Startitis?

 It seems I've started quite a few projects this year, some of which were planned, but most were not. This year has been so crazy and I have so many things in my stash I want to start, I felt like a little indulgence was allowed. But of course, once I gave in, it was hard to stop. So I've kind of made 2020 into another "year of starts," and there are a few I haven't shown here yet.

Last year there were a couple Blackbird Designs that really caught my eye, but they were special retreat projects that only a lucky few received. So I patiently waited for a whole year to finally buy these charts, and I just had to start one of them. That one was Come Into My Garden:

I started this on August 18th, cuz I just couldn't wait another moment. Unfortunately, my schedule was kind of tight in August, so I only got in 3 hours of stitching (for a whole week!), but I really do love this. It has a real delicacy to it, and it just feels very feminine, if that makes sense. The fabric is from an indie dyer on Etsy called Tropical Stitches. It's 40ct in sort of a peachy tan called Angirella, and I think the colors will look great on it. Don't know when I'll get back to this (or any of these) but I'm glad to have it started.

I'm sure you've all seen those Carolyn Manning charts that look like quilts? She has several different types, each with several different color palettes. I'd like to stitch about 25 of them, but a few months ago, I settled on 1. I finally bought it with all the threads in September, and promptly caved in and started it on the 20th. This is Amethyst from her Shooting Stars collection on 32ct Antique White Lugana:

The colors don't quite match the mock up on the cover (just a bit darker) and my camera really struggled with the saturation here, but it's looking pretty good so far. There are 9 pages and I already have one tiny partial page complete. It is hard to put this one down. It's so easy to keep going and fill in all those gaps! We'll see how long this one take me. There are at least 2 more I really want to buy. Also, in case you're wondering, the 4 charts at the bottom are actually separate mini charts, so you can stitch the smaller designs if the big ones are too, well, big. :)

The next one was a spontaneous start, but it's intended as a gift for someone next year, so that's my excuse. Nevermind that it's totally adorable. I found this at So Easy Pattern on Etsy:

I really like these geometric designs, and I guess Amethyst wasn't enough. But really, this looks a lot like my friend's little Dachshund, named Penny for her copper color:

I'm just stitching this on 32ct Ant. White Lugana, and it's only about 4x7. I have almost a year to finish and frame it, so no pressure. :)

Last was a mostly planned start that happened yesterday. I knew I had to start something big on the 10th because I love how that date looks: 10-10-2020. I've already started enough ginormous full coverage projects, so I thought I'd start a sampler. There were a few that I really had trouble deciding between, but in the end, I started Polly Phillip 1772 from The Scarlet Letter:

I think this was the first of their charts I really fell in love with, and finally purchased last year. I almost started her back in April, but I was still trying to be a little bit good. So now she has a place of honor as my big start. And I'm so loving her right now! I'm using 36ct Pecan Butter by Lakeside Linens, so I'm using 2 strands for the full crosses. However, the scenes in the center are all done over 1 with tent stitch, so it'll be quite a contrast.

As usual, I've started in the bottom right corner. I dithered about stitching the outer most border, since it's not actually stitched on the model. But I found some other pictures online, and decided I do like the look of that outer line. It gives it a very structured, finished look. The floral border is so much fun to stitch. It's a combination of rigid structure, with everything outlined and a very symmetrical vine, plus the organic flow of curling leaves and asymmetrical motifs. And the colors are super amazing. I'm just using DMC, but the palette is really vibrant. I can't wait to stitch more.

I've cleared my stitching schedule this week so I can focus on Polly, so let's see how far I get! I'm hoping to finish up this corner and work my way up to the first scene at the bottom and try out my tent stitching skills. The stitching is pretty dense though, and it'll be hard to tear myself away from that border. But hopefully I can post again next week with an update. Until then, happy stitching!