We're Marching right along into April

Can you believe that March is almost over?  That this is the last Sunday of the month, what happened?  Can we have a do over?  If not, then I guess I'll just have to adjust to April.

So the question for this month's posting from Measi's WIPocalypse http://measi.net/measiblog/ is:

What stitch blogs, groups, or flosstubes do you follow and why?

I have about 40 or so blogs that I have booked marked, they are both counted cross stitch blogs and needlepoint blogs and a couple that cross over into quilting and one that is knitting.   I enjoy reading about people's stitching progress and seeing their pictures.  However, sometimes I spend way too much time reading other's blogs and not stitching myself.  

I have not gotten into flosstubes, so looking forward to hearing what other's have to say about them and maybe try a few out.

As for groups - well WIPocalypse is the only one this year with consistency, but have looked at people's projects on Gifted Gorgeousness http://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.co.uk  and another one 2017 Smalls SAL http://stitchinglotus.ca/2017-sal/.  I love seeing their projects too.

So what have I been stitching on this month?

A new start and finish - love it!!  My Mom is a huge reader and loves Owls, so thought this would be a great birthday present for her.  I just need to sew up the side seams and then send it to her.  I will have missed her actual birthday, but I'm sure she will forgive me once she gets this little beauty.  I've done other of these bookmarks for my kids - wish I would have taken a picture of them before I sent them off to them.  Oh well, maybe I'll catch up with them and get pictures yet.

I've also been spending quality time with my Emerald City - I've gotten most of the city done and wanted to add beads.  The dark green I thought over powered the city and the smaller beads just didn't seem to do much for me either, so I took them both out and will just do a basket weave in the medium green.

I got some new thread for the sky this past Saturday that is more of a bluish purple.  Can't wait to try it out this week, hoping to get this done before next month's posting.

I had two other project that got some loving this month too, not a lot but enough to show off - first up I finished Part 1 of Song of the Seasons and I have started Part 2.  Since there isn't any overlap on the chart itself, it is hard to place the motifs in Part 2 - so I'm basically putting the outline in and working on the tree trunk that goes down the middle.  Didn't take a picture because it's pretty boring stuff right now.

I also pulled out my start from last year, or maybe it was the year before - the sign for Family.  The chart shows the words all in cream color, but I decided to spice it up a little bit and I'm doing it in a variegated thread that is mostly black, but has bright pink, some dark blue, green and yellow.  I like how it is looking.  I was going to do more on the hand but so realized that I'm off :(  Not sure how much or if it will impact anything yet, but for now I have decided I'm not going to go back and take it out, will just hope for the best.

Last, but no picture, I started my Family Tree by Thistles.  I was going to work on it yesterday during our Southern Cal Get Together, but left all of my threads at home.  Hope to have an update for next month, right now I'm only doing the outlines of the square, so nothing to really see.

I broke my vow of not buying anything new - I got a couple of charts last week, Let's Hug a Teacher by Imaginary, The Frosted Pumpkin's - Once Upon a Time, as well as She Believed She Could by Lizzy Kate.  On back order is Godmother Fairy by L&L.   I want to put a Lizzy Kate back into my rotation, and this one seemed perfect - no too large, so maybe I'll have another finish this year.

I also was VERY bad at the needlepoint shop - they were having a sale, so I decided to take the plunge and get a nativity set.  There are 8 pieces to it, and I can add animals later.  I'm not sure when I'll start them, I'm thinking it will be a 2018 project, and hopefully by then I will have taught myself how to finish things myself.

I hope you all have had a great month and looking forward to seeing the progress of others, who knows maybe it will inspire me for another new start LOL.

Sandy