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