Week beginning 21st July 2024

I'm happy to say that following on from a poor stitching week last week I've had a great week this week.  Achieved all my goals and a little bit more.

Current WIPs

I started the week working on Seychelles Flag by Vivsters.  I am stitching this on a 22 count white hardanger from zweigart using the charted DMC 1 over 1.

I didn't reach my goal last week of completing one square so this week I wanted to stitch 2 to catch up.  I am pleased to say that I completed 2 whole squares and made progress on some more.  First picture is where it was last time and second is where it is now.

I then stitched on 324 by Works by ABC which is stitched on 40 count Ivory linen from Permin using 1 strand of DMC floss over 1.  First picture where I was second where I am now.  My goal for this is 10 motifs a week to try and complete by December 1st.  I got 20 motifs done so caught up from last week.

Next project was Pretty Little Berlin by Satsuma Street stitched on a 32 count evenweave from Coffee Craft Fabrics who doesn't name their fabrics.  I got 500 stitches done on this project.

Sad Starts

The next project was one chosen from my WIPs that haven't been worked on since the day they were started.  The project chosen last week was Baby Yoda by Stitch Area.  I am stitching this on a 28 count white evenweave by Zweigart with DMC 310 2 over 2.  I did 575 stitches on this project.

The project the wheel has chosen for this week is number 4 which is Train Ornament which is a kit from Dimensions.

WIP Parade - one project at a time

I've decided to also have a section each week which will be like a WIP parade.  I intend to look at each project I have in chronological order by start date and make a decision about whether I want to continue stitching it or not.  

My oldest project is a Dimensions kit called In the Beginning.  I don't actually know when I started this project but it is definitely my oldest WIP.  This style of cross stitch really isn't for me anymore but at the moment I don't want to get rid of this WIP.  It has sentimental value for me as I believe it was a gift from family in the past.  So for now this WIP stays in its folder until I get time to stitch on it again.

My next oldest WIP to review is Sleeping Beauty's Castle by Chatelaine.

Future Plans

That's everything from this week.  I'm so much happier with my progress this week and am looking forward to next weeks projects.  I'll be working on Part 2 of the Monster House SAL, Train Ornament by Dimensions, Seychelles Flag and 324.  I also need to start working on Welcome Autumn from Shannon Christine Designs as the Autumn equinox is on 22nd September.

Thanks for reading and spending some time with me.

Nic

Monster House SAL - Satsuma Street

This week has been a slow stitching week for me.  I managed to complete part 1 of the Monster House SAL by Satsuma Street but apart from that there was no more stitching.

I am stitching mine on an 18 count Aida called Pumpkin King by Chromatic Alchemy,

This is part one complete.

Last week I mentioned that I was going to pick one of 49 projects that I've either not worked on since the day I started them or I've not got a date recorded for when I last worked on them.  This week I was looking at Froth and Bubble by Long Dog Samplers.  I decided to UFO this project.  I'd not worked on it for at least 4 years and it wasn't calling to me anymore so it was dekitted and fabric and floss put back into stash.

I've spun the wheel and the next number picked is 44 which is Baby Yoda by Stitch Area.  Hopefully I will get time to work on this one next week.

That's all for now but hoping I can show more updates next week.

Nic

Current Focus Projects

I had a good response to my last post and decided it would be good to start blogging leading up to my Crazy 2025.

I currently have three focus projects which I work on every week.

The first is Seychelles Flag by Vivsters.  I am stitching this for my child who is obsessed with flags and this is their favourite flag.  I plan to stitch one of the quaker squares from this project every week on a Saturday.

Here is what the project will look like:

This is where I am currently up to.  I have completed 23 squares which is 26.84% complete.  At this pace I should finish this project in February 2026 - however my child will be 16 in January 2026 so I have told them I will aim to finish this piece for their 16th birthday.

My second focus is 324 by Works by ABC. This project uses 324 different DMC colours one for each motif and this is what the project looks like:

This is where I am currently upto.  I initially wanted to stitch one motif a day but to make that more manageable I did 7 every Sunday.  I have now taken that up to 10 every Sunday as I want to finish this project before December if possible.  I have currently done 130 motifs which is 40% complete.

My third focus project is Pretty Little Berlin by Satsuma Street.  This is what the project will look like:

This is where I currently am with the project.  I am again stitching this for my child.  They are going to Berlin with school in December.  It will be their first time on a plane, their first time abroad and their first time away from home for more than 2 nights - they are so excited - I am slightly petrified!  I thought it would be a good way to commemorate their first trip abroad and my plan is to give it to them for Christmas.

I have also just started the Mystery Monster House SAL by Satsuma Street.  They release a part every 2 weeks so I am hoping I can fit that in and then do extra stitches on Pretty Little Berlin on the weeks that don't have new releases.

Then if I have any time left after finishing my stitches on Monster House or Pretty Little Berlin I am spinning a wheel to pick one of 49 projects I currently have that have either not been stitched on since their start date or I don't have a record of when they were last stitched on.  I am going to make a new page listing those projects.  The wheel this week spun 14 which is Froth and Bubble I by Long Dog Samplers.  I will update on that project next week.

I think my plan going forward will be to do a blog post every Sunday when I have completed my stitches on 324 and show my progress for that week.

Let me know what you think about my projects and plans.

Nic

A Return to Blogging?

It has been a long time since I posted anything on this blog and the main reason for this post is to see if anyone will still read it.

I am 50 next year and I have big plans for 50 new starts.  I was thinking of blogging about it - this year will be the planning and kitting and then next year working on the projects.

So if you see this can you let me know?  Just a short comment - an emoji if you can't think of anything to write and I'll see what the response is.  I may just blog it for my own personal memories but it would be nice to think others were seeing it as well.

Thanks for reading (hopefully) and I'll see you soon.

Nic

Watercolour Gerberas - Riolis

This kit was sent to me free of charge from Riolis a while ago.  I hadn't stitched on it since I started it in July 2016.  When I got all the supplies out of the folder I wasn't looking forward to stitching on it.  The chart is in colour and there are a variety of different styles of stitch - half stitch with 1 strand; cross stitch with 1 strand, 2 strands and 3 strands; and back stitch.  I had almost decided to give the project up for adoption but decided I would stitch on it for a few days and then see how I felt.

For some reason I really struggle with the colour chart, I think I'm just used to working with black and white charts.  It helped me to stitch this with my mag eyes on as I normally enlarge my charts.  I haven't made much progress over the last 5 days as I have been on a course at work and have been very tired every evening, but progress, however small, I have made.  Also I am pleased to say that I am going to be keeping this and will stitch on it again.  Below are my progress pictures.

It's hard to see a lot of the progress as it is half stitches in yellow but I am pleased with what I got done.

My next project is a new start for 1st February and it is Monkshood by Nora Corbett.

Keep stitching and smiling

Hanging Loose - Cross Stitcher Magazine - Finish?

Today I reached the point on the secret project I am working on which I had wanted to and decided to move on to my next project.

You may remember from my last post that the project I would be working on next was Hanging Loose - this was a set of charts from Cross Stitcher Magazine from November 2011.

Here's where it was the last time I worked on it.

So I pulled the project out.  I looked at it - I looked at the ornaments I hadn't stitched yet.  I looked at some threads and thought about how they might work together and I made a decision.

I am retiring this as a WIP, I'm calling it a finish.  I'm not that interested in stitching any more of the baubles at this moment and to be honest I have too many ornaments for our Christmas tree already.

So that means I get to choose a new project to stitch on.

Type of project wheel spun and chose - WIP

WIP wheel chose - Watercolour Gerberas by Riolis

I will be working on this project up to Thursday and then on Friday 1st February I will be having a new start which is going to be Moonkshood by Mirabilia.

Keep stitching and smiling

I Love You to the Moon and Back - FINISH

Once I picked this piece up I was surprised at how close it was to being finished.  So I decided to stitch on it until I had completed it before spinning the wheel.

This was stitched on a piece of hand dyed silvered aida from Jodyri Designs and all the threads I used were also from Jodyri.  I designed this piece myself and this is what I always used to say to my son at bed time and I couldn't find a chart that had exactly those words.  I have to say stitching on the dark silvered aida wasn't easy and I had to use my magnifier to stitch most of it.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

The first photo is my starting point and the next photos were taken at 7pm each day.

I also managed to put some stitches in on my Perpetual Calendar piece.

I am going to stitch on my secret project for a few days but thought I would spin the wheel now so you know what you will be seeing next.

Project type wheel chose - calendar

So I will stitch on the piece that it has been the longest since I worked on - which according to my spreadsheet is Hanging Loose.  This was a design from a cross stitch magazine of Christmas ornaments.

You should see an update in the next few days.

Keep stitching and smiling