June's Progress

I'm using my WIPGO Board to decide what to stitch this year.  For June we had Yiotas XStitch Coffee Fairy which was my oldest WIP and Satsuma Street's Taurus from her Zodiac series.

Stitched on 28 count Monarch evenweave from Sparklies

I was sent this kit to review back in 2011 and started it in 2012.  By 2026 it was my oldest WIP and became my "Focus for a Finish".

I used the kit threads which were all Madeira but my own fabric as the kit only came with Aida.  The original design was full coverage but I left the background off so you can see the fabulous fabric!

Love these biscuits!

My Dark 13 project is Witching Hour by Keslyn's, and I added an F:

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.  I decided to use a different colour for the spiders and chose the Victorian Motto Violet-Grey thread I used for the Halloween Bookshelf last year.  It's not as harsh as 310.

I finished the Coffee Fairy quite early in the month so had plenty of time for my new start which was Taurus from Satsuma Street.  This is the fourth design I have stitched in the series, all on black fabric. 

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan

In May, I completed my annual Just Nan-athon and fully finished this design during June.  This is Winter Roses, part of the Filagree Fancies series.

The rose charm was supplied with the kit.

This is the backing fabric:

I had a new evening start too.  I love all things Alice in Wonderland so had to grab the new Living on the Rainbow book design.  This will be fully-finished into a 3D book.  So far I have started the cover and finished Page 1.  Page 2 will be released next week.

stitched on 36 count White evenweave

stitched on 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Linen

My plan is to stitch each page as it is released and then go back and do the cover to try catch up.  If I can keep up with the weekly pages that will be very encouraging.

May's Progress

 I'm using my WIPGO Board to decide what to stitch this year.  For May we had Shannon Christine's 3rd Day of Christmas and my focus piece, Fairy Idyll by Mirabilia.  I also had my annual Just Nan-athon where I stitch a different small each evening.

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan

My Dark 13 project is Witching Hour by Keslyn's, and I added an E:

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.  I decided to use a different colour for the spiders and chose the Victorian Motto Violet-Grey thread I used for the Halloween Bookshelf last year.  It's not as harsh as 310.

We went away for a few days so the Shannon Christine took longer than usual and only left me a short while to work on Fairy Idyll.  I focused on the bottom of her bedlinen and the greenery:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

Hopefully I can complete the cross stitches and start on the metallics next session!

I did take a small project with me but didn't get much time to stitch it.  This is the Spring Biscornu from Stitchonomy:

stitched on a random hand-dyed 28 count evenweave

This is the 9th year I have done my Just Nan-athon, started as part of Stitch Maynia when that was a big thing.  I'm currently working on 25 projects and completed two this year!

This is one of the finishes - Love & Roses:

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan.

The other finish needs a charm attaching and then I will share a photo of that one too.

Just Nan's Witching Hour Cube

This was my evening stitch started on 1st January and finished on 16th February.  I made it into the 3D shape straight away but needed to get some flat head pins to make the bead corners before I could call it Fully Finished.

You stitch the cube net on one piece of fabric:

stitched on 32 count purple linen

Then you whip stitch the four vertical seams.  The instructions say to use iron-on interfacing but I made a cube out of cardboard and inserted that inside the fabric once I'd stitched the seams.  Then I filled it with stuffing and put a heavy metal bolt inside to add some weight.  I closed the "flap" of the cardboard shape and then whip stitched the bottom of the fabric cube.

Here are the four sides of the cube:

And the bottom with my initials on it:

This is Miss Hazel Fun Witch Mouse which was released at the same time as the cube:

February's Progress

I'm using my WIPGO Board to decide what to stitch this year.  For February, Fairy Idyll came out for both numbers which was perfect for the shortest month.

She started the month looking like this:

I worked on the right hand side starting with the rabbit:

And she finished the month like this:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

My Dark 13 project is Witching Hour by Keslyn's, and I added a B:

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.  I decided to use a different colour for the spiders and chose the Victorian Motto Violet-Grey thread I used for the Halloween Bookshelf last year.  It's not as harsh as 310.

My first evening project was a Just Nan, the Witching Hour Cube:

stitched on 32 count Purple Linen

I have actually FFO'd this except for the corner beads but I need to source some pins so I won't share until I have them.

Once I finished that one I decided to focus on last year's Temperature Chart.  I got behind in the Summer and have been trying to catch up ever since then.

January to July - finished

July to December, completed the warm temperatures to the end of the year.  Need to add the 8 and below:

I've used the low temp for the nighttime hours and the high temp for the daytime hours.  I have also varied the length of the day and night as the sun changes.  You can really see the colour changes as the nights draw in.

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: