February 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.

Having completed my WIPGO choice on Thursday, I decided to dedicate IHSW to Number 6 on my board which was called and worked on in January.  I knew I could finish it this month.

Here is the Spring Sampler started back in 2012 when I joined a forum called Samplermakers.  They gave us a selection of motifs to arrange into a sampler.  I charted it out and started stitching, got the fence, the plant pot and the right hand tree done and there it stopped.  I just stalled on the left hand mirrored tree.  I pick it up every Longest Day Marathon and work a little bit on it.  I decided this year that it really needed to be off the list and completed.  Voila!

stitched on 28 count Slightly Lilac evenweave from Sparklies

The year was easy to update, I'd charted it for 2012 so all I had to do was swap around the 1 and 2 and make 2021!

Hoping it will fit a standard frame and I can display it this Spring.

I used the Tiny Decision app to decide what to stitch next and Gathering Eggs came up.  Started back in 2017 but never a real focus piece so on the list for this year.  I completed the girl herself and now just have the background to do.

stitched on 35 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

I decided to stitch the background in just one strand so the figure stands out more.  2 strands is quite dense on 35 count but the coverage is fabulous.  I'm going to work on her until the end of the month.

I started a new bath-time project, another ornament from the Gift of Stitching magazine series.  This one is Quaker Diamond Noel from November 2009, another Rosewood Manor design.  I have completely changed the colour scheme so it co-ordinates with my other ornaments.

stitched on 32 count Reed Green linen

There will be some bright red and some gold beads added as well as these two greens.

Finally, the next IHSW will be 19th - 21st March 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.

Let's Go WIPGO!

Q: What is WIPGO?

A: It's like Bingo for your WIPs.

The idea is to make a board with 25 squares, add a goal to each square, each month the Admin call 2 numbers and you try reach those two goals.

When you complete a row or column, you can reward yourself with something nice.  A new start?  A new chart?  An uninterrupted afternoon of stitching?  Your choice.

This is my board:

The numbers called for January were 6, 13 and 18.  Now, some people have 13 as a free space so the Admin calls an extra number for the month that it appears.  Hence 3 numbers for January.  Which is good for me because 18 isn't going to be ticked off until May!  You don't have to meet the goal in the month called, but you can't tick the box off until it is met.

I worked on number 13 first.  This is my Hands On Design Scary Apothecary series.  I stitched 3 last year and have 3 on my list for this year.  Here's where I got to on Cackle Lozenges:

stitched on 28 count Radioactive linen from Chromatic Alchemy

I'm using the DMC conversion, this one is stitched exactly as per the chart so far.  In previous designs I had to tweak some colours because I am using such a bright green fabric.  It does change the way the colours appear but these all work well so far.

I stitched for five days and will continue with it next month to finish it.  Unless the CCN Village gets called, then I will work on that instead.

The second project is number 6.  This is a very old WIP which I will be glad to see finished.  I stalled on the reflected tree for a number of reasons but have finished it!

stitched on 28 count Slightly Lilac evenweave from Sparklies

This was a challenge on the old Samplermakers Forum where they gave us some motifs and said "Make a Sampler".  All I need now is the alphabet and to complete the little animals.

Again, the goal of finishing it wasn't met in this month but it will come up in my rotation again this year.

My 2021 rotation is currently:

Week 1 - Hands on Design OR CCN Village
Week 2 - WIPGO project 1
Week 3 - WIPGO project 2
Week 4 - Tiny Decisions App chooses

I planned my weeks to be 6 days long based on working one full day a week, but as I'm furloughed I've been using that "extra" day to stitch ornaments.

I loaded my Tiny Decisions App with my four BAPs for this month and it chose the Bothy Threads 12 Days of Christmas.  So I have made a start:

stitched on 32 count blue-grey linen

I bought the kit for this as it is the only way to get the chart.  It came with 14 count white aida.  Nu-huh, not stitching on that!  I did have this nice piece of linen in a neutral colour in my stash.  It is soft to hold, plenty big enough and the coverage is excellent.  This is going to be a full-coverage piece so I wanted good coverage using only 2 strands.  I have been told the thread is Madeira which is much the same thickness as DMC.

I did consider buying fabrics in the six different background colours and stitching them without the background as ornaments.  But it became clear it was going to be difficult to find all the colours in the same fabric count and type so I dropped that idea.

This will be a long term project.  I will stitch on this for six days this month and see how far I get.  My goal is to complete six of the blocks this year and six next.  We shall see!

I've been working away on my Winter Blues too and completed last week's goals of Bands 4 and 5:

stitched on 28 count White Jobelan

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 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 three projects over the weekend which wasn't terribly productive unfortunately.

The main focus was my second WIPGO project.  This is an oldie started back in 2012 for the Samplemakers Forum challenge.  They gave us a selection of motifs and we made a small sampler from them.  I stalled on the trees and it's taken me 8 years to complete them!

stitched on 28 count Slightly Lilac evenweave from Sparklies

I have almost finished the green leaves on the left hand tree then I can get started on the smaller motifs.  There will be a rabbit, a bird, a butterfly and a peacock as well as an alphabet, my initials and the year.  Charted as 2012 it will be easier to flip those last 2 numbers!  I also need to fill in the flowers in the urn and it's finally done.

My bathtime project is the Stitchonomy Winter SAL.  I got the kit for this one so I'm stitching it exactly as charted using the kit DMC and, shockingly, the kit aida!  It was such a gorgeous blue/turquoise colour I thought "why not?" plus I didn't have any evenweave this bright.

As with all of Alyssa's SALs, this was free for a certain period of time and now you can get it by joining her Pattern Club for a small fee.  At the end of the SAL it will be available to buy in her Etsy shop.

stitched on 14 count Riviera aida

It's a lovely simple piece, perfect for bathtime stitching as we get one band every three days and they take exactly three bathtimes to stitch!  How did she do that?

The third piece is a very different band sampler, this is Just Nan's Winter Blues.  I am SALing this with several people in the Just Nan Junkies FB group.  I set a schedule of just 1 or 2 bands per week and I'm now on Band 5 for Week 3.

stitched on 28 count White Jobelan

In various emails I've been saying to people "I want to use more coloured fabrics this year" but White was the perfect choice for this sampler.  It had to be 28 count because of the over-one sections, I wanted the words to be legible!

Finally, the next IHSW will be 19th - 21st 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.

Theme-a-licious Looking Backward and Forward V

May was May Memories.  I decided to go for Making Memories with The Dark Alphabet designed in memory of Lisa Roswell and also my Joan Elliott Round Robin piece which is about making memories with new friends as we all stitch on each piece.

Has everyone seen enough of the Dark Alphabet yet?  If so, then look away now....

And the Round Robin again:

June is

Jumanji June
Is it a jungle out there in your stash? Give some love to the projects with animals or birds.

Due to the Small Boy's late night habit my evening stitching has been pared to the bone and now consists of two Round Robins and Papillon Around the World in 80 Stitches.  I really don't want to fall behind after only two parts!  None of these have animals or birds.

The Spring Challenge for Samplermakes does have animals and birds so that will fit the theme nicely, it's my daytime stitch.  Here it is as of today:

The idea is, we were all given a selection of Spring motifs to arrange and stitch as we chose.  I've flipped the tree to have one of the other side too, there will be a bird, a peacock, a rabbit and a butterfly added.  The fabric is Slightly Lilac by Sparklies, 28count stitched over 2.

Finally, my Giveaway is now closed.  The names will be put into a hat and the totally random boy will chose three winners!

Theme-a-licious Looking Backward and Forward III

March's theme was March Madness, stitch a different project each day.  Not going to happen.  LOL.

I did manage to stitch several different designer's pieces and not duplicate a single person.  I also had a Moment of Madness mid-month and did a few stitches on My Lovely Sewing Tools.  Then to round the month off I decided to start a few new projects instead of working on my WIPS.

So here's what I stitched on this month:

1. Julie from In the Company of Friends (Dark Alphabet) T and U, part of V

2. Chez Elisa for the Needlecraft Haven Freebie Challenge

3. Debra Page for the WOCS Daffodil Flower of the Month card

4. Sandy from San Man Originals for her Little Quilt Shop

5. Marie Suarez for My Lovely Sewing Tools from GoS online magazine

6. Joan Elliott for the JE RR on the Yuku Board.

7. A secret project I can't show yet.

8. Elissa Hudson - Alphabet Sampler from Cross Stitcher mag 249

9. Spring Sampler based on motifs from Samplemakers Forum

10. Just Nan Dewdrop the Rabbit

11. Country Cottage Needleworks - Cherry Hill

12. Gazette 94 - Spring Heart

The last 5 projects I started in the last 5 days, I thought I'd have a flourish of starting madness to finish the month!!

And here are the pictures:

Dark Alphabet - T

Dark Alphabet - U

Chez Elisa - Needlecraft Haven March Challenge

WOCS Daffodil card

San Man Original Quilt Shop.
Sent to Lany Bleu as her Epiphany Giveaway prize.

Inside of Lany's card.

My Lovely Sewing Tools - Gift of Stitching

Joan Elliott Round Robin for Jacqui.
I've actually done loads more than this but don't want to show her until I've finished now! 
This is all the black I worked on during IHSW.

Mystery Project!  This is the back of one part.  If you guess what it is then I'm calling you a geek. LOL.

Elissa Hudson for Cross Stitcher mag.
stitched on 32 count white evenweave.  4 letters down, 22 to go!

Samplermakers Forum Spring Challenge.
stitched on Slighly Lilac from Sparklies

Bunny Bum!
A Thank You gift from Jan of the Thread Garden

Country Cottage Needlework - Cherry Hill.
Giveaway prize from Crafty Rahenna.
stitched on 40 count over 2.

Gazette 94 - Spring Heart
stitched on 36 count over 2.
Really bad scanned picture!

Looking forward, April is:

Amazon April

Dip your needle into the vast swath of fabric dedicated to your BIGGEST projects!

I guess I'll be going back to Green Goddess for this one!  I have a JE RR to finish off but that's not an Amazon piece.  The ABC isn't really Amazon either.  My Lovely Sewing Tools?  Could be, it's a 6 parter so that's quite big.

I have just catalogued my fabrics as I was losing sight of how much I had in which counts and colours.  I need more rustic fabrics!  I also need some gold cloth to stitch the Toilet God again for our bathroom.  Something opulent shot through with gold threads.

Finally, a quick reminder you have until Maundy Thursday to sign up to be a Picture Poster for my Easter Treasure Hunt.  We have enough people already to make a short phrase for the hunt.  Incidentally, do you know the origin of "Maundy"?

This is a quote from Wiki:

Most scholars agree that the English word Maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you")

Others theorize that the English name "Maundy Thursday" arose from "maundsor baskets" or "maundy purses" of alms which the king of England distributed to certain poor at Whitehall before attending Mass on that day. Thus, "maund" is connected to the Latin mendicare, and French mendier, to beg.

So there you go, now you know!