May's Progress

 I'm using my WIPGO Board to decide what to stitch this year.  For May we had Shannon Christine's 3rd Day of Christmas and my focus piece, Fairy Idyll by Mirabilia.  I also had my annual Just Nan-athon where I stitch a different small each evening.

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan

My Dark 13 project is Witching Hour by Keslyn's, and I added an E:

stitched 1 over 2 on 32 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I'm using a variegated DMC thread - 4240, a mixture of blues and purples.  I decided to use a different colour for the spiders and chose the Victorian Motto Violet-Grey thread I used for the Halloween Bookshelf last year.  It's not as harsh as 310.

We went away for a few days so the Shannon Christine took longer than usual and only left me a short while to work on Fairy Idyll.  I focused on the bottom of her bedlinen and the greenery:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

Hopefully I can complete the cross stitches and start on the metallics next session!

I did take a small project with me but didn't get much time to stitch it.  This is the Spring Biscornu from Stitchonomy:

stitched on a random hand-dyed 28 count evenweave

This is the 9th year I have done my Just Nan-athon, started as part of Stitch Maynia when that was a big thing.  I'm currently working on 25 projects and completed two this year!

This is one of the finishes - Love & Roses:

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan.

The other finish needs a charm attaching and then I will share a photo of that one too.

April's Progress

I'm using my WIPGO Board to decide what to stitch this year.  For April we had my oldest WIP - Yiotas Coffee Fairy appear again - and another new Nora Corbett start - Cancer the Zodiac Girl.

Coffee Fairy started the month looking like this:

I worked on her body and wings.  She finished the month like this:

stitched on 28 count Monarch evenweave from Sparklies

There isn't much to fill in now, she will definitely be a finish next time her number comes up.

My Dark 13 project is Witching Hour by Keslyn's, and I added a D:

stitched 1 over 2 on 32 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I'm using a variegated DMC thread - 4240, a mixture of blues and purples.  I decided to use a different colour for the spiders and chose the Victorian Motto Violet-Grey thread I used for the Halloween Bookshelf last year.  It's not as harsh as 310.

After I finished the D I completed the large bat at the bottom.

My new start is the fifth Zodiac Girl for me from the Nora Corbett collection.  I am stitching each on the fabric with the same name as the star sign.  So this is Cancer on Cancer from Sparklies:

stitched on 32 count Cancer Murano from Sparklies

I got so much progress on her in just one fortnight!  I have finished nearly all the cross stitch including the metallics.  There are quite a few beads and some backstitching but she won't take long at all next time I pick her up.

So much sparkle in her headress already!

March's Progress

 I'm using my WIPGO Board to decide what to stitch this year.  For March we had my oldest WIP - Yiotas Coffee Fairy - and a new start - Nora Corbett's Trick or Treat Fairy.  It really is a Year of Fairies!

Coffee Fairy started the month looking like this:

I worked on her legs and the left hand side of the cup and table.  She finished the month like this:

stitched on 28 count Monach evenweave from Sparklies

My Dark 13 project is Witching Hour by Keslyn's, and I added a C:

stitched 1 over 2 on 32 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I'm using a variegated DMC thread - 4240, a mixture of blues and purples.  I decided to use a different colour for the spiders and chose the Victorian Motto Violet-Grey thread I used for the Halloween Bookshelf last year.  It's not as harsh as 310.

After I finished the C I worked on that large bat underneath it:

Nora Corbett's Trick or Treat Fairy is a project I've had on my list for years so it was very exciting to finally start her.  I own the magazine she first appeared in but you can also download her as a PDF for a small charge.  I had a beautiful piece of fabric from Chromatic Alchemy called Nebula, the only decision was which way up to stitch her!  I used The Viewer to help decide:

And decided the darker part should be at the top.  I did flip the fabric over so the darkest part would be on the right not the left.

Here's my progress for the month:

She is actually charted in the same browns as the owl but I changed her to purple in the 26 - 32 range plus 3747 for the lighter colour in her skirt.  I also changed her hair to black not brown.

Just Nan's Witching Hour Cube was FFO'd and I made a whole post about that project:

My evening project has been last year's Temperature Chart and I got another finish!  

I've used the low temp for the nighttime hours and the high temp for the daytime hours.  I have also varied the length of the day and night as the sun changes.  You can really see the colour changes as the nights draw in.

And finally, as I finished the Temperature design a few days before the end of the month I decided another new start was in order.  Another chart which I have had for ages, Heart in Hand's Little House in the Woods.  It's very small and very cute!

stitched on 32 count pale green linen

Just Nan's Witching Hour Cube

This was my evening stitch started on 1st January and finished on 16th February.  I made it into the 3D shape straight away but needed to get some flat head pins to make the bead corners before I could call it Fully Finished.

You stitch the cube net on one piece of fabric:

stitched on 32 count purple linen

Then you whip stitch the four vertical seams.  The instructions say to use iron-on interfacing but I made a cube out of cardboard and inserted that inside the fabric once I'd stitched the seams.  Then I filled it with stuffing and put a heavy metal bolt inside to add some weight.  I closed the "flap" of the cardboard shape and then whip stitched the bottom of the fabric cube.

Here are the four sides of the cube:

And the bottom with my initials on it:

This is Miss Hazel Fun Witch Mouse which was released at the same time as the cube:

February's Progress

I'm using my WIPGO Board to decide what to stitch this year.  For February, Fairy Idyll came out for both numbers which was perfect for the shortest month.

She started the month looking like this:

I worked on the right hand side starting with the rabbit:

And she finished the month like this:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

My Dark 13 project is Witching Hour by Keslyn's, and I added a B:

stitched 1 over 2 on 32 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I'm using a variegated DMC thread - 4240, a mixture of blues and purples.  I decided to use a different colour for the spiders and chose the Victorian Motto Violet-Grey thread I used for the Halloween Bookshelf last year.  It's not as harsh as 310.

My first evening project was a Just Nan, the Witching Hour Cube:

stitched on 32 count Purple Linen

I have actually FFO'd this except for the corner beads but I need to source some pins so I won't share until I have them.

Once I finished that one I decided to focus on last year's Temperature Chart.  I got behind in the Summer and have been trying to catch up ever since then.

January to July - finished

July to December, completed the warm temperatures to the end of the year.  Need to add the 8 and below:

I've used the low temp for the nighttime hours and the high temp for the daytime hours.  I have also varied the length of the day and night as the sun changes.  You can really see the colour changes as the nights draw in.

January's Progress

January started off well with a finish after just 12 days (see previous post) and continued well with a new start and a focus on my oldest WIP.

The new start is going to be my Dark 13 project and is Witching Hour by Keslyn's:

stitched 1 over 2 on 32 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I'm using a variegated DMC thread - 4240, a mixture of blues and purples.  It's a big design, needs a full piece of 18 x 26 and the A took two days of stitching.

My focus piece as chosen by the WIPGO Board was Yiota's Coffee Fairy.  Started back in April 2012, here is my start position for this year:

Not much to show for all those years!  Mostly it's been getting 20-30 minutes for the Longest Day Marathon.  But this year changes that.

Here's where I am now:

stitched on 28 count Monarch evenweave from Sparklies

Anyone fancy a biscuit?

This drapery is her dress, there are so many colours in here but you can't really tell.

My evening project has been a Just Nan, the Witching Hour Cube:

stitched on 32 count Purple Linen

I've got a litte bit of white tree trunk to do, a broom and then it's all the black!

Finally, I realised that two of my projects have very similar names - Witching Hour and Witching Hour Cube!