January Check in

 Dear Blogging World

Can't believe we are at the end of January already, seems like it was just summer and now we are in that long period of time with no more holidays until May (for my job anyways) and really busy work time.  Sorry for the writing to be off from he pictures but I can't get them to line up right.

This is our second posting for WIPocalypse where we strive to make progress on all of our WIPs in hopes that they get done before the world comes to an end.  If you'd like to learn more about this very relax and informal SAL go here:

https://measi.net/

So the question for this check in is, have you been to a retreat and if so, what are your go to things to bring?

I have been to several retreats, but they are all informal group get togethers, so there wasn't any formal agenda, classes, pop-up=shops etc.  We just all got together for a long weekend of stitching, conversations, eating and enjoying ourselves.   I would take a couple pairs of scissors, needles and my projects.  I didn't take lights or floor stands or anything like that because I'm a low key stitcher, but did make sure I had magnifying glass or a couple of them that would clip onto my qsnaps so I could see what I was stitching.   I do like the stitching matts that people have now, I would bring a hand towel to put down on the table if needed and always had lots of wipes to clean my area well, as I am OCD about having a clean stitching spot.  I don't wash my work after it is completed, so I need to make sure my hands are always clean as well as the area that I put my work done in.

So what have I been doing since I showed what I had plans to do?  In January the WIPGO numbers called were for AuryTM Alice and Plum Street Vexation Sampler.  First picture is the Vexation Sampler which is a multiplication table 1 - 12.  I worked on the house and more of the numbers.  Next time it comes out I will finish filling in the house and the doing the flower to the right of it and then pull the border around the bottom.  this one is about 60% done and hope to have it finished this year.

My Alice I finished the two motifs at the top and started another big one to the left of the green motif.  I really like working on this one, and it really does stitch fast, or maybe it seems that way because you can complete small things and then move on to the next.  

My WIPGO board has two smaller projects for each square too, which if I complete that is good, but if I don't I'm not going to beat myself up.  These are things I'd like to make progress on, or do because they are small.  I have a ton of small Shepherd Bush kits that I've had for years and really would like to stitch them up.  So I put about 12 of them my board and one got called for January along with a needlepoint belt.

The SB is a start and finish - Gift of Love.  It was a quick stitch and enjoyable.  Not sure how I'm going to finish it yet, might finish it into a small pillow or ornament that I can hang at Christmas.  

The needlepoint belt is a dragon that I started many-many years ago and just didn't do a lot of it.  I think I burned myself out on doing belts a long time ago.  Haven't actually gotten to the dragon itself yet, just the smoke.  My goal was to do 6 thread lengths, which I accomplished.  So it has been put away.  I might bring it out again, but not in any hurry to get it done.  It is for my son, and I'm sure he would love it sooner rather than latter, but just not feeling it.

The next up is my Autumn Quaker by Rosewood Manor.  I hadn't worked on this one in a long time and really wanted to make some progress on it. 

The picture below with my finger shows the first error that I did.  That motif was off, it was way too low, so I had to take it all out and re-do it.  Got that done and moved on to another motif and then thought I'd work my way back around.  Well things were hooking up right and then discovered that I have counted wrong on another motif, which threw off several motifs.  I will need to take out more because they are all off and no way to compensate.  I guess that is why it had been put in time out, but I didn't remember.  So this time I wrote myself a note with what needed to be taken out and corrected.    I have re-done some of it, but don't have an updated picture, I guess I was just too disappointed in myself for messing up.

I'm including a picture of where I was the small triangles that show 6 of them should have been 4 or 5, so the motif next to it is off.  What a mess - this one may in time out for a while.

I hadn't worked on my St. Ives by Indigo Rose in over a year, so pulled it out and did more of the border and the worlds below the two men.  

The words are over one and surprising go pretty fast.  I love the variegated thread that I'm using, if I run out I'll be SOL as I've had that thread in my stash for probably 10 years or better and wouldn't be able to come close to the dye lot anymore.

The next band are the 7 wives, they will get done at some point this year and will do more of the border so I can move the qsnaps.  I love this design, as it's one of my favourite riddles - you know wives, sacks, cats how many are going to St. Ives??  But not having fun with the border which is funny because it was the blackwork border that first attracted me to the band sampler.   Oh well, if I do a little of the border as I go it should be OK.  Would like to get this one done this year so it can be framed.  

Next up in my Heartstring Sampler - A Dogs Last Will & Testament.  

I got more of the words done and the row of bones.  The chart has you going between two different colors for the words, but since they re so similar in color I decided to just do one thread length and then the other for the next.  At the end of the day I don't think it will make a difference.  I'm almost down to another small motif of another dog.  

This one stitches fast and is on my WIPGO board, so I'm working ahead on it.  I will work on this one again, not sure it will get done this year, but would be nice.  I'd like to give this one to my middle daughter for Christmas 2023, but it's a long one and I don't think I'm even 50% done with it yet.    I. need to make a pile of charts I want to get done this year so I can pull from them more often.

 

The next up is my Coming to America by With Thy Needle & Thread.  

I working on the Cape Cod section and put in a few more birds in the sky.  The birds don't show up very well, so will go back and outline them after putting in the beaks and feet.  I saw someone who made the wings of birds a darker grey, wish I would have thought about doing that, but too late now, not taking it out.  This one has had 3 starts, so I need to go forward with it as long as I don't have any major errors.

Also brought down the border on the right side.   There are also some other small stitches that go into the sky that I don't know what they are supposed to be, so deciding if I'm going to put them in or not.  

Under the Cape Cod sign are small motifs, and should be fun to do, then all the names.  

Not sure if this one will come back out again this year, or not, but really do want to get the Cape Cod sign done.    

I wish I would have done this on a different fabric, but I'm too far in now to change, so will just go on with it and maybe change some of the colors as I go as needed.

The next one is PeliCan by Courtney.  This one is all in the same color, I love the dark brown, not the called for, but works for me.

I finished page 1 and I'm moving o to page 5 which is below it and doesn't have a lot stitching on it, so hoping to get that one finished this year as well.   I love watching how all the x's grow into the design.  

This one has 20 pages, and it's taken me about 7 years to complete the first page, so not thinking this one will be done anytime soon, but would like some good progress on it this year.   This one got put in time out for several years because I cut the linen wrong and have very little border on the top and bottom.  I think I will make this into a pillow for the couch.   Want to do all of the pages down the left side to make sure I have room at the bottom before I put all the effort into going to the right side - it's 4 pages wide and 4 1/2 pages long, the pages are wider than long, so will also see if it's possible to maybe cut it short at some point if my fabric won't work at all.

The last one is my needlepoint Storyteller by Lulu, it's a very old canvas, when I got it probably 15 years ago.  It was on the sale table, as being a design that would not be re-painted, but I knew I would have someone to give it to at some point in my life.  Originally that person was my oldest sister, but she has since passed away, so it will be for her daughter who is getting married this year.

I did the blue, purple and green areas, started on the shoes.  Need to figure out what I'll do for the background.  I won't have to do a lot of background, so even a basket weave will be easy.

I need to put some time into this one as my niece is getting married in May of this year.  I'm thinking this will be a March focus, but probably a real push in April and May - I am the queen of procrastination in my home life because I can't be the same in my work life.  

Hope February is just as productive, I'm trying to get back into stitching almost every day, it helps me destress.   Can't wait to see what others have accomplished.