June 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 May the numbers 5 and 19 were called.  These related to Mirabilia's Fairy Idyll and Nora Corbett's Zodiac Girl.

Here's where Fairy Idyll finished, I stitched all her wing and some more of the rabbit:

stitched on 32 count Vinyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

My fourth Zodiac Girl will be Scorpio:

stitched on 32 count Scorpio evenweave from Sparklies

For June, the numbers 21 and 23 were called.  These relate to Cottage Garden Year in the Woods and Cricket Collection's Summer.

I actually finished The Swans earlier this year so I have decided to work on Summer until it is done and then decide if I want to start another design in the Year in the Woods series or use the time for something else.  Summer will take more than 14 days to complete.

Here's where I am after 5 days, I have stitched the second M and the E this month:

stitched on 32 count Wandering Ivy Lugana from Silkweaver

It's so difficult to get a good photo of the fabric which is a lovely greeny-yellow in real life.

Finally, my evening projects for June will be the Annie Beez 12 Days of Christmas Stockings.

stitched on 28 count Black Jobelan

 

April Stitch From Stash and Pie

  It's time for Pie!

I had two new starts for my focus pieces this month.  First up was Evanora from Nora Corbett:

stitched on 28 count evenweave from unknown dyer

Then I moved on to my second new start - Summer from Cricket Collection:

stitched on 32 count Wandering Ivy Lugana from Silkweaver

I managed to complete the first three letters this month, just all the motifs to add to this half now.

Here's my evening pie:

You can see the projects in my Smalls post from Friday.

Finally, Stitch from Stash, a big, fat zero this month!

April TUSAL

        

It's TUSAL time!  

Here is my TUSAL jar with my current project:

This is Summer from Cricket Collection.

stitched on 32 count Wandering Ivy Lugana from Silkweaver

Finally, we are approaching Summer days on my Temperature chart, you can really see the days lengthening now:

April WIPocalypse Favourite Fabric

         

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 2 of them, both were new starts.

First up was Evanora from Nora Corbett, sister to Claire who I stitched last year.  I'm using the same unnamed fabric. 

stitched on 28 count evenweave from an unknown dyer

The second new start is Summer from Cricket Collection.  I stitched Spring last year:

stitched on 32 count Lugana in Wandering Ivy from Silkweaver

The fabric is a pale mottled green I was given several years ago.  The charted fabric is a pale lavender but this is summery too and the colours look good in real life.

I'm planing to stitch the first three letters this month and the next three next time it comes up on my WIPGO Board.

Finally, Measi always gives us a topic to discuss:

April – Let’s talk fabric – what is your go-to fabric dyer, your preferred type, count, colour, etc?

Here's the totals for my current WIPs:

14 count Aida - 3
22 count Hardanger - 1

25 count evenweave - 1

28 count evenweave - 4

30 count linen - 1

32 count evenweave - 3

32 count linen - 2

35 count linen - 1

So evenweave is my favourite fabric and 32 count is my favourite count!

I do prefer 25 or 28 count for stitching over 1 or for stitching on black but for most things 32 count will be my go-to choice.

I do like the higher counts for the chance to make things smaller and only use one strand.

Out of the 3 Aida projects, one is my oldest WIP, one is the Temperature SAL on Aida banding and the other is a cover kit I started on a whim.

My current favourite dyer is Sparklies due to Chromatic Alchemy going out of business.  There are a couple of UK dyers whose group I belong to on Facebook who dye a batch of fabrics and offer them up which is a good way of getting a range of fabrics.  

To be honest, as part of Stitch from Stash, fabric is the one area I really can cut down on spending.  I have plenty of fabrics in both 28 and 32 count in a variety of popular colours already.  I want to use those older pieces instead of stashing them.  Hence the Silkweaver for the Summer piece this month.