I'm still here and stitching, not just good at posting

It's hard to believe we are at the end of October!!  I missed posting last month so this month will be a heavy picture month with all that I've been doing.  I must admit I have times that I don't stitch and I've been working on why I'm not stitching.   Mostly it's been because what has been called on my WIPGO board is not what I want to stitch.   I'm going to do WIPGO again next year because it did help me to focus on different designs, but will revamp how I integrate the WIPS that I really like, but don't enjoy stitching for some reason.  More to come on that once I figure it all out.

So the question for the month is do you prefer to stitch Christmas or Halloween......Hummmmm I really like doing SB stockings and have done many for family members.  But I have to admit I really do enjoy doing Halloween designs.  Looking over what has been my focus this year, until I pulled out my Glendon Place WITCH I really didn't have any Halloween OR Christmas going.    I'm not sure if it's really Halloween that I love as much as Witches.  Next year will have more Christmas as I plan on doing several of my small Shepherd Bush designs.  I have way too many kits to not stitch them.

So what have I been working on since I last posted?  I have to admit Samplers have really been my jam.  I like doing the motifs and feeling like I'm accomplishing something.  The last time I was into Samplers it was because of all of the different stitches, and they were all band samplers.  Burned myself out on them, hoping the same doesn't happen with the reproduction samplers.

First up and these are not in any order - this is just the way my computer pulled in the pictures:

Mary Ann Aldred Sampler by Needle Work Press.  I have finished the first page of the chart, I love the Swan, which is the whole reason I purchased the chart, it seems like this was a shop exclusive and you purchased it as a kit.  These are all the called for colors and I think it's all in silks, as I LOVE stitching in silk threads.  The Swan you could have an open month or closed, I opted for close as the open mouth to me was too scary looking.  I'm not a big border person, but this border isn't too bad.  I still have the over one words, so I guess I'm probably not really done with the 1st page, but close!!  The words are over one - so wild those a little at a time.  This is done on 36 ct.  This one probably won't get worked on again until 2023.  My goal was to touch all of my declared WIPs in No New Starts SAL - I think I've accomplished that task so now pulling out the ones I really have enjoyed working on and doing more.

Next up is WITCH by Glendon Place.  This was originally a 2020 Market release and you got the whole kit.  I'm thinking this is probably a 32 ct. fabric, but not sure of the color.  This picture is a little old as I've started the witch's hat and the frogs on the other side of the hat.  I'm enjoying this one and would like to have it finished in 2023.  Not sure if it will come out and play again this year, but will go on my WIPGO board and hopefully will be a finish.  WITCH stand for Women in Total Control Here.

Next up is my Vexation Sampler by Plum Street.  I'm calling this more than 50% done.  The house will be a bear as it's pretty big, but I love it.  This one will be a finish in 2023 as well and definitely will be on my WIPGO board.  I have added more colors than called for, but have the called for colors as well.  I liked the color I used for the grid, so tried to pull in those colors.  Also wanted the person to see the numbers better - so the top line is one color, the diagonal another color and the the numbers above and below the diagonal are different colors and the bottom row of numbers will be yet another color.  I think I might have cut the fabric too short :( will know soon.  

The next picture is a wooden bowl that my Dad's friend made from a limb from their black walnut tree.   He had the trees trimmed to prevent limbs from coming down on power lines to the house or heaven forbid the City taking on the task to trim the tree themselves.  The vendor who trimmed the trees on their property did a wonderful job at a reasonable price, but they also took a very large piece of black walnut wood with them so I guess they got their payment one way or another.  Which was fine with my Dad, he no longer does work working and there was enough for his friend to get several nice size pieces and do several bowls that he will sell.  I love mine and need to figure out what I'm going to put in it.  I think I'll need to do several little charts next year and finish them into small pillows.

Next up is the needlepoint that I completed and then finished on a wooden box for my sister's birthday (which was last March and she got it in September...ok a little late, but hopefully worth the wait.)  I got the box at a local shop and when I got home I discovered it was missing a foot.  Contacted the maker of the box and they made it good!!  So I ordered 3 more boxes from them.  Great customer services.  Can't say for sure the shop knew it was missing the foot, but I suspect they did....oh well like I said the company made me whole and I was happy.

Next up is the Baby Sampler that I'm doing for my granddaughter that is the same one I did for her Mom many, many years ago.  Hers was done an Aida, and my stitching was horrible.  I didn't know anything about stitching at the time and my x-s didn't go in the same direction, I left threads hanging on the back and gasp I'm sure I knotted thread.  Before starting that sampler the only thing I'd ever stitch was surface embroidery, and this was so different.  My daughter doesn't know I'm working on this one - it will come out again this week so I can get another section or two completed.  The hopes is to have it done my my granddaughter's second birthday in March 2023.  

I think I'm doing this on a 32 ct. or 28 ct mystery linen as it was in my stash.  The colors are all my guesses of what they should be based on the color table on the chart.  The kit used some off brand cotton threads, I'm Rainbow Gallery Silks.  You can't see the top section - but I have all of the boxes gridded and the very top section done (see the picture from the last post).  I need to count the squares and then chart out her name, date, weight and the saying.  Below the flower at the bottom is where you're supposed to put your initials - on my daughters it says Mom, so thinking this one will be G-Mom and the year I complete it.

Next up is my Coming to America by With My Needle and Thread.  This one was an exclusive and I think the cost of the kit was supposed to include the fabric and thread, but my shop charged me an arm and leg and no fabric or thread was included.  So not sure if she got it from another shop who charged her the full price for the chart only and she upped it for me?  Or she figured I'd never know.  Either way, I wanted it, so I paid the price.   I wish I would have started it on a darker fabric, but I think if I outline the birds it will be OK.  The boat is just about done, need to add the backstitching up to the flag at the top and it's done.  but I wanted to start on something else, so doing the large part that has two fish Skelton's and the word Cape Cod.  I'm about 50% done with page 1.  I have 4 1/2 more seagulls to do in the sky and then there are some other little things, that I'm not sure what they are supposed to represent.  Then I can move on to the animals under the sign :). 

This one won't come out again until next year.  Not in any hurry to get it done, I've "missed the boat" on actually stitching it in the same time period as it took for the voyage from England to America.  

Next up is my Alice by AuryTM.  It is a quaker design.  I generally like to start in the upper left corner, but because of the way this design is set up, that wasn't a good spot and I thought knowing me I didn't want to risk messing up my margins.  So I started in the lower right corner instead with this beautiful red dress.  This is all done in DMC's on 40 ct., can't remember the name of the fabric, but it's not the called for as didn't like it, thought the colors got lost in the fabric.  I love it.  She still needs the flamingo umbrella at the end of her hand.  My plan is to work my way up the right side and then over to the left.  At the top left I'll do Alice.  I'm pretty sure I'll work on her a little bit more this year and would love to have her finished next year.   I have OZ by this designer kitted up and ready to start, so once this one is done then OZ will come out to play.  If it doesn't get done in 2023 that's OK.

Next up is Family by Dragon Fire Designs.  This chart has been in my stash for probably 20 years and a

WIP for probably 5 years.  I finished up all the words and have re-started the right hand twice now.  I'm off someplace so when I started to work on the left hand they didn't meet :(. I think my grid around the hands is off by a stitch.  So this has gone into time out until I can deal with it.  Which isn't today.  I have another one that is similar that says Friend.  My daughter does sign language and teaches some to her kids each year in school.  Thought this would be great hanging in her classroom.  But at the rate I'm stitch it, she will be retired before it's done.  

The next one is Elizabeth Eyles by Scarlet Letter.  I got this chart to start as a SAL with Laura from the floss tube Brenda and the Serial Started. it has a huge bird just to the right of where I left off, which is the finish of page one.  I guess there has been some debate about the angels with the white face, not sure if people thought it was just too spooky or what.  Maybe one of you all know?  Since I"m not on Instagram I don't follow Laura who probably explained why she hasn't been stitching on this one.  but I like it just the same.  I got the chart, silk thread sand fabric from the Attic - I'm thinking it's 36 ct.  I don't think there is any over one, but I could be wrong.  This one won't come out and play again until next year.  Not sure if it will make my focus group, but would like to get the bird done.  The border isn't too bad either, but you have to really watch your counting, I've been off a couple of times already.  The angels are a quick stitch and I don't mind the white face.

 

Next up is an actual finish.  I had started this one at the end of 2021 but had put it away and didn't have it on my WIPGO board, or on my 22 in 22 (I've added it to that challenge).  I couldn't figure out why I had put it away, so pulled it out, stitched on it for about 2 hours and all of a sudden I wasn't lining up  on things and figured out that my flower on the left was off - so had to take out all that work and re-do it.  It's still off, but you can't tell now, so I'm happy with it.  Now to get it framed - I need to take my stuff to the framer, I have 3 or 4 things ready to be framed.  

This is Softly Walk by La-D-Da.  Called for threads, but the fabric is out of my stash, and have no clue what it was called.  It is 36ct. as that seems to be my sweet spot lately.  I want this one to hang in my granddaughters room - trying to do several with messages to her to remember.

The next picture is His Eye on the Sparrow by Heartstring Samplers.   I finished the cow since the last time you saw it and the basket of flowers and a small bird.  I think this is pretty much page one and a little bit of page 2.  Maybe not quiet done with page 1 can't remember.  I really like doing the small motifs, I can pull it out and do one or two or more and feel like I'm accomplishing something.  While I think I have done quite a bit, this is a huge chart, so I'm not even close.  I'm using the called for colors, but can't remember the fabric color, and I think it's 40 ct. if not then it's 36 ct. 

The last one is A Mind Independent & Free by Carriage House.  Doing the alphabet is boring, so I'm working my way down to the zigzag that I'm hoping will be more fun to stitch.  will do a letter and then something else until I have them all done.  The letters stitch fast once you get a path figured out so you aren't jumping all around.  I'm using the called for colors in silk, can't remember the fabric, but it's either a 40 ct. or 36 ct..  The colors look good on it, so I'm happy.  

I love the saying on this one - can't remember the whole things, but basically it says that a mind independent and free is worth more than riches.  I will work on this one more this year and it will be one of my focus for 2023.  Not sure if I can get it done or not, but would like to try.

That catches you up on my stitching activity for the last 8 weeks.  Not as much as I would have liked, but more than I thought I had accomplished.   

I've been enjoying my rotation, I pull out about 4 or 5 different projects, some I know what it is, others are a total surprise because they are in project bags and I don't have what's inside on the tag.  I pull them out and work on them anyplace from 3 days to 5 days depending on if I'm enjoying the journey.  I've decided that my stitching is no long about the finishes, it's not about the starts it's about the journey getting from the start to the finish.  If I can do it in a month - yeah, but if it's 10 years, I'm OK with that too.

Hope you are all enjoying your journey however you plan it out.

Sandy