2025 is history and 2026 is the future

 Tomorrow is actually the posting date for our introduction for WIPocalypse, but tomorrow will be a busy day and not sure I will get much computer time at all, let along stitching time.  We are shipping my folks furniture to my daughter for her new house (new to her, not newly built).  I am happy that many of the wonderful things my folks had will continue to get love - there is an antique chest that was my mother's grandmother's - so it well over 100 years old.  There are things that I will get as well, like the baby grand piano, which had been my Dad's when he was a boy.  Anyways long way to say I'm posting this early.

Measi's Blog hosts WIPocalypse, which has been around for about 14 years and this will be year 15.  It was started for people to finish their WIPs before the world came to an end.  Not sure why we would really care if they were finished or not, but through out the years it has helped to keep me focused on finish things.   I have participated for 13 years.  If you want to know more you can go to her blog linked here: measi's blog

So this posting we are tasked with introducing ourselves and tell you all what our goals and plans are for the upcoming year.

I'm Sandy and I've been stitching since the 1980's.  I currently have over 1,600 charts and kits in my collection (and yes it is a collection).  While I won't stitch them all, many of them remind me of adventures I've had with friends over the years.   

I was going to destash last year and started to go through my charts and sorting them into - going to stitch; want to stitch, have stitched, will never stitch with the idea that I would shed the never stitch group, but for every one that got put into that pile I would pull two out.  I guess I'm just not ready to get rid of those old charts yet.  Unfortunately starting that process messed up how they were stored, so I need to re-do that now.  One day I'll get that done.

Along with this group I also do WIPGO.  I put 2 projects in every square, they draw 2 numbers a month, so that gives me 4 things to stitch on in that month.  My current WIP count is 42 and the other 8 will be new starts.  I've decided my sweet spot is no more than 52 WIP, which if I spend a week on each one they all would be touched.   I'm also part of WIP Warriors, and I do some of the games.  I was going to do their new adventure, but I find when I "have" to stitch, I don't.  When I'm just stitching to stitch I can hit upwards of 24 hours of stitching a week (approximately 2400 stitches or close to 10,000 a month)

I love BAP, but not full coverage.  I have many large samplers and angels in process.  I try to balance the BAPs with some smaller projects.  This year I hope to add back in some needlepoint projects and knitting projects.  

Look forward to see what others are planning and then progress during the year!!

Here is the list of the ones I want to get finished.   They are all about 75% done, so should be easy to get over the finish line.

Curtis Boehringer	Noah's Ark Yak
Curtis Boehringer	Noah's Ark Zebra
Carriage House	A Mind Independent & Free
Glendon Place	WITCH
AuryTM Design	Alice
Heartstring Samplery	Winter Comes
Heart's Content	Wicket Was Here
Lizzy Kate	Things Unseen
La-D-Da	Awake my Soul
Rebel Stitcher	Happily Ever After
Shepherd's Bush	Parker's Stocking
La-D-Da	The Seven Virtues

Goodbye 2025!! Not a bad year

 Dear World (or stitchers)

We are completing 2025 with the last post of the year.  This is a recap of what we've done and did we achieve everything we wanted to achieve.  It seems that most people post their updates on the Facebook group, so if you aren't a member and would like to be, check it out.   Otherwise some people still post their link to their blogs on Measi's Blog which can be found here measi's blog

Finishes in 2025:

A Dog's Last Will & Testament by Heartstrings Samplery

I can't figure out how to put two pictures side by side - I'm sure there is a why of doing this, but it's beyond me today. 

At the start of the year I was just under the dog on the right side - which I love that dog.  so I really feel like this was an accomplishment - the words really stitched up fast which was nice.

I framed this and gave it to my middle daughter - she lost both of her dogs in the last year.  She will adopt another dog once she and her husband get settled in their new house.  This sampler will be on their walls :)

Curtis Boehringer's Noah's Ark - Wolf and X-Large Hippos

This one is getting close to a finish - just the Yak and Zebra left on the animals around the edge of the afghan.  The Yak is close to a finish, and the zebra should go fast as well.

Once that is done then I need to put the Ark in the middle, which given I did this all in the wrong direction might be a challenge.

The Mary Ann Aldred Sampler by Needle Work Press

The over one words were not and the house went faster than I thought it would.  Are there creative adjustments in this design?  Well of course, it wouldn't be mind if there wasn't!!  

This one will hang in our new addition - or as my granddaughter would say "The Grandma Suite".  We added on another master bedroom and bath with a sitting area to our house.  We have a multi-generational home.  Hubby has problems with it at time, but I love it and wouldn't change a thing.  

The swan's mouth is closed, I didn't like the open version, so didn't do it.  I think when it was open it looked like it was a mean bird, I like to think of swans as a beautiful, graceful bird.

Family by Dragon Fire Designs

I really love this chart, but really didn't like stitching it.  The hands in the middle were put in and taken out at least twice and there was still a ton of errors in the stitching.  

The border was off by one stitch, so what I ended up doing was working both hands into the middle and then fudging it when I got there.  I think the overall design is still in tack.  I framed this one without glass for my daughter's class room.  She has students from different nationalities at her school.

Summer Basket Sampler by Symbolic Gestures

This one is still waiting to be framed.  I found this frame at an estate sale, the lady was a stitcher, so found lots of neat frames.  

I got this as a kit probably 30 years ago and never started it until last year.  I did a little bit last year and decided it needed to be a finish this year - and it was.  I dropped off the very bottom part which had the date, didn't think I needed to put that in and didn't want to chart out 2025.  

Hopefully I will get it framed this year - need to lace it, which I can do, just not my favourite thing to do.  I have about 3 or 4 things waiting for me to finally finish them.

Tribal Owls 1, 2, 3 & 5 by Cross Stitch Wonders

These were all starts and finishes this year.  Originally I was going to finish them into small ornaments for my siblings and one for me.  That has changed as my folks both passed away this year, so my sister took the quilt we made for them 34 years ago and divided it into 4 smaller quilts.  Some of the squares were beyond repair, or missing because in the last 5 years we had to wash the quilt more than it could really take.   So these will replace a square on each quilt.

Kind Heart by Dirty Annie

This one is for my middle daughter.  She has the biggest heart, but boy can she make a sailor blush at times.  

This will also go into her new house, she loved it when I gave it to her.  the frame was perfect.

Put a Bird on It by Modern Folk Embrodier

this one was a stitch along with the Sunshine Stitchers.  I wanted to do a chart by Modern Folk as there are some other designs that I've been debating about and figured this was a good way to see if I like their charts.

The called for was a solid color, the picture on the front they suggested using Roxie Floss Co threads, which I got and really did love, but I decided it needed a few more colors and one thing lead to another and this was the results.

I need to take this one and get it framed as I don't think I have anything that would work in the frames I have at home.  

So that is what I achieved in 2025 - started the year with 48, finished 12 and started 7.  So at the end of the year I had 43.  But the year isn't over, so maybe I'll end with 44?  Of the 55 WIPS I had going, I touched 49 of my WIPS, but 2 of the "WIPS" are on my Noah's Ark afghan, the other 4 were my angels.  I just didn't have working on them in me this year.  I would like to get at least one close to a finish in 2026.

So what did I do in December?

I pulled out Half the Fun by Ink Circle.  this one has been touched twice in 2025.  It is now about 55% done.  Not sure it will be a finish, but it will be close and then will be finished in 2026.

Four Corner Angel Mourning Sampler by Scarlet Letter was worked on.  The angel under the sun was stitch, taken out and re-stitched.  So didn't get as much progress as I would have like, almost all of the middle section is over one, so it takes a little bit of work to make progress.  

Seventh Wave by Long Dog Sampler.  This is my progress on this one.  I'm using Mark-up for the first time.  It is going well, I think I got over 2000 stitches on it and happy with the progress.  I got some different color threads to add pops of color.  I can't wait to do the whales, those most likely will be my favourite motifs, well until I do something else in, like the Boobie bird LOL

This was another new start - Grateful Heart by Scarlet Letter.  So far I'm enjoying it and hope to get more done in 2026, won't be a finish, but would like to get it to 50%

So that is my story for December!!  

I hope all had time with family whether or not you celebrate Christmas, it's still a good time of year to get together.  We went and spent the holiday with our children, grandchildren and great-grandchild!!  We kept dinner simple so no one had to spend all their time in the kitchen.  To be honest, my hubby and girls do all the cooking.  I just go and fetch what they need from the grocery store.

Sandy

November is ending, December is almost here and then OMG another year is over, where does time go?

November has been another disappointing month for stitching.  We went for a visit with our house in KY and our kids and while there I don't tend to do a lot of stitching, but some.

So this is the monthly check in for WIPocalypse and if you want to know more about it, or see what our fearless leader has been doing, you can see her blog here::  WIPocalypse

Every month we get a new question to answer, this month is Which specialty stitches do you find easy? Which ones do you find extremely difficult or are too nervous to try?

I go back and forth on specialty stitches, I have to be in the mood to do them, which is why I like doing Shepherd's Bush Samplers, counted canvases or painted canvases along with my cross-stitching.   Painted canvases really let me explore different stitches to add dimension along with different types of threads.  However a counted canvas can really test your abilities.

As for one that I like, it would have to be the satin stitches or variation of satin stitches (up and down, slanted, side to side), these are easy and depending on the direction shape and size can look different.  

Doing the queen stitch always seems to be a challenge, not that it's really hard, but you really have to pay attention so you do it correctly.  However if you really want a challenge, then doing a Jean Hilton design will really test your skills.  I have completed one, but have several in my stash that I will stitch one day because they challenge your skills while delighting your sense of color and shapes.  And she really invented a lot of the stitches that stitchers use today.

So what have I done this pass month?  Let me pull in all my pictures so you can see.  I've had a bit of Startist instead of working on my WIPS.

Autumn Quaker by Rosewood, this is one that I always think I'm further along than am when I pull it out and one day my imagination will catch up with my actual stitching.  When I'm stitching on this one I really love it, but it's not one that I tend to pull out when I'm looking for something to stitch.  Here is my progress on it.  I'm probably getting close to 50% done.  In December I'll be pulling out all of my WIP's and updating my pictures so I can get ready for 2026 and identify which WIPs will be done.

Next up is His Eye on the Sparrow by Heartstring Samplery.  I'm working on the house, which will take a while to complete.  While I'd like to think I'm getting to 50%, I'm not even at 30% yet.  this is a big girl, but I enjoy stitching on her and completing the motifs as I go.  

This one will be a target for 2027 to be complete or maybe 2028.

At the beginning the month I was back on my WPGO calls and worked on my CB's Noah's Ark.  I managed to get two animals done and a 3rd partly completed.

W - Wolf, X - X-large Hippos and started on Y - Yak.  One more animal and I can start on the center design, which is the ark itself.  It's all backstitching, so hoping it goes fast.

The wolves and hippos are complete, the Yak is about half done - so didn't take it's picture to post here, but the other two are here.

As said above I've had a bit of start-it-all ist.  Which prompted me to get a new iPad because the one I have is about 12 years old now.  Plays solitary really well, but not so much newer apps.  Along with the iPad the first thing I added was Markup to try.  

If I like using Markup, then I will get the bigger iPad and give this one to my daughter.  She is currently sharing hers with her 4 yo daughter, so you can guess who uses it the most.  She is thankful for bed times LOL.

So I have two new starts in November.

The first was A Grateful Heart by Scarlet House.  This was a kit exclusive from the Homespun Needlework FB group.  I'm sure the chart is released now, not sure why I think I need to get the exclusives when they are released as I don't really start that all that fast.

I didn't do a lot on it just enough to call it a new start.  We are traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday to spend with family so I needed something I could bring with me and this was calling my name.

Here is my progress - don't judge not  a lot, but more than some starts that I've seen people do:

The border is not complicated and kind of fun to do.  This is not quite half way across the sampler and about 1/2 of the 1st page.  I think there are maybe 6 pages??  So we'll see how fast it stitches up.  So far the colors are popping.

There is a shop where we are and I thought I would go and get some linen there for my next new start.  It is a newish shop and I'd like to encourage them to stay open as this area needs a shop.  With that being said - shop owners, DO NOT hire people who don't know anything about stitching!!  They don't do much to promote your business and when asking a question being told "oh I don't stitch so don't know" doesn't give confidence to the person who is looking to spend their hard earned money there.

I did get my linen, not what I originally wanted, but something that will look nice.   You can see it below.  And the reason for my iPad, I am doing my first Long Dog Sampler.  

I've been pining over the Seventh Wave.  Not sure what it is about that sampler that has drawn me in, but here I am.  You can see the sampler if you are not familiar with it.

I love the waves and the whales and even the Boobie - which who knows might end up being blue footed LOL.  But there are also so many other elements in this design that until you really look at it, you just don't notice them.  I will have a picture of my progress next month.  I've done about 1,200 stitches, but it doesn't seem to be that many and I don't feel like it's a good start yet.  Or maybe I'm just enjoying the stitch and want to do just one more section - like a bag of chips, hard to stop with one.

We found out that our grandson's sister (different Dad, same mother as him) is having a baby in 2026.  We are so over the moon happy for her, she is a wonderful person who is so talented and loving.  So as far as I'm concerned this will be another great-grandchild.  

I will do another stocking for the baby - I have 2 of them almost done, so will pick one to finish after the 1st of the year.   I generally do a rag quilt for new born babies, but when I took my Mom's sewing machine in to be services I saw this quilt kit and knew she would love it!!  

It should be easy to do as the middle is just one large panel.  I will need to find some backing material for it.  So my plan after the first of the year is to get this started at least.

When my sister came to help me with my folks house a few weeks ago we decided to go to the local museum and see if we couldn't get to see a dress my great-aunt made and my grandmother donated to museum.

The picture doesn't do the dress justice it is a net dress with handsewn sequins.  There was also a pair of gloves and an under slip to wear.

The dress was made in about 1930ish and if it was restored the bottom would be flared out.

I wish I had a 10th of my great-aunt's talent in sewing and colors.  She didn't get credit for making the flat patterns that are used today, but based on the research my grandmother did when she wrote a story of her life, she should have gotten it.

So with these pictures I bid you all a farewell. 

Sandy

 

Its the end of October and time to check in WIPocalypse

 This month has just flown by, I'm not ready for November because that means December is almost here and I'm not ready for that at all.  Oh well, at least I'm stitching again and hopefully will have more and more progress as the next few months pass by.

WIPocalypse is brought to you by Measi and here is her Blog:  measi-wipocalypse

So what is the question for this time?

What retreats or stitching events would you love to attend someday?  I go back and forth and what I'd like to do, I think I'd like to try a cruise, and maybe one day I will actually sign up for one.  But for now I just dream.  

So what did I do this month?  Not as much as I'd like, but some:

I worked on one at the beginning of the month, but I didn't take a picture of it!!  Oh well it will come out to play again at some point, so it will really look like I got a lot done on it!!

So first up is Awake my Soul by La-D-Da.  I got quite a bit done on this one.  In my mind this one was close to a finish......WRONG, but it's a lot closer now and I'm sure will be finished next year for sure.  

It is off, but not going to worry about that because I'm just counting around the error and getting everything else where it should be so it will work out.  You certainly can't tell where it's off.

The next picture is Mary Gypson 1828 by Whilst Iris Naps.  this was has a major error someplace, OK I have an idea where it's off, just trying to decide if I really need go go back and make it right.  My fear is that it was a kit and if I have to take stitches out that I might not have enough thread to finish it.  I will look when it comes out again to see if I'm running low on the red thread.

This one is a big girl and she will take a while to get done, but so far I'm enjoying the stitch.  I finished all the pages (well almost) across the top.  I need to bring the outer border down, but wanted to get everything else in place first.  

I admire people who do the outer border first and make sure it matches.  I'm someone who just hopes it works out when I get there.

There is a huge house on this one - everyone says - oh I love doing houses and for some reason I talked myself into "loving" them too, well I don't, but I'll get it done!!

This one is Witch by Glendon Place.  It was a market special one year and I really loved it.  I'm about 75% done, so it definitely will be finished in 2026.  Are there mistakes?  Well heck yes, would it be my project if there wasn't???  But again you really can't tell, so not going to worry bout them at all!!

The words are going faster than I thought they would, just hope I have enough thread to get them all done - I think I will.

I'm working on one other and if I take a picture before I post this I will add it to the group - if not, you'll see it next month.

I'm still working on getting my folks house all boxed up, it's probably 80% done.  It is hard to do because there are things that they kept that I don't know why and I think, well just toss it and then I think, but it was important to them so maybe I should keep it???  So I set it aside and then go back later and decide.  I have to admit I've trashed a lot of things, taken a lot of things to charity shops and while I have a lot of boxes, not as much as I've destashed.   I have to admit of all the things in their house, their photo albums are the most prized for me, I love old pictures.

I haven't done much over the last week, just needed to rest from working over there every day.  I did packed up my folks Book of the Year, which they had from 1946 through 1975 with 1951-52 missing.  While no one wants these books, I thought they would be fun to look through and see if my memories and what they show are the same.  While I wasn't alive for all of those year, I was for many of them - I'm OLD LOL

Sandy

And just like that September is over

 I'm a little late for the update for September, but I have a good reason.  We went to see my husband's uncle (who is 3 months older than my hubby).  I also unplugged for nearly a week - no work computer no personal computer, but did keep my phone handy.

It's time for the WIPocalypse September update and to answer the question.  If you want to know more about it please visit Measi's blog here:  WIPocalypse

The question this month is whether or not we record our finishes and if so how?  I don't really record my finishes anyplace, other than an indicating on my excel spreadsheet it is finished and if it went to someone.   I do this so I can track the percentages of charts that I have to the finishes.  So far I've not been able to break about 15% - I really need to stop buying new charts and kits, it's killing my average as I buy faster than I stitch.

 If I could go back to the beginning I would have taken more pictures of my finishes before giving them away, but such is life.  I'm sure many of the things I've finished have long since been sent to the great beyond because the person didn't like it or they themselves have passed on.  I now tell people that if they don't like it, I'm not offended and will willing take it back and get them something they do like.  but then I also don't give my stitching to just anyone anymore and I generally know it's something they would want.

So what did I accomplish in September?  Not a whole lot that is for sure, seems like my stitching bug has left the building with Elvis.....

I worked on my Family Tree by Thistles.  I added the two houses on the left side and discovered that I cut my material way too short!!  but I am going to finish it and then make it into a quilt as the center piece.  

I had to get some more thread for the big tree in the middle, I didn't want to run out.  Also for the house on the left that is undone - If I used what I had I wouldn't have enough for the border.  This might come out again this year, if not next year.

This was a new start - A Cardinal's Promise by Stitchy Prose.  I'm doing this for my parents.  I'm using my own colors and have a good 25-30% done!!  It's a fast stitch and I'm enjoying working on it.  I want to personalise it a little bit, but having figured out how yet.  

I will probably work on this some more this year, but it won't be finished until next year.

This last one was actually my first stitch for September and it's PeliCan by Courtney Collections.  

I started this one a long time ago and again my margins are off, so it is really narrow at the top and most likely will be at the bottom.  I will make this into a pillow, so not too awful worried about it, I can add a border on each side if needed.  

I'm stitching it on 40 ct and while it's not too bad working on it, it's not as much fun as I had hoped.  Maybe that's why it's taking me so long to get it done.  I has sat for years with no love, but the last two years I have worked on it thanks to WIPGO, so there is hope.

We had a great time seeing my hubby's uncle.  We went to Callaway's Garden in GA for their annual pumpkin display.  We did a corn maze, sunflower field and of course walked through the pumpkin display in all its splendour.   I got 8,000 steps that day!!  And while we were all bushed when we got back to the hotel, granddaughter was not and didn't want to go to sleep.  I wish I could bottle that energy!!

We also went to the zoo in Montgomery which was a bust, closed displays and animals were sleeping, so not a lot to see.  And found a great park in Auburn that we visited a couple of times - granddaughter couldn't get enough of it and never wanted to leave.

got a picture of pop-pop with granddaughter and daughter :).  

Hubby and his uncle.

Thanks for visiting my small corner of the world

Sandy

August Check in and August is checking out

As we say good bye to August I also said good-bye to my folks. I lost both of them within 6 weeks of each other - they had been married just short of 74 years.  While it was hard I know they lived a full life and embraced every moment of it.  My Dad was the social person, but my Mom was always up for my Dad's adventures, so it worked well.

It's time to post the monthly updates of what we've been working on and what we'd like to get accomplished before the end of the year.   So this is my WIPocalypse post which is hosted by Measi who's blog can be found here:  WIPocalypse 

The question for August is Which retired designer would you love to have back designing?   Interesting question, I really don't have any that I can say I would want to see more from at this point.  I am happy with the charts I have in my collection and figure I probably won't ever stitch a fraction of them, but they make me happy just looking at them.  

So what did I do in August - first up is the Wizard of Oz by Owl Forest Embroidery.  I got the whole kit, floss, fabric and chart.  I decided I needed a new start and this was it.  Oz is about 1/2 done, which is the largest motif in the chart.  It's a fun stitch and when it comes out again I'm sure I'll hit the half way mark without a problem.

I must say the floss and fabric are great to work on, I was worried about the quality and once started that worry went out the window!!  

I have another one that I will start maybe next year.

Next up is an actual finish for me - Put a Bird on it by Modern Folk Embroidery.  

This was a stitch along hosted by the Sunshine Stitchers - EJ.  The design was charted to be done monochrome or Roxy Floss Co had their conversation.  I started with the Roxy Floss Co threads and then decided to add more colors from my own collection. The SAL was supposed to end in December, but it was fun to stitch and like a bag of chips you always wanted to do just one more.

If you are member of FB you might want to join this group so you can see all the finishes that are happening - they are great.

One of my WIPGO calls was for my American Flag by Rosewood Manor.  This is a very old pattern and it's been in my stash forever and I started it 10 years ago, quickly lost interest, but decided I really needed to give it some love every year.  

I did the 3 quilt squares on the right and finished the bottom square next to the last column of quilt squares, along with all of that boring border between them.  Next time it comes out I will get the last three squares in this area done and then move on to the squares in all the stripes.  I wish I wouldn't have done the eyelets in the start of the words as those take time to do, but don't think I really want to try to frog them out at this point.  I might do other stitches in the other words, but that is a decision for another day.

I do have one more that I was working on, but didn't take a picture so will show that one next month.  My month off from work is pretty much over now and I need to make the decision if I'm going to continue to work, work part time or work full time.  The money is nice and it affords us to do things like eat and keep a roof over our heads, OK, not really, it really affords me to buy more cross-stitch than I really need.  I've really enjoyed not having the alarm go off every morning and trying to figure out the day of the week.  But that will be a conversation I'll have this week with my boss.

Hope everyone has enjoyed the dog days of summer and are ready for the fall.   Since I'm not a seasonal stitch I will continue my rotation such as it is and maybe add in another new start in September.

Sandy

July is coming to an end - way too soon for me

 So with July coming to an end I'm going to start a new journey - not sure if I will fully-fully retire, but I will definitely we working a whole lot less than a 40 hour week!  I'm taking the whole month of August off to see how I like not working.  I think I'm going to love it, will miss the money, but I've got more stash than I know what to do with right now, so won't be lacking for things to do.  We will be selling our house soon as well, not looking forward to packing it up.  While we've only lived here for a little over 6 years we have accumulated a lot of stuff in that time and decisions will have to be made what to keep and what to get ditch.  

So the question this month in our WIPocalypse challenge that is hosted by Measi and can be found here

https://measi.net/june-wipocalypse-check-in/

the question relates to what project have you fully finished that you are most proud of....well I don't generally finish anything on my own, so really don't have any that I'm really proud of, I'm just happy if I put them in a frame myself that they are pretty straight or if I put them in a box, I can still close the lid and haven't drip glue anyplace.  

I think I showed off the box I did for my niece and sent to her for Christmas 2024 along with the stockings.  I guess all the stockings I've finished are probably my best, but then I've done 15 of them now so I should be getting pretty good at them.  I'm by no means a professional at it, so I'm sure there is still room to improve.

So what have I accomplished in July you ask?  Or maybe you don't LOL

First up was a start and finish - another Tribal Owl - I think #5 (I can't find #4).  I used two different colors of silk thread.  I really love the browns and teals in this one.  

These will be finished into ornaments - I've finished a few small pillows and ornaments in the past, but it's been a while, so hopefully I'll do OK.  I plan on getting the walnut stuff to make them a little bit heavier.

I have one more I want to get done, and will pull that one out maybe in September.  I think it will be on red linen and the colors are pinks.

Next up was a FINISH too!!  This is a Dog's Last Will and Testament by Heartstring Samplery.  This one went pretty fast, it was almost all words with the exception of the row of dogs and the bottom border.  

My middle daughter is a big dog lover and recently lost one of her dogs.  I think she will like this one, so it will go toher.

I've taken this one to be framed long with 3 others, can't wait to get them all back!!  

Most people will recognise this one - it's a HRH - Halloween.  I finished my first square!!  yea it's the second block.  Don't judge, my initial intent was to do all the blocks so I could skip around and do al little bit on several of them.  However I discovered, or maybe reinforced that I'm not a stitch the bones first kind of person.  I was on the second block and started outlining the 3rd when I decided that just wasn't me.  So decided to just work on the block that was in the q-snap at the time

Not pictured but I have gone back and working on the first square.  Not a lot done, so not worthy of picture yet.

Not sure this one will come again this year, it's fun to stitch on, but I have so many other WIPs that I want to touch and see if I can't get a few more finishes this year.

This last one is Elizabeth Eyles by Scarlet Letter.  It's a little better than 1/2 done.  

I took this picture when I had to move the q-snaps.  I'm close to having page 4 finished and have a good hunk of page 5 done as well.  There is a row of speciality stitches and while I know I've done the stitch before, for some reason I just can't get into the rhythm of the stitch.  So for now I'm just leaving that space open and will figure it out later.

Well that is all that I've done this month.  I'm debating if August will be for all my angels?  as my WIPGO called for 2 of them, and I have one that was called a few months ago that I just haven't wanted to work on and it just sits and stares at me day after day.   or I might leave all the angels for December???  There are a couple of other things that are calling my name, so will see who speaks the loudest.  

Hope you all had great stitching time in July.

Sandy