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!

First Finish of 2026

Just 12 days in and we have a finish already!  This is Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas series from Cottage Garden Samplings.  Stitched like the others using 1 strand on 35 count cream linen.

stitched on 35 count cream linen

I did decide to backstitch the hens as they did fade into the fabric a little bit too much.

Each evening I have been stitching on my Just Nan choice - the Witching Hour Cube:

stitched on 32 count purple linen

The borders are charted for Weeks Dye Works but I used DMC 333 for the main purple outline and then some silks for the inner borders.  I was gifted the silks kit for Counting Bats and as Nan uses the same colours for many of her designs I thought this was a good chance to use them again.  Those greens are so pretty.

I have chosen a new design for my Dark Thirteen stitching tomorrow but today I have been stitching on my oldest WIP - Yiota's Coffee Fairy.  So far I have outlined a biscuit!

January Plans

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".  Last year I decided not to attempt this and focused on 2 larger pieces and then spend the rest of my stitching time on the series I have started.  I intend to do the same this year.

This is the list for 2026:

1. Mirabilia - Fairy Idyll - 6 WIPGO numbers
2. Yiotas Cross Stitch - Coffee Fairy - 6 WIPGO numbers
3. Cottage Garden Samplings - 12 Days of Christmas - 2 WIPGO numbers
4. Nora Corbett - Trick or Treat Fairy - 2 WIPGO numbers
5. Nora Corbett - Zodiac Girl TBA - 2 WIPGO numbers
6. Cottage Garden Samplings - Year in the Woods - 2 WIPGO numbers
7. Cricket Collection - Autumn - 2 WIPGO numbers
8. Satsuma Street - Taurus - 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 2 and 7 have been called.

Number 2 is Day 3 in the 12 Days of Christmas series by Cottage Garden Samplings.  Here's what it will look like:

And here's my progress so far:

stitched on 32 count Cream Linen

My evening projects this year will be a mixture of whatever I feel like stitching!  I want to get some of my Just Nan Halloween designs stitched and the Random Number Generator chose this one:

Just Nan Witching Hour Cube

stitched on 32 count Purple Linen

The border is stitched in DMC 333 and the fabric is pretty much the same colour.  The chart calls for some WDW for the borders but I'm using plain DMC.

I have already stitched the mouse shown on the cover so she will be happy to have a cube to sit on now!

Miss Hazel Fun Witch Mouse

The Coffee Fairy from Yiotas is currently my oldest WIP and will look like this:

Currently looks like this: