Monday, December 25, 2017

2017 Review: The Finishes


Hi all! Man, I really fell off the map this year. I didn't mean to. There was just so much going on with family drama and work, I didn't have time for much stitching or blogging. I'm hoping that will change for 2018, so I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. :)

For 2017, I had a total of 22 starts and 8 finishes, so my total number of wips at the moment is 47 (though a few of those might be UFOs). I just did a count and realized 24 of those wips are full coverage pieces, the smallest of which is 3 pages, the largest 220 pages. This year was so crazy, I didn't get to stitch on 10 of them, so I feel like I've lost a year's worth of progress almost. I am starting to want a finish on one of them though, so I may be adjusting how I work on them in the future. (Still thinking about it...)

I don't think I'll be showcasing all of my starts this year, but I may show a few of them in a later post. For now, here are my 8 finishes!

The first you may remember from earlier this year. "Time For God" by Lizzie Kate was finished April 8th, as a present for my mother's birthday. Stitched on 32ct Vintage Exemplar from Lakeside Linens:
Another gift was "Friends are like Bras" also from Lizzie Kate. Stitched on 32ct Cream Lugana, finished on April 20th:
I made the mistake of gifting "Friends" to my co-worker at work, so I was then bombarded with requests to stitch something for everyone else who saw it. One lady even asked me to stitch her two of the same project, for her two besties. Like, no big deal, right? Anyway, there was one request I gave in to, probably because it was so small. This is another Lizzie Kate, though I added the seven initials in honour of my friend's seven grandchildren, whom she calls her "Lucky 7." Stitched on 32ct Ivory Lugana, this was finished on June 20th, though I forgot to get a picture of it framed:
I gave in to another co-worker's demand as well, though he was willing to pay for the framing and supplies. I actually had fun with this one, and really like how it turned out. This is from Summer House Stitche Workes, called "Sophia." Stitched on 28ct Dubloon Cashel from Picture This Plus, I finished it June 25th:
Next I finished one of my 2016 starts. This is "Red Riding Hood" from the Prairie Schooler, on 32ct Antique White Lugana, finished July 7th:
This was a year of stitchy gifts, and this one went to a dear friend who happens to be obsessed with Outlander, so I thought a thistle would be appropriate. This is "Tiny Thistle" from The Sweetheart Tree, stitched on 28ct Platinum Cashel. It was really fun to do something so small and delicate. I think this is the second project I've ever beaded. It was finished on August 20th, and again, I didn't take a photo of it framed:
Another from last year was finally finished on November 10th. I am sad to see this little guy go, but he does look adorable. This is Geometric Bunny, stitched on 16ct Aida:
Last but not least, I finished up the first block on Frosty Forest. Actually, he's not entirely finished. I still need the french knots for his eyes and nose, but I don't want them to get crushed in the qsnaps, so I'll add them later, when I add all the buttons. This is "Raccoon Cabin" by Country Cottage Needleworks, stitched on 32ct Belfast in Touch of Gray, finished December 12th:

So that's it for all my finishes. I'm generally pleased to get one done a year, so having 8 is really unexpected. Helps they were fairly small though. :)

Thanks for reading, or just looking at the pictures. Hopefully I can get back into the blogging community, since I really enjoy reading about everyone's projects and seeing updates. I've missed you guys! I should make one more post this year to show off a couple wips, and maybe talk about plans. Anyone else doing a new start on New Year's? (can't wait!)

One last thing -- I keep forgetting to mention that I'm also on Instagram. So follow me @impstitcher if you're into that kind of thing. Until next time. Happy stitching, and Merry Christmas!