WIPocalypse End of February

HAPPY LEAP DAY....

This is a long post with lots of photos!  I got on a roll this month for some reason so I have lots to share.

Be sure to check out 2020 WIPocalypse:  What do I listen to while I stitch?  Flosstube and/or some movie or true crime show.  And sometimes, nothing.

The Challenge from Embroidery.com was to stitch for 30 minutes a day (at least) and post progress daily.  That has really helped me get alot done on my projects.  I am going to try to continue the 30 minutes a day on a focus piece and see how it goes.

I have a goal of 20 finishes for 2020 so I need to average about two finishes a month.  I am on my way and have several pieces that are close.  Of course my goal of 20 starts is not a problem since I have so many kitted and ready.

Before I start, I want to show you a sampler that my Mother-in-Law did in about 1965.  Thanks to so many generous and knowledgable stitchers on facebook at Sampler World, I was able to find it (found a kit for it on EBay) and found that the original sampler is called Catherine Ann Speel worked in 1805 and is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania.  So amazing.  I just adore it.  I also found that the Attic in Mesa, Arizona may have the reproduced chart.  Might be interesting to do it if I can find the chart.  What a wonderful family heirloom this is.






February Finishes:

Elizabeth Poole 1838 by Threads of Gold



Good Luck Always probably from Cross Stitch Magazine



And I posted the finish of Easter Parade earlier in the month.


New Starts:

Frances Pool by With Thy Needle and Thread




I am enjoying this so much so far.  I am using the threads as suggested and the colors are a little odd to me, but that is kind of common for me and samplers it seems.  But I am still enjoying them and have many ready to start.

Learning Stitches



This is an on line class I am taking through Sassy Jacks.  These are stitches in a Jeanette Douglas book made into a band sampler.  I am too cheap to buy banding so I took a piece of fabric that was 36" long and created banding for it and am using variegated DMC threads that I have on hand.  I will never use them for anything else.  It is kind of ugly, but it is for learning, not display!  HA


Progress:These projects have my attention at the monent so there has been progress for this month.

A Perfect World by The Scarlett House



This was my 30 minutes a day focus piece for February and I am very pleased with the progress I have made.  I am still on the fence about doing all the black that is called for at the bottom.  I kind of hate to leave it off, but I might hate doing it worse!  Perhaps I will tent stitch it??


Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplery



This project was a frogging nightmare so I decided that I would "grid" the motifs before I start them to make sure they are lined up property

Tis a Lovely Bird by Homespun Elegance



My travel piece since it is on 28 count fabric (I can actually see it).

Still My Sunday Sampler Focus Pices from Little House Needleworks

Home of a Needleworker



The Library





Knotgarden by Chatelaine



I am not making any progress on this for some reason so the goals of finishing it before mid-March is definitely not going to happen.  Not sure why, but I am not feeling this one right now so I guess it will have to travel back to Texas once again.


S.L. 1862 Small Sampler  by Lila's Studio



I tried to do this little sampler with the DMC conversion andd the colors were just terrible to me.  I also was getting a little "browned out" from the samplers that I am doing so I decided to dig out the left over silk threads I had from the Chatelaine and other projects that calledl for various silks.  It is quite a variety of colors and I am just winging it.  Now, bear in mind that I am not good at putting colors together so I am just playing with these threads.   The bad news is that it has really made he remember how wonderful it is to stitch with silks.  Especially with a single thread.  Oh my how wonderful it is to have the thread just gliding through the fabric.....heaven on the needle.

2020 SAL from Linen and Threads


A very small start of Part 3



And finally, I framed one of last year's finishes.  I really like this piece and even with the alphabets (which I am not too fond of stitching) I did enjoy doing it.  I left off the french knots that were called for in the skirt and basket of which is supposed to be donuts...looks like flowers to me.  And this piece has a million "customizations" (my term for errors) but I still like it.  I got the frame from Amazon.

Coffee Saves Lives by  Heartstring Samplery



Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to hop around to other WIPocaplyse posts.

February Finish, New Start and Progress Update

Finally finished Easter Parade.  Not sure what I will do with it.




New Start:

Tis a Lovely Bird by Homespun Elegance

Doing this on a 28 count linen 2 over 2 using Gentle Arts and Weeks cotton threads.  I chose 28 count because I wanted it a little bigger than it would have been on the suggested 32 count.  Not sure why I don't have a photo of the chart, but I have already passed it forward.  I also have discovered that a 28 count is really the only thing I can use for take along projects as I cannot see anything smaller.   Old eyes or bad glasses I guess.





Progress:

Elizabeth Poole 1838 by Threads of Gold

Even though I am not crazy about some the colors and have made a few changes, I am almost ready to finish this gal.  Doing the 1 over 1 letters now.  Have frogged the 1 over 1 about 4 times (not fun) but I think I have it figured out.  I have also made MANY mistakes (which I call customizations) on this chart, but because I sort of lost the love, I left them in....note the two different size flower pots on either side of the center urn....oh well.  I hope to finish it this week which will keep me on track with 2 finishes a month for this year.



Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplery

This is on 36 ct. Vintage Country Mocha using the threads as listed (GAST and WDW)



I am anxious to get this project really going.  I did "Coffee Saves Lives" and want to finish this one so I can hang them together.  I do drink alot of coffee by the way.


A Pefect World by The Scarlett House

This is on 40 count Flagstone by Lakeside Linen using the threads as listed (Gentle Arts and WDW, using Anchor Black)



I have been trying to do 30 minutes a day on this.  It will be a while, but I am really enjoying it.


Sampler Sunday Projects:

These are the Little House Needelworks pieces that I work on for the Sampler Sunday Challenge on their facebook page.

Home of a Needleworker




The Library



My only "complaint" about theseh projects is that they are both 2 over 2 so I have to fiddle with the two thread issue.

It seems that suddenly I am using alots of Gentle Arts and Weeks threads which is kind of new for me.  I usually do the DMC conversions but have found lately that the colors are really off.  I am not so good at colors.   And I have to say that I am not such a fan of the Weeks Dye Works threads.   They seem to really tangle and knot more frequently even when I use a thread conditioner.   I am going to try shorter lengths for a while and see if that helps.

Kitted and ready:



Frances Poole by With thy Needle and Thread is on a frame and ready!



These are kitted and ready

Friends of the Heart by Plum Street Samplers

Harriet Taylor 1842 by the Scarlet House

For the Birds by ByGone Stitches  ( am thinking this will be my next start once Elizabeth Poole is finished as it has lots of color and I am kind of browned out!)

Willow Tree Sampler by Carriage House Samplings

And finally, I have some questions and emails about the frame weight.  I showed the giant one I made (thinking that was a good idea)  and now I have not only cut the size in half, but discovered that it was sliding off the lap stand because I used wool all the way around.  So, my solution was to whip stitch some rubber shelf liner on the back and it works great.  Also, with regard to the lapstand....I have a couple of different ones...they sit on top of you lap, not underneath your thigh as many people think.  Hence the need for something to help it stablize.

I did not plan the color coordination for this show of the stand and weight on my lap, but I guess grey is "my color".

Of course I have many other WIPs that need work, but these are my focus pieces for the moment.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  And thank you SO MUCH for all the kind comments.

Secret Sweetheart Swap 2020

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Do do not participate in "swaps" because I am not all that confident in my stitching and I am certainly  not impressed with my finishing....BUT...there was a photo swap that I could do!  I got mine and here it is:



Isn't it fabulous.  Lovely stitching and great "staging" for the photo.


You can hop around to all the other beautiful pieces by visiting Jo's Blog at   

http://serendipitousstitching.blogspot.com/2020/02/secret-stitching-sweetheart-blog-hop.html 

(wish I knew how to make this "clickable...but you will have to cut and paste!)


Have a wonderful day everyone!  

Thanks for stopping by.

February's Progress #1

New Starts:

Elizabeth Poole by Threads of Gold

32 ct Ivory linen dyed with walnut crystals and DMC threads.  I have had lots of frogging on this one.  I started 1 over 2 (which I kind of prefer) and was not happy with the coverage, so I tried a couple of motifs in 2 over 2 and really did not like that.....it was also difficult to stitch for some reason....so I pulled all that out and redid it in 1 over 2.  Much better and I am enjoying it more.  This is a pretty small sampler so I am hoping to finish it this month.   



I also was not, and am not wild about some of the colors, but I am going with it for the most part....I think it is my choice of fabric that is making the cream colored and yellow colors look wonky.  So I am kind of changing it as I go.  Who knows how it will turn out.  It is inspiring me to start using the called for silks but they are SO pricey and my hands are so ruff I am leary of them.  Time will tell.


Coffee Quaker by Heartstring Samplers

36ct Vintage Country Mocha linen with the threads as listed (Gentle Arts and Weeks Dye Works) 

Have this project mounted on a K's Creations scroll rod/lap frame that I have had for years.  I am going to be siting with a friend post surgery so I wanted a project I could take along so I put it inside a duffel bag (since it is about 26 inches long).  Too bad someone does not make a project bag that will fit these giant projects.




Progress:

Easter Parade

This is a good stitch, but I am really not happy about how the variegation looks on the chick....I will live with it, however.  I really want to finish this because I have another "smallish" project I want to start.....





Linen and Threads 2020 SAL

After starting February's part I decided I did not like the thread.  So, I changed to another Sulky #12 called Parchment and I am much, much happier with it.



Yes, there is a 1/2 stitch mistake but I am not doing any more frogging....for some reason the first time I did Januay's part I did it without much trouble, but this time....holy cow I frogged for hours.  So I am leaving it (for now, we will see how long it takes for my OCD to kick in!)


A Perfect World

I am using this as my "Daily 30 minutes" piece.  It will take a while to finish, but I am enjoying it.






The Sampler Sunday's over at Little House Needleworks and Country Cottage Needleworks is helping me dedicate Sunday to these two pieces, so progress is being made!



The Library by Little House Needleworks






Home of a Needleworker by Little House Needleworks






One more thing.....I have been trying to use the lap stands that I have (and I DO have a couple).  I saw someone on the UTube talk about a frame weight....I had never heard of one, so I made one.  I got a little carried away and made the first one HUGE....too big really, but it is a game changer with a large project on scroll rods.  Am much more comfortable using my lap stands with the weight.




Looks kind of like a sea cucumber!

Basically, I took an old piece of wool I had (a sweater actually) and made a pillow....fill it with walnut shells.  I found it was not heavy enough so I ordered BBs from Amazon and added them to it.  Works great.  Since it is so large I made myself another one which is smaller to use with my smaller lap stand that I am using.


That is the first part of February....

Thanks for stopping by.....

February Begins

I joined in the Embroidery.com Cross Stitch & Hand Embroidery Group daily 30 minutes challenge for the month of February.  I am not sure I will remember to post every day, but I am attempting to put in at least 30 minutes stitching on A Perfect World and am making good progress.







I am also participating in the Sampler Sunday at Little House/Country Cottage Needleworks.  I am working on "Home of  Needleworker" and "The Library" on Sundays.  I kind of like having a certain day for certain projects.  I have tried setting up a specific rotation before and have not been successful, but this seems to be working so far.

Also there is the Linen & Thread 2020 SAL.  I have make a small start on February's portion.

Still working on Easter Parade  and am hoping to finish it this first week of February


I found a WIP that I forgot about.  This little beauty is from a magazine (probably Cross Stitch Magazine).  I had been wanting to practice my backstitching and couching so here is the perfect little cutie for that.


It is on what I think is 18 count aida in a light mint green color.  Not sure what I will do with it once it is finished but that has never stopped me from stitching something.  I will finish this in a couple of days I am sure


A very small start for February:

S.L.  1862 Small Sampler  by Lila's Studio

Done on 32 count Heritage Lugana from Picture this Plus with the DMC as listed.  This DMC conversion looks alot different from the photo and is a little strange so far, but I am OK with that.  I am doing the small just to see if I can to tackle the full size Susan Lynch.







Possible New Starts Planned for February


Elizabeth Poole by Threads of gold

Will do this on 32 ct Ivory linen dyed with walnut crystals just to darken it up a bit.







Elizabeth Jones by La-D-Da

Planning on 36 count Parchment by Weeks Dye Works which is the called for linen





Looks like I should make February the Month of the Elizabeths!  I also have Elizabeth Mitchell 1809 by the Scarlet Letter kitted but it is so huge I am not ready to take it on yet.


Quaker Coffee by Heartstring Samplers

This is on 36 count Vintage Country Mocha


Friends of the Heart by Plum Street Samplers

I will be doing this on 32 ct Heritage by Picture This Plus.  It calls for a 36 count but I think I want the piece to be a little larger and I have the Heritage on hand and need to use it.


"Smalls" ready for the needle:

Morning Walk by The Scarlett House

28 Count Storm rather than a 40 count as called for since I want it to be a bigger.


Tis a Lovely Bird by Homespun Elegance

On 28 count Ivory Linen mottled with walnut crystals



I also watched a UTuber who spilled wine on one of her projects....I am now considering a red wine dye.....

Who knows which projects I will actually start this month.  Stay tuned to find out!

Thanks for stopping by.. will post progress as it happens!