   Prancer (Nora Corbett) - finished 23 April 2017
2.   Comet (Nora Corbett) - worked on during 2017 - nearly finished!
3.   Queen Anne's Lace (Nora Corbett) - didn't stitch on this one
4.   Queen of Peace (Nora Corbett) - did stitch on this a couple of times during the year
5.   Zenia (Nora Corbett) - didn't stitch on this one
6.   Deer and Grapes Mystery SAL (Jean Farish) - made good progress on this this one....
7.   Jingles Flip-It Series (Lizzie Kate) - managed to finish 1 more block!
8.   Moutons de Saisons - été (Collection Tra La La) - almost finished!
9.   Faces of Joan Elliott SAL (Joan Elliott) - did stitch a little bit on this but still hanging around!
10. Snow Story (Lizzie Kate) - finished block 2 (one more block to go)
11. Dog House Sampler (Little House Needleworks) - little progress made!
12. 12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers) - finished 28 December 2017
13. Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino) - finished 1 October 2017
14. Mini Mandala II - C (Chatelaine) - little bit of progress made during the last couple of  months
15. Fashionista Cat (Design Works Kit) - didn't touch this one at all!
16. Birdcage (Design Works Kit) -  didn't touch this one at all!
17. Halloween Sneak Peek (The Trilogy) -  didn't touch this one at all!

3 finishes.... various progress on 9 other pieces and 5 pieces that I didn't even go near!!

You have seen two of the finishes and I can now present my third finish from the list...

12 Days of Christmas - Plum Street Samplers

So pleased to finish this one in 2017... I did have to give it a real big push at the end but we got there with 3 days of 2107 to spare!

Now while I am here... I will show you a couple of other 2017 finishes that I haven't posted (this is just to make me feel better about the stats above!!)

Jingles Flip It Series - Love
Designer: Lizzie Kate
Started: 26 November 2016
Finished: 30 December 2017
Fabric: 32ct Belfast "Sugar Cane Crunch"  Stitches & Spice
Threads: Weeks Dye Works as charted

This WIP was on my list to complete all the blocks but that didn't happen.  I manged to squeeze a finish on this block in at the end of December!  In fact this was my very last finish for 2017.. number 38 for the year.

I have also started the next block "Joy"... but I am not going to show you that as I have a large bit to frog!  I was stitching on the block on New Year's Eve and picked up the wrong colour and didn't realise til I went to put it away for the night... so it is now in time out until I feel like frogging Hunter Green and restitching it with Grits!! 😒

Peekaboo Pals Zodiac - Sagittarius / December
Designer: Deborah Flynn
Started: 25 November 2017
Finished: 3 December 2017
Fabric: 28ct Brittney "Dawn of Spring" - Jodyri Designs
Threads: DMC
Chart: World of Cross Stitching magazine, issue 143

Little Heart Swirl
Designer: Northern Expression Designs
Started: 3 December 2017
Finished: 10 December 2017
Fabric: 32ct Belfast "Hot Pink" - Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: Jodyri Designs "Oink"
Chart: freebie from Northern Expressions Website

So that's it for now... but before I go I thought I might tell you my stats for the year

77 - Carry over WIPs from 2016 and beyond
61 - 2017 Starts
38 - total finishes for 2017 (22 - of the 2017 starts finished / 16 - finishes from the carry over WIP list)
100 - WIPs being carried over into 2018!!

Out of the 100 WIPs that are carrying over there are a couple that I think I will UFO but that is for another day...

All the best for a wonderful 2018 (both personally and stitching wise).  Fingers crossed I will be on time most months for my blog posts... and hopefully I will get back into a routine of reading blogs as well!... but for now it's goodbye and til next time...

Happy Stitching....

WIPocalypse November 2017 Update

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

WIPocalypse is run by Melissa over at Measi's Musings and is now in it's 6th year (amazing!).  The object of the WIPocalypse is to stitch on projects that you want to complete before the end of the world! 

At the beginning of January I picked out 17 WIPocalypse projects to work on in 2017.  The full list of my 17 projects can be found on my WIPocalypse 2017 page.

This update is going to be a pretty good update as I have managed to stitch on a number of my pieces over the month of November.  So here we go for the November show and tell!

12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers)

Fabric: 28ct Jobelan "Gold Digger" - Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: Jodyri Designs (Wuthering Heights, Sense & Sensibility, The Olde Curiousity Shoppe, Midnight Hour)

Day 10 has finally been started

I really need to catch up on this one if I am going to be finished by the end of December!!

Christmas Eve Couriers - Comet (Nora Corbett)

Fabric: 32ct Belfast "Arabian Nights" - Stitches and Spice
Threads: DMC as charted

This is what "Comet" looked like in my last update:

He now looks like this:

The border has been started... so we are really on the home stretch now!

Deer & Grapes Mystery Sampler (Jean Farish)
Fabric: 32ct Lugana "Autumn Glade" - Stitches and Spice
Threads: DMC as charted

August/September 2017 update

November 2017

The deer is now done... still a bit more to do on this one - I am not sure if it will be done before the end of the year now!  I have been a bit bogged down by it again....

Dog House Sampler - Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 28ct plain linen
Threads: DMC as charted

The last time I showed this one was back in October 2016... and this month was the first time I picked it up again since then!

September 2016

November 2017

Mini Mandala II - C (Chatelaine)
Fabric: 32ct cream linen
Threads: NPI Silks as charted

March 2017

November 2017

Little bit more progress... the square has increased by one more row of stitches

Fashionista Cat - Design Works
Kit - 14 ct Aida fabric / DMC threads

June 2015

November 2017

I had a good stitching session on this one during November and it's nice to see some progress at last!

and last but not least... this is also a GG WIP....

Moutons de Saisons - été (Collection Tra La La)
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Linen "Fairy Forest" - Stitches and Spice
Threads: DMC as charted

June 2017

November 2017

That border is slowly coming together and then this little cutie will be done and dusted!!

This month's question is: What finishing style have you never tried but would love to do?
Interesting question given I don't do a lot of final finishing.... I have done pillows/cushions and a couple of flat folds for those pieces that I have managed to finally finish, but one of the finishes that I haven't tried yet is a cube finish.  Maybe that is something I will try one day!!

So that's it for this update! The next check in is on Sunday 31st December 2017. That will be the last one for the year... Can you believe it? If you want to see what everyone else has posted for November drop into Measi's blog and check out the November link up page.

Til next time, happy stitching!

Hugs xx

Smalls Update November 2017

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Stitching Lotus

It's time for a catch up on my Smalls stitching for the month of November.  My last Smalls post was only a little mention last month in the joint update post... so this month I am giving it it's own post!!

I do have a couple of small finishes to show you this month which I am very pleased about!!

Peekaboo Pals Zodiac - Scorpio / November
Designer: Deborah Flynn
Started: 25 October 2017
Finished: 17 November 2017
Fabric: 28ct Brittney "Dawn of Spring" - Jodyri Designs
Threads: DMC
Chart: World of Cross Stitching magazine, issue 142

"Winter Wonderland"
Designer: Andree Langhorn
Started: 20 November 2017
Finished: 25 November 2017
Free Gift - Cross Stitcher Magazine (Issue 207 December 2008)

This little cutie comes with a illustrated mount so that it can be framed.  Not sure yet if that is what I will do... but for now this little cutie is done!

To see everyone else's Smalls posts for November pop over to Heather's blog and check out the link up post. 

Next Month – The next Smalls SAL check-in will take place on Friday, 29th December 2017.

Til next time, happy stitching!
Hugs xx

October Update / November Plans

Image from Princess Sassy Pants website/blog

Oh that is so true... slow progress is my only progress...  I have been stitching and getting some good progress on a couple of projects but my posting/blogging progress is almost no existent!!

So in an effort to fix that... here is an update on everything that I haven't shown you for October and a little bit about of info what I am going to try and do in November.

Gifted Gorgeousness Stitching
I completely missed posting for GG during October.  I managed to stitch on two pieces that could fit in the GG brief during the month - I will show them here as I have something up my sleeve for the November GG post.

Happy Howloween - Brooke's Books
(Freebie chart) the link to the freebie page is here
The last time I showed this was back in July 2015... and that was the last I stitched on it.... I can't believe that, but it must be true as this is what it looked like when I started stitching on it in October.

Happy Howloween - July 2015

It now looks like this:

October 2017

Dream Big - Country Cottage Needleworks
(Gift from Tiff)
The last time I showed you "Dream Big" was back in August 2017.  The gorgeous design is a gift from Tiff and I am almost done...

August 2017

This cute little bunny now looks like:

October 2017

So that's it for GG stitching.... now onto Smalls stitching (such that it is!)

October Smalls Stitching
The only "small" that I stitched/finished during October was my Peek-a-Boo Pals - Libra, which you have already seen for the Zodiac SAL.

Finished 8 October 2017

I did however have a couple of new Smalls starts... 

Hocus Pocus Trilogy - Muriel
Mill Hill kit
Started 13 October 2017

Peekaboo Pals Zodiac - Scorpio / November (Deborah Flynn)
Started: 25 October 2017
Fabric: 28ct Brittney "Dawn of Spring" - Jodyri Designs
Threads: DMC
Chart: World of Cross Stitching magazine, issue 142

My little Scorpio girl is not quite finished... but I will try and get her done by the end of the week!

So that's it for Smalls... no new finishes but hopefully by the end of November that will change!

WIPocalypse Check In
Woeful progress on my WIPocalypse projects during October.  The only pieces I worked on you have already seen... I finished Halloween Happiness on 1st October and 12 Days of Christmas Day 9 was finished on 15th October.  I haven't even started Day 10 on 12 Days!!  Now I am going to be in trouble with my plans to finish that one this year if I don't get a move on!!

Halloween Happiness - Sandra Cozzolino

12 Days of Christmas Day 9 - Plum Street Samplers

This month Mel has posed a second question... I will answer that one first and then answer the monthly question.

Do you have any plans or instructions for your stitching projects and stash for after you’re gone?
I don't have any plans for any of my stitching projects or stash for after I go.  No one in my family stitches... it is something that I have jokingly talked to Hubby about and his solution is to get 2 coffins - one for me and some stash and a second one for the rest of the stash - after all I am going to need to take something with me when I go!! 😄

How did you begin stitching?
I started stitching way back in the early 80's when I was 20-something.  My mum used to buy a craft/home magazine (Better Homes & Gardens I think it was called) and they used to occasionally have embroidery or cross stitch patterns in them.  You could also buy some kits that you could embroider aprons, pillow cases or table cloths with and I bought a couple of those to try.  But my first introduction into embroidery was by my Mum's mum.  She used to hand embroider doiley's and she got me to try some when I was about 10 or 12... I didn't enjoy the embroidery but when I found the stamped cross stitch versions I decided that I could do this!  From humble beginnings as they say!

OK... so that's the missing October stitching progress done and dusted.... how about some other stitching pics?

New Start
Shimmering Mermaid - Mirabilia (Nora Corbett)
Started: 6 October 2017
Fabric: 32ct Opal Belfast "Oceans" Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: as per chart - DMC

October 2017

Pumpkins 4 Sale - Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 28ct Jobelan "Silver Springs" Colour Cascade Fabrics
Threads: as per chart - DMC, Classic Colourworks (Crescent Colours)

I last showed you this back in September.  I had hoped to stitch this for the SAL that Vonna was running over on the CCN/LHN facebook page but alas that was not to be!  But I will keep stitching on this over the next few months and it will be finished eventually!  This month Stitch Maynia's Designer SAL is Little House Needleworks so I will put in a couple of stitches during November for that SAL.

September 2017

It now looks like this after stitching on this a number of days during the last few weeks including trying to stitch on it last weekend at the Colour Cascade Fabrics stitching retreat (more talking than stitching being done on Day 1!!):

October 2017

During the month of October I also stitched on the following:

Castles in the Air - Long Dog Samplers
Fabric: 32ct Belfast "At Last" Colour Cascade Fabrics
Thread: DMC White (accents will be in gold or silver)

August 2017

I spent a Sunday stitching on this during October and it now looks like this:

October 2017

Queen of Peace - Mirabilia (Nora Corbett)
Fabric: 32ct Opal Belfast Linen "Hole in the Sky" - Colour Cascade Fabric
Threads: DMC, Kreinik
I hadn't since on this beauty since April 2017... so I took her to the Colour Cascade Fabrics stitching retreat last weekend and spent a number of hours stitching on her on Day 2....

April 2017

I carried on stitching on her when I got home on Sunday night and she now looks like this:

Ok... that's my October stitching update.  I have been thinking about what I want to do in November and have come up with a plan!  I have 15 WIPocalypse projects left for 2017 - I know I won't finish them all but there are some that I haven't touched all year, so my plan is to stitch at least 50 mins on each one in November.  Stitch Maynia is having a SAL relating to 50... it's a spin-off of a writing challenge so I thought I could use that to touch all of my other projects and who knows there may be another finish before the end of the year!

So that's it for today... 
Sorry it's such a long one!
Til next time, happy stitching!
Hugs xx