February IHSW

So, I have finally taken the plunge and joined in on a few SALs. Funny, that's one of the main reasons why I started a blog, was so I could "officially" join in on the fun. Silly of me to wait until February, but better late than never!

First up is IHSW, a wonderful idea for motivation. As usual, I didn't get as much stitching done as I'd hoped this weekend, but I did manage a bit of progress on my Green Fern Fairy, who now has most of her skirt, and Moon Indigo, one of my focus wips for the year. Here are the before and after pics:

I was actually able to finish a column and get a page finish on Moon Indigo (yay!). That's three pages finished so far (out of 63!) and two more to complete my goal for the year (though I'm secretly hoping to finish another four).

Total stitches for the weekend: 1935. I usually only do about 2000 a week, so I must say the IHSW was a success! Hoping everyone else had a good bit of progress, and I'll definitely be joining in again next month. It aligns perfectly with my New Solstice Start, so that must be good luck, right?

Until next time!

Progress Update

My stitching progress has been a bit slow this month, but it's beginning to come along. Mother is recovering from minor knee surgery, so it seems most of my time has been tending to her rather than my wips, but I suppose she's worth it. (And she'll be reading this soon...)

My Fern Fairy has been the most neglected, but over the last two weeks, I've managed to finish off her sash, do some backstitching on her arms and wings, and finish her hair. Haven't gotten to her leafy crown yet, so please pardon the blankness there. I know it looks odd with bits of her hair hovering in space...

Green Fern Fairy, Feb. 16

She's getting close to the finish line. All she really needs is her crown, the rest of her dress and shoes, and then the beads! I am looking forward to the beading, as it's something I've never done before and frankly never thought I'd be interested in even trying. But after seeing so many cross stitch videos on Youtube, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm still debating whether I should use the recommended DMC floss to attach the beads or try some invisible thread. Probably the invisible, as I've already got my eye on another Mirabilia (Cassiopeia!) and a Chatelaine.

Speaking of future projects, I plan on starting a big one soon. I mentioned back in January an idea I had about starting a new project at every solstice. The concept came about as I was searching for a compromise between my urge for serial starting (a very bad habit I picked up a few years back) and the need to focus on my current wips. While I don't want to completely deny the thrill of new starts, I also want to make progress on a few of my baps. So, why not have a few definitive dates to look forward to? That way I can practice self restraint and give myself a reward! :)

Spring solstice is March 20, so I'm starting something spring themed: Euphoria, by Melanie Delon, charted by HAED. The goal for my solstice start is to stitch on my new project as much as possible for the last 10 days of the month, guilt free. This means no worrying about my other wips, goals, etc. It's just pure indulgence. If you think it sounds nice, feel free to join me. I do love a good stitch-a-long! It doesn't have to be big, just something that's been screaming for attention. I am not good at these things, but I've made myself a badge for motivation.

I am already looking forward to March 20th. :) Until next time!