Finally Fully Finishing Fun for February

 

 Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This SAL is designed to motivate us all to do something with that box of Finished pieces instead of just storing them under the bed.  We will all be linking up on Rachel's blog on or after the 10th of each month (10 Hour Stitcher - 10th of the month).

I just want to make it clear that this IS me, Jo the Serendipitous Stitcher AKA Jo who can't think of a clever nickname, posting.  This blog has not been taken over by someone else.  I was merely visited by a Finishing Fairy in the last month!  If you've heard the tale of The Elves and the Shoemaker, this is very similar.  I left my finishes out and some spirit came along and FFO'd them!

First up was my 2024 Temperature Tree from The Steady Thread.  All the Finishing Fairy had to do for this one was iron it, stretch it and mount on card to be slipped into a pocket in my scrapbook.

It's almost exactly 12 x 12 inches.  Those leaves look so pretty!


Next up was Evening in the Shire by Maria Brovko.  Again, iron, stretch and mount on card then popped in a simple black frame:

In the same style frame is Aslan from Life in Stitch:

Both of those have glass in front of them but I always take the photos without glass then put it back afterwards.  That way I get a nice clear photo without reflections.

Last up was Nevermore from Quaternion Creations.  This frame was from a charity shop and originally had a mirror in it.  The frame is brass so I painted it with a black paint wash so you can still see the details of the frame.

The moon on this does show up better in real life.

Finally, while getting out my February stitched decor to add to the Winter pieces already on display, I decided to sort out my frame collection.  They were stored in two different places and now they are all in one cupboard.  I have measured and catalogued them all onto a spreadsheet too.   I have 56 frames of an assortment of sizes, shapes and styles.   The largest 3 are 10.5 x 13.5 inches.

Some came from charity shops, some from home department stores, some from my Mum and a couple were gifts.  Now I have all the sizes down in one place it should make it easier to match stitching to frame!

February Plans

This year I want to focus on 2 larger pieces and then spend the rest of my stitching time on the series I have started.  The order I stitch them in is going to be determined by the WIPGO Board.  Jessie-Marie calls two numbers each month and those will be the projects I stitch that month. 

In January, the numbers 11 and 20 were called.  These both related to my oldest WIP, the Art Nouveau Head so I made some great progress on that project, finishing here:

stitched on 14 count White Aida

For February, the numbers 7 and 8 were called.  These relate to Cottage Garden Samplings Year in the Woods series and the Art Nouveau Head (again).

I'm currently stitching The Swans for the Year in the Woods and here's where I left off last year:

Here's where I am now, I've got quite a lot done in just five days!

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cirrus evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

Finally, my evening project will be the Annie Beez 12 Days of Christmas Stockings.  Here is Day 2 so far:

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan

January Stitch from Stash and 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.

You can see what I spent most of the month on!

Art Nouveau Head went from here:

to here:

stitched on 14 count White Aida

Obviously a lot of block fill-in which is quicker.  The bottom half is similar but that circle shape and the headpiece is going to be much more time consuming.  I am confident I can get this completed this year though.

I also keep an evening Pie, which looks very varied this month:

This year evenings are going to be dedicated to my Annie Beez Stockings and whatever else takes my fancy so expect some varied pies this year.

Finally, Stitch from Stash.  This is my eleventh year!  I skipped 2016 as it was a Big Birthday Year and I wanted to be able to splurge a little.  But apart from that it's been a huge success and really helped me see where to cut down on my spending.

As I mentioned before, I needed the red beads for the Annie Beez stocking and thought it was a good idea to get the bead pack for the Zodiac Girl at the same time.

January Smalls

 

         

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Rachel

For my Smalls stitching this year, I will be stitching the 12 Days of Christmas from Annie Beez.  They don't take long which then gives me time to stitch some blackwork or another small from my list.

Here's Day 1:

stitched on 28 count Black evenweave

I sat down to bead it the other day and realised I didn't have the correct red beads.  Because it's a whole set of 12 it was worth getting the right beads so I ordered them and will be finishing it this weekend.

I did have the correct beads for Day 1 of Shannon Christine's 12 Days of Christmas so that one got finished this month too.

I stitched a couple of other projects in the evenings which aren't smalls but then I was sorting out my 2024 magazines and came across this cover kit from the December Cross Stitcher:

So I thought I would start that.  It's on a really stiff piece of 14 count Aida so it's like stitching on perforated paper rather than fabric.  The threads are NOT DMC, despite what the chart says, they don't even match the DMC colours.  A friend says they are CXC but I don't like the quality, they are cut into short lengths but even so they unravel if you're not careful.  But it's only a small and they do provide a LOT of the cheap thread!

You can see the little house shapes already!

Finally, a little spoiler for Rachel's other SAL, the FFO Gallery.  I've done a batch of FFO'ing already!!

January TUSAL

     

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project:

The contents of those tins will now be put into my empty jar to start the new TUSAL year.

Here's the featured project, my Art Nouveau Head from Craft Collection:

stitched on 14 count Aida

I hope to complete the dark maroon in the outside circle this month.  Then she will have a little rest while I stitch on something different for WIPGO.

Finally, I thought I'd treat myself to a beading session to finish the Annie Beez stocking this month.  I have quite a collection of Mill Hill beads, but did I have the right ones for this design?  Of course not!

It's quite a specific red bead too so I just had to order a pack.  It's not worth the postage to order one pack of beads so I bought the bead pack for another of Nora Corbett's Zodiac Girls too!  It seems to be the only way to get the Magnificas.  At least I'll be prepared when I want to stitch that one.

January WIPocalypse Oldest Project

      

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 "24 in '24" for last year.  For 2025 I have decided not to attempt this.  I want to focus on 2 larger pieces and then spend the rest of my stitching time on the series I have started.  This month I stitched on 1 of them.

2. Craft Collection Art Nouveau Head

stitched on 14 count white Aida

I did finish two of my WIPocalypse choices from 2024.  Both were started in December and finished at the start of January so I'll show them here:

Shannon Christine 12 Days of Christmas

Life in Stitch Aslan

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss:

January – Tell us about the oldest WIP you have in your stash.

Rather handily, my oldest WIP was my focus for this month.  Back in 2011-12 I was very keen on starting things.  I had discovered forums and blogs in 2010 and started my own blog in 2011.  This particular project was one I'd bought before my older son was born and started as part of my "11 in '11".

I stitched for about 14 hours and got this far:

By the end of the month I had got this far:

And that was pretty much it for 2011.  Apart from my annual Longest Day Marathons it had not been touched since, until last year when I worked on it a few time for the A-Z Challenge in my IHSW.  At the start of this year it looked like this:

stitched on 14 count white Aida

You can see how much progress I've made this month looking at the photo at the top of the blog post.

After this one I have three WIPs started in 2012, two of which are massive.  After that it's my Chatelaine from 2017.  So not too bad for older projects.

In total I have

Prior to 2020 - 6 WIPs

2020 - 2024   - 5 WIPs

2025              - 4 WIPs

January IHSW

    

IHSW or International Hermit and Stitch Weekend always starts on the third Friday of the month.  It's a chance to lock yourself away and focus on your stitching for the weekend.  You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page - IHSW on Facebook.

Last year I did my A-Z Challenge for IHSW with mixed success.  I actually forgot it a couple of times!  But I did manage to work on all my WIPs across the year so I count that as a result.

This year I am going to attempt International Hermit and Blackwork.  I do love blackwork and have a couple of projects I want to try fit in to my rotation without being on the WIPGO Board.

The first project up was the Temperature Tree from The Steady Thread.  I filled in the corner and then worked on the final branch for the December temperatures:

And then it was done!

stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers

I moved on to my second WIP from The Steady Thread, the Halloween Bookshelf:

stitched on 30 count tea-dyed linen

I focused on the clock this session and then stitched some more of the crystal ball inside.  Here's how it looks now:

I realised that my photo in Friday's post was not the current state of the piece.  I had stitched more since that was taken.

Today I am going back to my focus piece for the month, the Art Nouveau Head:

stitched on 14 count white Aida

Finally the next IHSW will be 21st - 23rd February so make sure you note the date in your diary or come and join us in the Facebook Group - IHSW on Facebook. If you don't do Facebook then you can check in here by leaving a comment on my post.

The Start of January IHSW

   

IHSW or International Hermit and Stitch Weekend always starts on the third Friday of the month.  It's a chance to lock yourself away and focus on your stitching for the weekend.  You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page - IHSW on Facebook.

Last year I did my A-Z Challenge for IHSW with mixed success.  I actually forgot it a couple of times!  But I did manage to work on all my WIPs across the year so I count that as a result.

This year I am going to attempt International Hermit and Blackwork.  I do love blackwork and have a couple of projects I want to try fit in to my rotation without being on the WIPGO Board.

The first is the Temperature Tree from The Steady Thread:

stitched on 28 count Meadow Mist linen from Silkweavers

I want to finish this one this weekend.  There are only a few leaves and that corner of the border left.

The second WIP is also from The Steady Thread and is the Halloween Bookshelf:

stitched on 30 count tea-dyed linen

Finally, for later in the year, I would love to start the Alice in Wonderland Adventale from Circle Cross:

Gifted Gorgeousness January Link-Up Post

 

Our new logo for the year is Couer de Sorciere from TraLaLa.  The chart was a gift to me which I stitched last year.

Please remember to change your badge and the link to the new page as the old link no longer works.  Don't forget to link up on the main sign-up page with your blog address.

Welcome to the January Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.

The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.

My focus piece for the month is not a gift but my evening piece has been.  I was given the chart for Annie Beez's 12 Days of Christmas for Christmas and plan to stitch one per month.  So I'll always have at least one thing to show for GG!

stitched on 28 count black Jobelan evenweave

I've completed the stitching now and just need to add the beads.

This one isn't a gifted piece but I'll be stitching it on the 13th of every month for Dark Thirteen so you'll see this every GG post too.

This is the start of the Halloween Tiny Town from Heart in Hand Designs:

stitched on 32 count Tobacco Belfast linen

I'm using the DMC conversion but I must say, it looks nothing like the cover photo so I'm not sure where they got the converted shades from.  I'll keep a closer eye on the next motif.

Finally it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month.  Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "January Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month.  And link to the actual post, not just your blog.  It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.

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Finally Fully Finishing Fun for January

 Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This SAL is designed to motivate us all to do something with that box of Finished pieces instead of just storing them under the bed.  We will all be linking up on Rachel's blog on or after the 10th of each month (10 Hour Stitcher - 10th of the month).

This is what I typed on my January post in 2020, which I copied into my January 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 posts:

Let's start the year off as we don't mean to go on - doing nothing all month and realising on the 9th that you have one day to FFO something, anything to show on the 10th.

Guess what?  Same thing this year!  Why break the run now?

This is a cube finish from a few years back that comes out every Christmas.  The previous year (2023) I noticed that it was looking a little squished so I unpicked the back and intended to restuff it for 2024.

Good intentions and all that!  It's been sat in my storage unit waiting to be fixed ever since.

The designer is Acorn House Designs and this piece was in the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Special back in 2013

The ribbon came from a box of chocolates and was the perfect size for this cube.

So it's all stuffed and repaired ready for Christmas 2025.

Finally, here's my progress on my focus piece for the month - Art Nouveau Head (or ANH for those who struggle with getting the right vowels in the right place in "Nouveau"!):

stitched on 14 count white aida

January WIPocalypse Introduction

     

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. Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.


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


Since 2011 I have chosen a number of projects to focus on that year, starting with my "11 in '11" and increasing to "24 in '24" for last year.  For 2025 I have decided not to attempt this.  I want to focus on 2 larger pieces and then spend the rest of my stitching time on the series I have started.

This is the list for 2025:

1. Mirabilia - Fairy Idyll - 6 WIPGO numbers
2. Craft Collection - Art Nouveau Head - 6 WIPGO numbers
3. Cottage Garden Samplings - 12 Days of Christmas - 2 WIPGO numbers
4. Nora Corbett - Evanora - 2 WIPGO numbers
5. Nora Corbett - Zodiac Girl Scorpio - 2 WIPGO numbers
6. Cottage Garden Samplings - Year in the Woods - 2 WIPGO numbers
7. Cricket Collection - Summer - 2 WIPGO numbers
8. Satsuma Street - Aquarius - 2 WIPGO numbers

As you can tell, I am also taking part in WIPGO again.  This is a FB Bingo group.  You choose 25 goals for the year and each month the Admin pick two numbers to focus on.  When you have met your goal, you tick off that block.  You can give yourself rewards for completing a row or a column.

Here's my WIPGO board:

For January the numbers 11 and 20 have been called.  They are both for my oldest WIP, the Art Nouveau Head.  I started this one in 2011 but have owned it for much longer.  I bought the kit when I was still working full-time back in the 1990s.  It is stitched on Aida but at least it's a nice soft one so not too much of a chore. 

Here's where I started:

And here's where I am now:

stitched on 14 count white Aida

My evening projects throughout the year will be the Annie Beez 12 Days of Christmas Stockings.  They are a quick stitch so that will leave me time for other Smalls too.

Here's Day 1:

stitched on 28 count Black evenweave

I got close to a finish on Aslan from Life in Stitch in December and will be adding a length or two of white each day until I finish it.  I'm currently filling in the tree:

stitched on 28 count Black evenweave

I am also going to be stitching a Temperature SAL, a much simpler design than the last two years.  This will be a basic bar chart with one stitch per hour, charting the minimum temperature for the night and the maximums for the day.  But here's the clever part - the days start and finish when the sun rises and sets so you can see the progression across the year.

stitched on 14 count Aida banding

I charted the last four months of 2024 on a spreadsheet and here's how that looks:

The WIPocalypse posts are the last Sunday of each month

My other SALs are

Fully Finished Gallery - post anything fully finished on the 10th of each month
Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th
Smalls SAL - last Friday of each month
The TUSAL - post on the New Moon each month

Finally, I will not be continuing with the Blog Hops this year. I know that is disappointing news for some of you but they are just one thing too much.  I intend to visit your blogs a little bit more often and have made a start already, commenting on a few this morning!