February WIPocalypse SALs

    

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 "22 in '22" for this year.  This month I stitched on 4 of them and had 1 finish.  

5. Carriage House Samplings Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

8. Just Nan Christmas Elegance - Finish

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

14. CCN Main Street Post Office

stitched on 32 count Charcoal Slate Murano from Sparklies

17. Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

The full list can be seen here - WIPocalypse and 22 in 22

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.

February - What stitch-a-longs (SALs) are you participating in this year?

I have these blog-based SALs as well as the WIPocalypse

The People's Choice - posts on the first Saturday of each month - theme in sidebar
Fully Finished Gallery - show anything you have FFO'd on the 10th
Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th
Smalls SAL - last Friday of each month
The TUSAL - post on the New Moon each month

I am also taking part in WIPGO on Facebook for the second year.  In addition I host a Just Nan Sampler SAL every 2-3 months on the JN FB group.  We are currently stitching a Spring Sampler (Lily Pond for me).

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.

I think you can tell that this is going to be a Focus Year already, with 14 days on one project - Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow.  Here's where I finished the month:

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose from Chromatic Alchemy

I didn't manage to complete the whole block in the fortnight as I'd hoped.  This does have quite a lot of full coverage compared to the previous two blocks which took 29 days to stitch them both - they form one large block together.  I will continue with this block in February and then start Block 3 next to it.

Just Nan Christmas Elegance got worked on during my lunchbreaks at work for three days but also for 26 bath-time sessions!  I have decided to log my bath-time stitching for the first time this year.

Here is where Christmas Elegance is right now:

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

I have started the beading!

Compare the beaded tree with the non-beaded trees!

For Tiny Modernist Greenhouse, I am continuing with the white:

stitched on 28 count grey-blue evenweave

I also signed up for Stitch from Stash again.  This is my 8th year, I skipped 2016 as it was my Big Birthday and I didn't want to restrict myself.

At the end of last year I finished with £32.55 in my SFS budget so I decided to treat myself to the final three Zodiac Girls from Nora Corbett.  I now have all 12!  And fabric for one.

I do need some DMC to top up my supplies, several skeins are down to the last lengths but hopefully this will be a low-spend year!

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.

January WIPocalypse Stitching Style

   

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 "22 in '22" for this year.  This month I stitched on 4 of them:

   

5. Carriage House Samplings Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow

6. Mirabilia Fairy Idyll

8. Just Nan Christmas Elegance

ready for beading!

17. Jardin Prive 12 Days of Christmas

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss too.

January - Describe your stitching style – are you a one-at-a-time stitcher? Do you stitch on rotation? Are you a chaos wrangler? Are you comfortable in your current stitching style, or are you still searching for that stitching zen?

I used to be a one-at-a-time stitcher but now I stitch on a rotation because it gives me a chance to stitch different designers and styles depending on mood and time of year.  It also means I can take part in more challenges and SALs too.  I do like having a focus piece for half of the month as I can really see the progress on the project.  This year it will Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow.

I have decided not to start new pieces without a definite plan as to how they will fit into the rotation.  I can see from my WIP list there are a number of older pieces I dived into starting without thinking about how I would fit them into the time I have.

The plan is to chose one each year and work on it until it is finished.  This year the choice is Little Snapdragon.  I may finish it this year, if not then I'll keep going next year until it is done.  Then choose another oldie.

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.

I worked on Friday but took my Just Nan sampler with me and managed a little bit in my lunch break and some more at bath-time in the evening:

Just Nan - Christmas Elegance

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

The white Perle will show up much better when I add the metallic and the beads.

On Saturday and Sunday I continued to work on Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings.  

This is the start photo for Saturday morning:

Start of Sunday:

End of Sunday

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy

I've stitched for seven days on this block and I'm not quite halfway done.  I think it will take a little more than two weeks per block as some are more fully covered than others.

Finally the next IHSW will be 18th - 20th 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.

January TUSAL

      

It's TUSAL time!

Here is my TUSAL jar with two of my current projects:

I'll empty all the ORTs out now and put them in a bag intending to stuff an ornie with them.  In reality they will live in a bag for ever more!

On the left is my Just Nan Sampler - Christmas Elegance.  I am behind on the schedule and currently working on Band 7 which is the word "Christmas" stitched over one:

stitched on 28 count off-white evenweave

The project on the right is my 12 Days of Stitchmas design from Jardin Prive:

stitched on 32 count Millenium Blue linen

I've decided not to show a book from my Stitching Library this month but to write about my Christmas tree and decorations as I didn't include it in my Advent Calendar post.  The pre-Christmas run-up was a little too busy for blogging much!

The question everyone was answering this year was - tell us about your tree.  Do you have a real one or an artificial one?  When do you put it up?  Do you use the same ornaments each year or change the colour scheme?  Cross stitch or glass ornaments?  Star or Angel on top?  Do the children help?  (if you have any!).  Any stories about your trees over the years?

Apart from the years we lived in the Far East, we always had a real tree when I was a child.  Dad's job was to find one for sale and bring it home balanced on the handlebars and seat of his bike.  Mum then decorated it with an eclectic range of baubles and ornaments, some from her childhood, some from the early days of their marriage and some new each year.  Our job was to watch and guess which bauble she would choose from the box to be carefully placed in the perfect spot on the tree.

We always had angels on top, a tiny red feather angel and a larger china doll angel which was Mum's as a child.

Once we left home, Mum started to choose a colour theme for her tree - maybe pink and silver or blue and gold, just to have a different look.

When I got my own house I was working full-time so I had an artificial tree for ease.  I collected ornaments over the years, buying a pair of special ones from John Lewis each Christmas.  My little treat to myself.  I have kept the same colour scheme every year too - red, metallic and crystal only.  Metallic includes silver, gold and brass.

When my husband and I bought our house together, we had a real tree for the first year and every year since then.  I've added to the ornament collection over the years but always in the same colours.

My articifial tree went to my parents' house as they no longer want the mess of a real one.  Plus Dad doesn't ride a bike any more!

At the very top I have a huge crystal star.

My older son does help, usually by unwrapping the ornaments and choosing which one will go on next.  My younger son helps by keeping his distance and not removing the ornaments from the tree!  I try to keep the more delicate ones higher up or around the side where they are not so tempting!

Of course, the tree isn't the only Christmas decorating I do.  I have all my Christmas stitching and my garlands too.

(in the hallway)

(in the kitchen next to my computer seat)

I also made a little slideshow of our trees from 2008 to the current year!

Finally, a little blog housekeeping is going on.  I have a new page for my WIPocalypse choices and one for the sign-ups for Gifted Gorgeousness for the year.  We have a new logo this year so if you use it in your sidebar remember to change the logo and link to the new page.