January WIPocalypse Troublesome WIPs and some Pie

  
WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.  Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "21 in '21" for this year.  This month I stitched on 4 of them.

2. Samplermakers Spring Challenge

stitched on 28 count Slightly Lilac evenweave from Sparklies

10. Stoney Creek 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count Lime Green Linen

13. Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count blue-grey linen

14. Hands On Design Scary Apothecary

stitched on 28 count Radioactive linen from Chromatic Alchemy

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and 21 in 21

Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.

January - Tell us about a WIP on which you’ve really struggled to make progress. Explain its history. What appears to be the reason you’re struggling?

Perfect question for this month as the Spring Challenge Sampler is a great example.  I started this back in 2012 and was really enjoying it.  I stitched the first tree and then had to flip it to stitch the second tree.  Which is where I stalled, the chart when scanned and flipped just wasn't clear enough, the symbols for the brown tree and the green leaves were too similar.

When I started looking at my older WIPs for the Longest Day Marathons I decided to pick just one or two to work on each year and reduce the number of older projects.  This year it's the turn of the Spring Sampler and I have now broken through the tree barrier and just have the lovely alphabet and a few motifs to complete.  Looking at the other older WIPs it seems style of stitching is my big issue:

Around the World in 80 Stitches - fiddly colour changes with the speciality stitches

Coffee Fairy and Art Nouveau Head - full coverage

English Transitional Sampler - Holbein and outlining not inspiring me

Joan Elliott Faces - over one skin and dislike of one block

NOEL Letters - Hardanger

Little Snapdragon - computer generated chart

Now for some pie.  Regular followers will know I produce a delicious home-made pie to illustrate my focus projects for the month.  I don't record minutes or stitches so this gives an approximate idea of how much time each WIP got.  It doesn't show the daily sampler or the bath-time stitching.

You can see it's been a Rotation Year so far, rather than a Focus Year like 2020.  I was enjoying the Tiny Modernist Calendar so much that I continued and stitched February already.  I'll show you in the next Smalls post.

I also signed up for Stitch from Stash again.  This is my 7th year, I skipped 2016 as it was my Big Birthday and I didn't want to restrict myself.

Those don't actually count for the SFS challenge on FB but I like to monitor my total spending for my own purposes.

Finally, I will be running the Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop on Valentine's Day.

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

It's really very simple, all you have to do is email me a picture of something you have stitched which is suitable for a stitching friend on Valentine's Day.  It could be a heart, or a pair of cute creatures, or the word "love" or anything which warms your heart.  Really anything you think a fellow stitcher would like to receive in her email Inbox.  It can be something you've stitched in the past or something you've made especially for this year.  It could also be quilted or sewn this year as I know some of my followers do other crafts too.

Send me the email by 10th February.

When I have all the emails I will randomise them and send one to each participant on 13th February. Then on 14th February you must post the picture you receive onto your blog under the heading

Secret Stitching Sweetheart Blog Hop

There will be a list on my blog of everyone joining in, so check out all the blogs and find out who got your picture and identify yourself in their comments as their

Secret Stitching Sweetheart

Does that make sense to everyone? I hope so!

If you'd like to be involved then leave a comment on this post or send me an email if you are "no-reply". I'll be putting little reminders up from time to time and will email on 9th February to make sure you send the pic in time.