WIPocalypse January Introduction

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi of Measi's Musings.

The main focus of my WIPocalypse last year was my "13 in '13" a list of 13 projects I wanted to complete in 2013.  This is how I fared:

  1. Papillon - Around the World in 80 Stitches - not worked on in 2013, now officially a UFO

  2. Joan Elliott - Green Goddess - last stitched in May 2013

  3. Marie Suarez - My Lovely Sewing Tools - not worked on in 2013, now officially a UFO

  4. Prairie Moon - Thine is the Trick and the Treat - last stitched in September 2013

  5. Nora Corbett Cottages - choose one out of three - not started

  6. Lizzie*Kate Seasons - (from Sarah) - a finish!

  7. With my Needle - April Word Play (from Jenny ) - not started

  8. Andree Langhorn - Fairy (fabric from Mouse) - not started

  9. Stitchers' Hideaway - Hear the Sea Call (from Riona) - another finish!

10. Snapdragon (from Lesley) - not started

11. Beehive Needleworks - Sunflower and Acorns (from Linda) - not started

12. Double Double (from Gracie) - not started

13. A Mon Ami Pierre - Noel Blanc (from Kathy) - still being worked on

All in all, not very successful!  Three WIPs, two finishes, two UFOs and six not started.  Not as good as 2012 when I completed six pieces and only had one non-starter.  Oh well, it is a New Year and a Fresh Start.

This is the current list of "14 in'14":

  1. Joan Elliott - Green Goddess

  2. Prairie Moon - Thine is the Trick and the Treat

  3. Maria’s Wedding

  4. Kat’s Baby

  5. Teresa Wenztler - You were Hatched 

  6. Primitive Hare - Spooky Countdown

  7. The Little Stitcher - 12 Days of Christmas 

  8. Joan Elliott Diary February

  9. Just Nan Winter Typography 

10. Firewing Dragon

11. Stitcheranon chart

12. A Mon Ami Pierre - Noel Blanc

13. Shepherd’s Bush

14. Sam's Sampler

Progress at 16th January 2014

Measi has also set us some discussion themes for each post.  For January she suggests we introduce ourselves and our goals.  You can read my All About Me to the right of this post and you can see my goals above.  I thought I would include the answers to the Twenty Questions doing the rounds at the end of last year.  At least one person expressed an interest in reading mine so here they are:

I found these questions on Silverlotus's blog who first read them on Bonnie's blog.

1)      Which fabric do you most prefer?  Evenweave, I like linen for samplers too.

2)      What is your favourite fabric count? 32 count is my choice for over 2 stitching and 28 count for over 1.

3)      What colour fabric do you most enjoy stitching on?  I don’t have a favourite colour, I’m a little wary of the more vibrant hand-dyeds in case they overpower the design. 

4)      What is your favourite fibre? Cotton.

5)      How many of the 450 DMC Colours do you own? All of them except the newest 16 and some of the 4000 variegateds.

6)      Of your last five finished projects—how many used DMC/Anchor as the main floss?  Five

7)      Of the last five projects, if you didn’t use DMC/Anchor—what did you use? I’m using AVAS silks for one of my Scarlet Letter samplers and Olde Willow Linen threads for the other.

8)      What needles do you prefer? 28 petites, because I can use the thread right down to the last 2cm and use the same needle for beading too.

9)      What is the UGLIEST design you’ve encountered?  Some of the designs in the UK magazines are just plain badly drawn.  A lot of Mr X-Stitch’s Saturday posts are intentionally ugly or subversive.

10)   What is the most BEAUTIFUL design you’ve encountered?  Chatelaines are definitely the ones that take the breath away the most.  I really must stitch one!

11)   Who is your favourite designer?  In alphabetical order Joan, Nan, Nora, Teresa are the “supermodels” of the stitching world – familiar from just one name!

12)   Least favourite designer?  Not naming names because it’s hurtful but some of the people who submit designs for the UK mags on a regular basis make me think “Why, when there are so many talented designers around?” 

13)   Will you/would you support a designer whose personal beliefs offended/angered you?  No.  I have been in this situation where a designer showed her ugly side and I can’t face finishing her admittedly beautiful design.  I am just glad it was a freebie so she didn’t get any money out of me!!

14)   Do you have a lamp especially made for needleworkers/crafters? No.  I just switch on every light in the living room until hubby comes in and turns six of them off!

15)   What brand of stitching lamp do you have/prefer?  N/A

16)   What kind of environment best suits you when you are stitching?   A warm one!  I can and have stitched most places but it’s hard to stitch when your hands are turning blue.

17)   Have you stitched any design more than once?  Yes, I have a couple of Wedding Samplers which have been stitched twice.  I also stitched the JBW cat 13 times over the last year, in different colour schemes for each month.

18)   Favourite design you have stitched and finished?  Always the last one I stitched, until the next one!  I did particularly enjoy The Dark Alphabet because of all the stories and information behind each design.

19)   Least favourite design you’ve stitched and finished?  The blummin Barn Owl!  A commission stitch charted by a friend using a computer.  By the end I was combining colours all over the place so one colour was used for about six different symbols there was so much confetti.  I got paid £50 in advance or it would never have been finished!

20)   Last, but not least, what’s your longest running WIP?  That I’m actually still working on?  Probably Joan Elliott’s Green Goddess.  The others are more UFOs than WIPs unfortunately.

Finally (if anyone is still here!)  I have started the sign-ups for the next blog hop, The Secret Stitching Sweetheart.  Click on the heart to the right for the details.

oooo, just spotted this is my 300th post!!