Kickstarting 2021

 Hello all! Welcome back to another long winded stitchy ramble. :)

I don't know about you, but I love making plans, especially about cross stitch. I usually start planning for the new year around September as I'm always so anxious to see what all I can accomplish and what my goals should be. For this year, I'm actually trying to plan a bit less than my normal obsessive self would like and be a bit more flexible. It's hard. I'm one of those people who doesn't like surprises at all. I'm at my best when I have a scheduled itinerary for the day, and a nice to-do list so I can check off tasks. But last year, what I wanted to stitch started to butt heads with what I was "supposed" to stitch, and the result was usually me sulkily playing games on my tablet instead. 

So this year, I'm being more flexible. Trying to be. I haven't done my usual weekly planning of wips for the year. Instead, I'm making loose plans from month to month based on a handful of goals, and I'm letting myself be more open to changes that pop up in facebook challenges, sals, or just my whims. Right now, my plans for February are pretty solid, but I've left a little wiggle room here and there. I also have definite goals for March, but no definitive plan. But April? That's still completely open. I'm hoping I can have a bit more fun with my stitching this year and stitch on what I'm enjoying at that moment, even if that means some of my goals will not be met. Because that's ok! 

I've already embraced a bit of whimsy by taking on 2 new SALs, both completely unplanned, but both amazing projects. The first is from Quiltify Designs, called Grande Vierlande. 

When I first saw this on Etsy, I just gasped. There's something about they way those circular motifs are arranged that I absolutely love, so I had to have it. This one is a very large project at 493x467. But I think what truly makes it amazing is that you actually get 3 versions of this chart, which he's colored as Red, Blue and Green, so you can pick your favorite motifs to stitch and make your sampler truly unique. I can't imagine how much work must have gone into charting all that, but it's a fantastic concept. Of course, I haven't made near as much progress as I would've liked, but I almost got my first motif done:

My alphabet is from the Red version, as are the first 2 crowns. My first motif is from the Green version. It was really hard to pick which ones to stitch, as they are all lovely. I had some Silks4U in my stash and thought these colors worked very well together, PR132 and PR021. The design is so large, I decided to go with 46ct Latte from XJuDesigns. I know I can't keep up with the sal, but I hope to get back to this regularly.

My second sal is another temperature chart. I really liked Stitchin' Mommy's temperature tree last year, and I may do that next year, but when I saw this temperature library from Kristi's Corner Needle, I thought it was pefect:

I didn't start this until the 12th, so I'm a bit behind, but I love how this is stitching up. Some people have opted to backstitch their books to make them more distinct, but I'm rather enjoying the blobs of color at the moment. Plus, the books are usually different shapes and sizes, so telling them apart isn't difficult.

I've updated my colors a bit from the last temperature chart I did. Aren't they all so lovely? :)

I suppose I should move on and talk about what I did plan for this year. I plan to make a bit more significant progress on a few select wips. I've picked 8-10 of my full coverage pieces, and about a dozen smaller pieces. I'm hoping to get in 6 finishes this year, and maybe 15 page finishes. We'll see. To help with this goal, I've decided to have a focus project each month to work on every day. I don't think I can be monogamous, but at the same time, working long term on a project seems to make me want to stitch more on it, not less. At least, up to a point.

My first monthly project was Kabuki. I had just finished a 30 day rotation on her in December, but I really couldn't wait to pick her up again. I only worked on her for 25 days this month (12 Days of Christmas got the first 5) but I've added 2,931 stiches, and I think she's looking pretty good:

I've almost finished her neck now, just another couple rows until her kimono starts to sweep around her. Once again, I am sad to put her down, but I'm also excited to see how much progress I can make on my other projects. I'm think Kabuki will be out again in June, but no firm plans yet. :)

I've also decided to pick up one of my most neglected wips again this year (although I have quite a few, sad to say) because it just breaks my heart to see these projects languish year after year. I actually picked this up in December and got a tiny page finish, and that has helped to fuel the fire for this year. This is The Favorite Bird from Golden Kite, art by Charles Hue:

I don't really like showing this one because there's nothing to look at yet, and the camera doesn't like all those dark colors. I've started in the bottom right corner, so it's just the floor and the beginning of a couple table legs. But one has to make a start somewhere, and my brain does not like center starts on full coverage, so floor and table it is. My goal is to complete at least 4 pages this year, although I might aim for 9. I've already completed 1 page and started a second, but I doubt this will be out every month since I'll still be focusing on Luna. It'll be a push, but I do love this image, so I think a push is needed.

I haven't decided yet if I'll be focusing on Favorite Bird every year now or if I'll rotate through my other neglected wips. I do have quite a few that are calling to me. I'll likely set a certain goal for each project and rotate when that's done. Probably. Which one would you work on if you were me?

I hope you are are making some good stitchy progress. Until next time!

A Brief, Belated Farewell to 2020

 I know yearly summaries should be accomplished at the end of the year, but here we are, almost done with January, and I'm just now getting around to mine. I feel like time has turned into an express train and I keep waiting for it to stop. Oh well. I don't want to spend too much time going over everything I've done for the year, but I thought I'd mention a couple highlights, and document a few statistics since I like keeping track of those.

My big goal for 2020 was to stitch on all of my wips at least once. I didn't quite succeed, but it was so close, I'm considering it a success. My main reason for doing this was to reacquaint myself with all of them and figure out if any should be ufo'd or become more of a focus. I'm really glad I did that, because I did have a few surprises, and that has helped me rearrange some goals for this year.

I started 2020 with 66 wips (I think) and, after a bit of lockdown madness that started in April and somehow managed to reverberate through the rest of the year, I finished with 77 active wips, 2 finishes, and 6 ufos. Out of all these wips, there were only 3 that I wasn't able to stitch on, and 2 of those became ufos. So, pretty much a success.

Because of the quarantine, I was able to have a very good stitching year. My total stitches for 2020 came to 153,622. (I should mention, I do count tent stitches as 1 stitch.) I think this is my highest total yet. My total time came to 792.4 hours, and I managed to stitch 355 days for the year. Not too shabby.

While I would love to show you all the progress I made on each of my 77 wips, I know that's impossible for one post. But I would like to highlight a few favorites. First up, as always, is Luna:

I had really hoped to finish off the row for the year, but that just didn't happen. But I did manage to add 20,500 stitches to this beauty, so she wasn't too neglected. She's still a focus piece for 2021, so we'll see if I can make up for my lack of progress.

Next is Elizabeth Oliver by Moira Blackburn, I've decided to gift this to my mother this May, which means I need to hurry up and finish her. I'm definitely getting closer:

I've really enjoyed stitching on this one, and I'll miss her when she's done. For the year, I put in 14,899 stitches. Yes, she really is big.

My New Year's start actually became one of my favorites as well, even though I'm only stitching the carpet at the moment. I've loved this image for so long, that may be part of the reason. This is absolute confetti with blended threads, but it's hard to put her down once I've started. This is The Fireplace, art by James Tissot, chart by Golden Kite. (Please excuse the messy threads and terrible lighting):

I've nicknamed this one Sofie, as sort of an homage to Georgette Heyer and her book The Grand Sophy. (My Sofie looks pretty grand too, right?) I wish I had picked this one up a few more times, but I'm glad I got as much progress as I did. Total stitches so far is 8872.

Last, I will show what is probably my oldest wip, Kabuki from Mystic Stitch. I spent a few months watching all of Kim Hollenback's flosstube videos, and she really inspired me to try to make more progress on at least some of my full coverage wips. To that end, I challenged myself to work on Kabuki for 30 days straight with the goal of at least 50 stitches per day. It's not a lot, but it's more than nothing:

I did my 30 day challenge from mid November through mid December, so she got a total of 53 days progress. I managed 2909 stitches in those 30 days, and 6270 for the year. I was really surprised at how much I've enjoyed working on her, as this is a pretty difficult chart. But it was hard to put her down at the end of those 30 days. I've actually picked her up again this month, but that will have to wait for another update.

Hopefully, I can get back on track this year with my updates. (If I can tear myself away from stitching to do so.) Wishing you all the best for 2021. Happy stiching!

All About Polly

Hi gang! I had hoped to make a progress report last week, but I was too caught up in my stitching to make a post. So this week I thought I'd do a long rambly post all about my current obsession, Polly Phillip 1772 from The Scarlet Letter.

I stitched on her a solid 7 days before I put her down, but I had to pick her up again a few days later. (The force is strong with this one!) I've had a few trials and tribulations with her, which I'll discuss in a bit, but I love how she's stitching up. I might be able to put her down for a while now (Luna is glaring and tapping her foot) but I'll be anxiously waiting for my next chance to pick her up again.

So, last time you saw her, I was only 2 days in and still fleshing out the border. Here she is after 12 days of stitching:

I must say, those blue flowers are really eye catching, even across the room. I think those are hydrangeas, and the other is a carnation. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) I wish I could've gotten to a yellow flower, but that will come in due time. The border stitches up pretty quickly, but there are a lot of stitches in there. The main line of the vine is very symmetrical, but every nook of each flower's space is filled with narrow curling leaves  or blooming petals. I really like it. As I mentioned before, the border is full cross stitch, which I'm doing with 2 strands over 2 on 36ct Pecan Butter.

Above that is the first (last?) bit of verse, which ends in "Avoid Sin." Very good advice. The big letters are regular cross stitch (I used 2 strands again) and the rest is 1 over 1, full cross stitches. I'm still very slow at 1x1, and my stitches still look a bit wonky close up, but stepping back, it all evens out and looks great. So I'll keep at it. I'm trying to use the tutorial from Twisted Threads as a guide, but it's a very brief tutorial, and only covers stitching in a straight line. If anyone knows of any other tutorials, please let me know! :)

And of course, once I started the first pastoral scene, I just couldn't stop. It's all stitched over 1, mostly tent stitching, but the pattern suggests to outline each motif with a full cross stitch and then fill in with tent stitch. I'm not doing that for everything, but I did it for the big flower, which really helps keep the outer stitches from disappearing. I figured the grass, bushes and leaves can be tent stitch only to give them a more natural feel? And I can always change my mind later. The flower stem looks a little spindly tho...

As for the trials and tribulations I mentioned. Well. [This might not interest anyone who isn't planning to stitch this chart, but if you'd like a little peek into Scarlet Letter charts in general, or if you're just bored and curious, read on. Also, I think I just need to vent a little, and this is my blog, so... :)] 

tl,dr: Always double check your charts for accuracy!

I'll start by saying that the chart is essentially okay, as in I can stitch the whole thing as is just fine, but there are some little things I've had to tweak. The chart is computer generated, not hand drawn (though I do have a SL chart that is). However, they've used the larger 11x17 pages rather than the standard 8.5x11, and there are some places where it appears they've had to do some manual cutting and pasting and photocopying to make a full chart. They did a really good job, but some of the lines are wonky at the joins, so I have to be extra careful when counting. Also, the graph isn't numbered, so I had to take some time to line up each section of my working copy (I always make a working copy) to avoid accidental overlaps. As an additional whine, I could add that the graph is small and a bit blurry, but it copied just fine and I can always blow it up if need be.

I thinks that's all the minor stuff. I would like to add that I do have a more modern SL chart that is just like any other pattern these days: computer generated, nice big, dark symbols that are easy to read, and a standard size page. I'm not sure when they updated their charts, but Polly is from 2004, and my modern chart is from 2014.

My biggest headache has stemmed from the cover image of the pattern -- or rather, the assumption that it was correct. I don't know what the story is about the model or who stitched it, but it is incomplete. I know that's really a "so what?" but I'm the type who constantly refers to the completed image for guidance, about colors (especially if the chart is blurry and I can't read the symbol) or motif placement, to make sure I am where I think I am. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be as big a deal, but the chart has one major flaw: The text and pastoral scenes, charted separately because they are over 1, do not line up with the border chart, and there are no markers on the border chart for placement beyond the first letter of each text line. 

This actually took me a couple days to sort out, made worse by the incomplete model, made even worse when I realized the SL website actually shows two different stitched models: one of the full piece, and one for close up pics. However, the versions differ from each other! Since I'm starting at the end of the verse, I counted it out several times to make sure I had everything in the correct spot. Unfortunately, it didn't line up with either version of the model, which made me very nervous. I'm pretty sure I'll be okay with my placement now, but I won't really know until the whole line is stitched. But the text graph was 4 threads too short in placing the end of the row, and the pastoral scene was 7 threads too wide. So I'm very glad I counted.

Here are two versions presented on the SL website. The left is from the cover photo on the pattern. The right is closer to what is charted, but still incomplete (missing a butterfly). Notice how the first one is missing a large chunk of tree?

Scarlet Letter also has a gallery of completed works, and here you can really see the difference between the pattern model (left) and the actual finished piece (right):

The model's top panel is pretty sparse in comparison, but I think the biggest difference is in the bottom scene. On the model, the rolling hills are completely different, and the bits under the central urn are missing. It also seems that the left leaf and flower were a bit improvised, as they don't match the chart at all. There are many other little differences, but you get the idea.

I'm not pointing out all these disparities to cast aspersions at Scarlet Letter. Like I said, I don't know the story behind the model or the person who stitched it. I'm not here to judge. But I remember when I first saw this chart and I had that jolt -- you know that jolt? Like, you see something so amazing you know you have to make it part of your life, even if it seems impossible? That jolt? But I hesitated because I had a sense like it wasn't quite balanced, I guess. (hard to put these things into words) The center panels did seem sparse compared to that dense border. But seeing the actual finished piece, I feel that sense of balance now. Like, Yes, there's that piece I didn't know was missing! And I just wanted to share that with you. Polly is beautiful. I wish SL had a better representation of that. Also, I wanted to make everyone aware that you should always double check your charts, especially if they're older. But don't be afraid to stitch them!

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!

August Wrap Up

 Well hello there! As promised, I'm back with a quick update on some non full coverage wips. I've hit a couple milestones this month, so check them out! :)

First up is Elizabeth Oliver. I have finally finished that house!

It was actually pretty quick to finish up, unlike that lawn which took for-ev-er! I guess I really like stitching houses, cuz I really just couldn't put this down til that was done. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I wish all the windows weren't black, but I don't think yellow would be very appealing either. I had a fleeting thought to put some detail in the attic window, maybe some backstitch lines to make it look like segmented glass, but I just left it plain. I do like how the color of the house turned out though. It's a blend of DMC 782 and 833, which gives it a nice textured look.

Next, I've finished up Courage on my Sheep Virtues, so now this project is half way done:

This was a really cute block, and another quick finish. I had to change the purple though. It called for DMC 3041, which is more like a deep mauve-y purple. But the cover picture was a nice light violet, and I really liked that look. So I subbed in DMC 209, which is a little more saturated than I would like, but it's almost exactly like the picture, so I'm happy with it. Not sure if this will be out again this year since I've met my goal, but you never know. 

I've been trying out a new rotation this month which I've really been enjoying. I might discuss it in a future post, but I'm not sure if anyone would be interested? We'll see. But first, I'm still trying to work on my new year's resolution to work on all my wips. Thanks to all the shenanigans of this year, I still have about 34 to go. Yikes. Some drastic measures may need to be taken.

Well, I think that's all for now. Told ya this would be quick. Hope you all are doing well. I want to hope that things will get better soon. So until next time, happy stitching!

Full Coverage Fever

 Well, it's been another month, and I've been stitching like a madwoman. July ended up being all about my full coverage projects, one of which was a restart that I sort of became obsessed with.

If you've been around for a while, you might remember I started Euphoria from HAED back in early 2015. I really love that chart, but I've hardly worked on her in 4 years, for a couple reasons. But I think the main culprit was the fabric. I was still experimenting back then, and chose 28ct Cashel linen so I could use tent stitches. Afterall, she's a really big girl (96 pages!). But of course, linen is a bit uneven, and my over 1 stitches began to look super wonky. I ignored it for the longest time (5 pages worth) but it just got to the point where I didn't want to work on her at all. So I've actually been debating weather or not to restart her for a couple years now. 

The fact that it's been a couple years is what ultimately decided for me. Time it too short to waste on indecision. But when the mini version came out, I struggled with which version to do. Long story short, I went with the mini. There is a sacrifice to certain details, but I think the mini version is good enough, and small enough (24 pages) that I have a chance to actually finish it, which is my ultimate goal. I know I am a process stitcher and start things just to enjoy the feel of stitching on them, but there are a few projects I really want to see on my walls, and this is definitely one of them.

So here's the mock up for Mini Euphoria by Melanie Delon, plus the first page all stitched up and pretty:

When I say I became obsessed with this project, that's no lie. I was supposed to swap her out after a week to continue my rotation, but the page was stitching up so quickly (thanks to all that black), I just had to finish it. I did start with page 1 this time (last time was page 96) and it's full cross on 25ct, which I've really come to prefer. This page was almost a deal breaker when I was first considering the mini because that first leaf is supposed to be green, not dark brown. However, it's still discernible (a bit better in person) and I think that's the worst for the loss of detail. 

I stitched this page in just 11 days, which is about half my usual time. But I was obsessed. After this page, I was very tempted to continue on to page 2, but then HAED had another sale, and another obsession came home with me.

I really didn't want to make another new start, but then I thought, why not? I've had at least one new start every month this year, and 2020 is so far off the rails, what's the harm? Plus, I was thinking about this one even before it was charted, so it's like I've been patiently waiting for several years already. :)

This is Contessa with Squid, art by Omar Rayyan, one of my favorite artists. I went with the mini version again, as the mock up didn't look too pixelated, and I didn't want to stitch all that black in the larger version:

When I began this, I thought I'd just blitz through this page like I did with Euphoria and have it done in 10 days or so. But there is so much confetti in those tentacles, it really slowed me down. Still, I stitched this page in just 14 days, which I consider quite the feat. I am super in love with how those tentacles look, and I really can't wait to get back to her. I know I need to do a proper rotation through a few of my other focus wips, but sometimes you just gotta follow your feelings. :)

I am still rather obsessed with my full coverage projects, but I have managed some progress on a few other wips. But I think I'll save those for next time, hopefully next week. This year seems to be speeding up on me, and the months keep sliding by. I hope everyone is keeping well and safe. Enjoy whatever time you have for stitching and crafting and being happy. Until next time!

A Bit Random

So it's been 5 weeks. Returning to work has been quite an adjustment, especially where my stamina is concerned. My first week back, I was all but useless after work, and my first foray into overtime required naps afterward. But things are getting back to normal-ish, with only a few bumps here and there.

I haven't been stitching much, but I've still managed to stitch almost every day. However, my rotation is pretty much random as it seems picking up something I'm not feeling results in a loss of my stitchy bug. Kind of worrisome, since that hasn't happened in a long while, but I haven't lost it yet.

So here's some of my random selections. First, I was inspired by the Bingo event in Full Coverage Fanatics on Facebook to pick up Scale, which I unfortunately hadn't touched in two years. I moved her from a scroll frame to qsnaps, so I can treat you with the full image of where she was before and a close up of where she is now:

Overall, I didn't get very much done on her, but I'm very happy to have worked on her again. I love working with all those vivid colors.

Next, I couldn't get Jim Shore's 12 Days of Christmas out of my head, so I made a start on 6 Geese a-Laying:

It feels like I barely made a dent in this block, but at least I managed to get the nest of leaves done, which is probably the most stitch intensive part of this block. I'm looking forward to the checkered egg, though there's still a bit of confetti there. Hopefully I can finish up this block in December.

I haven't stitched on Elizabeth Oliver since June, but I love this wip and I'm making some good progress on the house:

Hopefully next time I show her, the house will be done. It's really going pretty quickly. If I can just carve out a little more time to stitch.

I think that's all for now. I've been stitching here and there on several other pieces, but I'll show them once I get a bit more progress in. Hope you all are doing well and staying sane in these crazy times. Happy stitching!