Looking Back, Looking Forward

Hi all! Happy 2019! Hope you get used to writing the new year soon, cuz those 8s are really hard to change into 9s. :)

Looking back over 2018 is kind of overwhelming for me. I had so many starts and very few finishes. But I did have a lot of fun stitching! :) I also had a few firsts this year: With Eliza Bell Cox (first pic) I started my first project on 46ct linen (and loved it!). With Marquise de Caumont (2nd pic) I experimented with diagonal stitching and became somewhat addicted to that method. And with The Awakening (3rd pic) I began my first supersized HAED (though I have two other wips that are almost as large) and stitched full crosses over 1 on 28ct for the first time, which I also seem to enjoy.

I only had 3 finishes, but one of them was Quotes to Live by, which is a fairly large project. My Frosty Forest project is far from finished, but since these are individual charts, my Snowy Reindeer counts as one. When We Do, by Lizzy Kate, was a really quick stitch that I gifted to a friend.

Going in to 2018, I had two stitchy goals: to stitch at least 30 stitches every day, and to stitch 150,000 stitches for the year. The first goal was to remind myself that even when I think I'm too tired or distracted or whatever to stitch, it doesn't have to take up a lot of time. Plus, I always feel better after stitching, and always regret it when I don't. The second goal was just me being competitive with myself because I like to aim high. For comparison, my 2017 total was 114,637. So, what is my 2018 total stitch count? Drum roll please... 150,910! Woohoo! I never actually expected to make it, but like I said, I'm competitive. I should also mention I don't count backstitches or specialty stitches, but I do count tent stitches. My total time for all stitches for the year was 765.3 hours, and I did manage to stitch every day. :)

Here's a few more stats (cuz I like to keep track): In addition to my 3 finishes, I finished 9 pages on various full coverage projects; I started 28 projects (told you it was a lot); my current wip count is 70, though 8 or 10 of those are neglected ufos; and I stitched on 62 projects during the year.

I like to end my reviews with a look back at Moon Indigo, which has been my focus piece for 4 years now, and likely will be until she's done. So here's her progress from January to November:

I've already made a start on her 3rd row. The goal is to stitch at least half of that row in 2019.

Looking forward, I'm hoping to make 2019 a year of progress. As I've previously stated, I don't plan on making any more starts this year; I want to enjoy what I've got going, and hopefully get a few more finishes. (Any bets on when I cave in and start something?)

I've got a new monthly rotation worked out this year for my morning stitching, divided into weeks. Week 1 is for my portable HAEDs; Week 2 is for series projects, like Frosty Forest and Sheep Virtues; Week 3 is for a few focus projects I want to make good progress on; Week 4 is for projects I want to finish this year. This isn't a rigid schedule, but more of a guide. I get a planner every year and plot out my morning stitching for the whole year (in pencil) so I have a realistic idea of how many projects I can work on and when. It's really helped me to see which projects are foremost in my mind to get done and make time for them accordingly. This process also helped me to realize I need to stop starting all the things, as there is a long list of projects that won't get touched this year.

My evening stitching is not so organized. I have a general idea of projects I want to work on and goals associated with them, but no schedule, per se. Moon Indigo will still get her 2 columns a month, at least. But I'd also love to start working on Pavonia again. Completing a diagonal every month on Marquise de Caumont sounds good, but I also want to squeeze in time for Elizabeth Oliver and Awakening as well, not to mention my monthly rotation of full coverage pieces.

See what I mean? I may try a 3 day rotation in the evenings for some projects, just to see if I like it. Everything else should find its place. It usually does. :)

Okay, I've rambled enough here. Thanks to all who read this blog. Happy stitching!