January 2020 Recap WIPocalypse

Stitch-A-Longs in 2020:

I am participating in the Linen and Threads 2020 SAL which looks to be a Quaker Motif sampler.  We will see.  I have done the first part so I am caught up.  Doing this on one of the only pieces of fabric I thought would be large enough and am using Sulky #12.  I am enjoying working with the Sulky...



I am also going to participate in a SAL with Sitching Mae (UTube).  She is doing the Vintage Birds by Jeanette Douglas for her birthday.  I wanted to do this project this year so I am going to hold off starting it until April 15 or so.


New Starts this month:


Easter Parade by Brenda Gervais, Country Stitches

This is a "rest" project for me.  It is on 28 count Faerie Wispers from two over two so I don't have to have a magnifier!  It is also on the small side so I hope to have it finished this month or early February.






The Library by Little House Needleworks

Making progress participating with the Sunday Samplers at Little House Needleworks face group.  Thanks to Vonna for this wonderful idea.







A Perfect World by The Scarlet House

Using threads as called (Gentle Arts and Weeks) and doing it on 40 Ct. Flagstone linen by Lakeside Linens (I think this is the only Lakeside Linen I own!)

I am obsessed with this project for the moment, but I must admit that I cannot work on it for very long.  It is my first 40 count in a while and the first couple of days were a bit of a struggle.   it IS getting easier the more I work on it.




Progress on longstanding WIPs:

Knot Garden by Chatelaine Designs

Not making as much progress and I would like, so I am going to dedicate a day to work on it for a couple of hours.  I do enjoy putting the beads and specialty stitches in so I am not sure why I am avoiding this project.

Mini Mandala 01 by Chatelaine Designs

Have made a little progress here.  Got the DMC borders almost done.  Every time I work on this I wonder why I don't work on it more...I really like the colors and it is really sparkly with beads and crystals.



Home of a Needleworker by Little House Needleworks

This is my Sunday sampler project so it is coming along nicely.

Abandoned/Removing from Rotation this month:  These were just weighing on me so they are getting a time-out.

Quiet Harbor, Permin

Gardens of London, Chatelaine

Kitted and Prepped:
(meaning I have put on a frame and marked the center/starting location and organized all the threads and put it in a project bag)

Elizabeth Poole  by Threads of Gold

Elizabeth Jones by La D Da

Will fill in more details once I start them.....soon I hope.


Finishes for January

Bluebird Out My Window by With Thy Needle and Thread


Mary Oakley, 1818 by Pineberry Lane

Beggars Valentine by Threadwork Primitives

I am really pleased with how this came out.  It is "larger" than called for because I used a lower count linen so not sure how I will FFO it!  But I do like it.  Oh, I changed the locks and arrows from 310 to 3799 because I just didn't want that much black on it.



I am doing well with my goal of 20 finishes for this year....if I average 2 finishes a year I will meet that goal.  So far I have just finished relative small pieces (kind of like cheating) so I am going to concentrate on some larger projects to finish.

Thanks for visiting.   I hope you are had a fun and productive January.

Weekly WIP Update

Have made some decent progress this week on a couple of WIPs and have done a little more kitting.  I also inventoried my fabric (well, the  neutral colors for samplers that is) and added them to my XStitch Plus app.



A Perfect World by Scarlet House

Just prepared it for starting on the 20th of the month.  It is on a scroll frame and I think I am going to grid it....not sure.  Will share the linen choice when I get it actually started.

Linen and Threads 2020 SAL

January is done.  Am pretty happy with it so far.

Beggars Valentine

Really want to finish this before the end of the month so it is getting alot of attention

Knot Garden by Chatelaine Designs

I got some of the specialty stitches and beading done in the two upper corners.  Will begin to work my way down the piece hopefully this weekend.  I am trying to use Saturday for my Chatelaines....

Mary Oakley, 1818 by Pineberry Lane

A Finish!!  I changed so much on this.  I wanted to work it with threads from my inventory so the colors are not anywhere close to what is charted.  I like it anyway.  It is a wierd size so I will be trying to frame it in the next couple of weeks.

That is it for this week.  I will be participating in Sampler Sunday again this week and will be working on my Little House needleworks projects that day.

Thank you for visiting.

Wipocalypse Introduction

This is my first Wipocalypse and I am pretty excited about it.  I think I figured out how to put my "link" on the posting page, but who knows.

At any rate, an introducction is in order.


First let me say that I "lost" my blog for a couple of years when many things changed in my computer world, so that is why there is such a big gap in postings and many things that were on the blog seem to have vanished....followers, some gadgets that I had finally figured out; that sort of thing.   That said, I am back at it for 2020 with plans.


I have been busy kitting up things to start (I think I am up to about 60),  framing some finishes and planning my year.  I joined WIPocalypse and I am going to practice spelling it and saying it.  At any rate, I am not sure how it works yet, but I am going to give it a whirl.  There are some beautiful stitching posts and amazing work to drool over.

I have started the Linen and Threads 2020 Quaker SAL.  It took  me a while because I just did not know if I really wanted to participate.  Then I was watching a flosstuber (I wish I could remember which one) and she said "at the end of the year I will have a Quaker sampler done.  Well, that did it.  So here I am participating.

I am using Sulky #12 in Natural Taupe on Amsterdam Blue 32 count linen.  I had a large piece of the fabric (can't imagine why because it is kind of wierd color...not quite green, not quite blue) and I did not want to have to buy a new fabric so it took a while to decide on the thread.  I have been wanting to try Sulky #12, and I wanted something really easy....no splitting DMC floss, no railroading, etc.  Will see how it goes.  I may change it out for a more beige variegated thread, but who knows.



My other focus pieces for January are:


Beggars Valentine by Threadworks Primitive
I want to finish this before the end of the month



Mary Oakley 1818 by Pineberry Lane

I finished the border outline so I should be able to finish this in a week or so.



Mini Mandala 01 By Chatelaine Designs

I am determined to finish this one before I start a new Chatelaine and I am itching to start a new one!





I am also going to participate in the Little House Needleworks Sampler Sunday.  I am going to be working on The Library by Little House Needleworks as soon as the threads arrive.  In the meantime I will be working on "Home of a Needleworker" which has been a WIP for a couple of years and I really need to get it done.  I hope focusing on these two on Sundays will do the trick.



And last but  not least I have been framing some of my 2019 finishes:

This is actually  my first finish of 2020 so I framed it also.

Once I get this blog all caught up again I will keep posting regularly.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.  

WIPS Prior to 2020 and Still Ongoing

This will be quite a long post so grab a beverage.  It is kind of a tale of woe at this point.



Books Reading Books, by Heaven and Earth Designs  Started in 2014

Not sure when I will finish this.  I thought I was further along for some reason.  I really have to be in the "zone" to work on this it seems.  This was/is my attempt at parking.  I am not too good at it.  If I ever do another HAED (and I do have a couple of others) I am definitely going to use tent stitch instead of full crosses.






Woodland Christmas Evergreen Sampler from 2013 Cross Stitch Christmas Started in 2016

All DMC; Two threads over two on 28 count Jobelan in Chiper (a light, light green).  I really enjoy this one when I do work on it.  Don't have too much further to go.  It has all these little yellow star things all over it which are one stitch.  I am not quite sure how to handle them.  I was going to leave them off until I took another look at the original.  It has some one over one (they call it petite stitch) little birds and other animals which was the challenge when I started it so I am glad I got this experience.  Might be some good pin stitch practice!








Home of  Needleworker by Little House Needleworks Started in 2015

This is a travel project, but I need to get it going as it has been in progress since about 2015 or so.   it is 2 over 2 on 28 ct Antique Ivory Cashel.  Perhaps I can use "Sampler Sundays" on the CC/LH facebook to work on it.







Knot Garden by Chatelaine designs Started in 2015

Finally finished all the DMC in 2019 and am working on the specialty stitches and beading.  My goal is to finish this by March (before we head back to Texas).






Mini Mndala 01 by Chatelaine Designs  Started in 2017

I really like the colors of this and all the sparkle which probably does not show up well in the photo.  I am beading this one as I go and I am not sure that is such a good idea.  I think I thought I would concentrate on it more but life sort of happened.  I am going to concentrate on this one until I finish it before I start a new Chatelaine.  I am itching to start another one and I have several already kitted.






Quiet Harbor by Permin from some magazine  Started in 2019

I think I am doing this for someone who has a house on a lake I think but I cannot remember.  Two Threads over two in DMC on 32 count Belfast in Blue Dynasty by Silkweaver.  It is not exactly full coverage so I am further along than it seems.



Gina, Queen of the Sea by Ink Circles  Started in 2019

This is a great travel project.  Two threads over two using Cassie Creations threads.  Once the outlining gets done it is easy, mindless sitching to fill them in.  It is two over two on a 28 Cashel by Silkweaver in "Iris Garden".  I like it OK, but the threads seem to tangle easily even using Thread Heaven.  I need to use shorter lengths I suppose.  I am not sure the threads are colorfast so I don't really take it with me much...also it is bigger than I like to carry around to appointements and waiting rooms, etc.




Fancy Blackett October Ride by Pineberry Lane  Started in 2017

Am using this as a travel project also..one thread over two with DMC on a piece of 35 ct linen I dyed to "age" it a little.





I try to make sure my "travel" projects (the ones I drag with me everywhere I go) are done in DMC so I can wash them when they are finished.


That does it (I think) for the WIPs that are still hanging around from years and years.  I think I will try to finish these at least within the year.  Perhaps on our drive back to Texas I can concetrate on the one closest to being finished.  We will see.

Thanks for stopping by.  Don't hesitate to ask any questions and I will answer them if I can.

Putting Those Project Together

Disclaimer:  I cannot figure out why some of the words are outlined in white and have not been able to fix it.  So I am leaving it for the moment.  Hopefully I will have it figured out by the next post!  I find it extremely distracting.



Today was a kitting up day for me. I had planned to start Vintage Birds by Jeanette Douglass this month, but decided to wait until April to join Stitching Mae's Birthday Stitch-a-long.

So, in the meantime, I put a few projects together:

Elizabeth Jones Sampler by La-D-Da.

I think there might be a SAL for this one, but I am not sure. I am a little torn on the fabric. It calls for 36 count Parchment and would require a 19 x 19 piece....those 18 x 27 fabrics I have on hand are my downfall! I am considering doing it on linen I already have but the only two pieces that are large enough are 32 count. It only makes it an inch large so I will probably do that. I have to choose between Country Mocha, Sandcastle or Cafe Mocha. At least all the threads are DMC colors that I already have.

Willow Tree Sampler by Carriage House Samplings;

This is also all DMC (hurray). It calls for 40 ct Antique Cotton linen from R&R but I am going to us 40 ct variegated lambswool that I have on hand (maybe). I'll do a floss toss tomorrow during the daylight and see if it will work.

So, that should get me through until April.  

Thanks for stopping by.  I will be posting a weekly update on current projects in a couple of days.  It is a busy week this week with appointments so I may wait until the weekend.

More as it happens.

Goals for 2020

As usual, I have lots of things I want to do in this New Year.

But before I get into that, I figured out what happened in 2018......We remodeled our house in Texas so I was living in the RV as well as in the yard and everything was packed.   It was horribly dusty so I spent alot of time packing, cleaning during the construction and unpacking once it was finished so early 2019 was also a loss for stitching time.  Whew, glad to have figured that out thanks to my husband!

Now to 2020:

I am thinking that I want to finish 20 projects and start 20 projects (2020, get it?)

I have plenty of things ready to go so starting 20 things should not be a problem.

As far as finishes, I would like to finish anything that was started prior to 2019 first....some of those projects that are ages old.  Like the HAED Books Reading Books; Evergreen Sampler; Chatelaine Knot Garden; the 2017 Mystery SAL by Linen and Threads (expecially since I want to start the 2018 and 2020 SALs)

Then I will work on finishing the 2019 starts and go from there.

2020 seems to be the year of the sampler for me.  I have been drawn to several projects that are samplers. My problem is that I don't really like stitching words.   Kind of a drawback.

My new starts for 2020 so far in the sampler genre and are;

Bluebird Out My Window by With Thy Needle and Thread

Done on 28 count Chime by Picture this Plus...It is a yellow moddled fabric that is not showing up too well in the photos but it is very "springy".  I am using the threads called for except for the bird....the color was "Cadet" but the skein I had was too green so I changed it to "Old Blue Jeans".  Am enjoying this and should be finished with it in less than a week.





Mary Oakley 1818 Sampler by Pineberry Lane

I decided to use what I had on hand for this smallish sampler.  I am doing it on 36 count Old Mill Linen by R&R.  It is an aida evenweave that came in a Stitchy Box last year or the year before.  The threads are just random pulls from what I have on hand.  The jury is still out on the "white" looking thread, but I am going to leave it.  I hope to complete the border this week.

Thanks for visiting.  I am determined to keep posting this year.  I will be posting all my current projects with updates this week (I hope).

Finally Back

I finally figured out how to get to this old Blog that I have not posted to since 2017.  Not sure why, but 2018 seemed to vanish from my life for some reason (I think I was ill, I don't remember now).....and 2019 was the year I could not get into the blog (and I have no patience for working on it very much)

So in the next few days, weeks, months, I will try to do a 2019 update on stitching.  I am thinking of renaming the blog if I can figure out how as the "needles" title seems to bring up all sorts of IV drug user sights and lists of where used needles are showing up in parks, on the shore, etc.

But for now I am sticking with Needles Everywhere simply because there is so much stuff already on it and I have yet to feel inspired to move everything.  We will see



Stay tuned, and thanks for sticking with me.