Third finish of 2021

 435 stitches on Autumn Song by Blackbird Designs this evening and I have a finish! Square #22 on my WIPGO is complete.

Very quick update for 27th January

I didn't stitch much but I did get 143 stitches into Autumn Song by Blackbird Designs. This one is now 91% complete and I hoping for a finish in the next day or so.

Second Finish of 2021

This is my own design and I finished it tonight after starting it in 2019.

I ran out of the House of Embroidery thread I was using so stitched the peacock tails in a variegated thread.

This is square #9 on my WIPGO board crossed off.

 

Christmas on the 25th

 

I only have one Christmas-ish project - Companions by Teresa Wentzler - but as I had stitched on that for 12 days already this month, I decided I'd have a new start for stitching on the 25th of the month

I started a Christmas Collaboration 1999 freebie from Just Nan, Charland Designs and Shepherd's Bush and this is what I got done today alongside my smallest hoop (3¾" Siesta Spring Hoop).

I'm using all the called for DMC and working it on 28ct linen banding, arranging the three parts horizontally.

24 Hours of Cross Stitch Marathon Day 3

 

536 Stitches on Paris by Leonid Afremov. This is from a long-defunct website.

Less than 2% complete at this point but it's only January!

I didn't quite make it to 24 hours but it wasn't a bad attempt!

#24HOCS Marathon Day 2

 

I completed a further 240 stitches on the heart from Gecko Rouge and it is now 50% complete.

I then picked up Steotch 2019 and this is where it was at the start (with Part 4 started)

After completing Part 4

And after completing Part 5

45% complete after a huge 736 stitches and I'm planning on starting Part 6 for another 1 hour 14 minutes to complete the 8 hours for this first marathon.

#24HOCS Marathon Day 1

 

164 stitches in 1 hour 26 minutes on this one to finish it.

674 stitches on this one in 5 hours 28 minutes to get to 46% complete.

Total: 838 stitches in 6 hours and 54 minutes

First Finish of 2021

 

I put the final 164 stitches in this one today to finish the light blue motif on the right. It took me 1 hour and 26 minutes of the #24HOCS Marathon.

This completes WIPGO square #6

On to Project 2

#24HOCS Marathon Weekend Plans

 I'm going to be working on 4 projects this weekend to try to complete 24 in 48 hours of cross stitch. The projects were picked by my "Spin The Wheel" app on my phone.

Project 1: The European Border Sampler that is so close to a finish

Project 2: Heart

Project 3: Steotchalong 2019

Project 4: Paris at Night

Tomorrow should bring a finish

 

It should be my first finish of 2021 and it will complete WIPGO square #6 with plenty of time to spare for the month. Today i managed 536 stitches to get this one to 97% complete. I was hoping to get it finished tonight but I have to sleep!

There's just one motif to go in the space on the right-hand side.

Bordering on Completion

 

482 stitches on this piece today, some of it whilst watching the Inauguration of Joe Biden. Last time I was watching events at the Capitol I was unable to stitch at all as the attempted coup/insurrection occurred.

This one is now 88% complete so I think I have 2 more days work on it, but we shall see.

80% complete!

Stitched a huge 657 stitches today and got this one to 80% complete. My WIPGO goal to finish this piece is looking very achievable in the next 3-4 days now.

 

Bordering on insanity

Progress update on this folk motif sampler. Another 603 stitches and it's now 69% complete. With 1868 stitches and 12 stitching days left this month it's looking like I might meet my WIPGO goal and cross off square #6

I've now stitched the large corner motif to its furthest point so my goal is to finish that today. 

Not yet bored of borders

 

603 stitches and this one is now 58% complete. It's going to be tight to get my WIPGO goal done this month but I'll do my best. 

Second day of stitching on this piece this year, and onwards to my second WIPGO goal

498 Stitches on this project tonight, which is now 48% complete and on the way to the WIPGO goal of a finish. 

Only one more day left in the Stitchathon in Cross Stitch Crazy. I'm hoping to get this one to 60% complete if possible.

 

WIPGO goal #18 complete

 

Companions by Teresa Wentzler is now 24% complete. My WIPGO goal was to add 20% of progress and I started this year at 2%

To day I filled in some gaps, finished his boots and the snow under him and some backstitch on Father Christmas. 

It appears going outside is bad for me...

 As I've done nothing but cough since I came home. I've had a non-Covid cough (3 negative tests) for over 10 weeks now but it's worse today than the past couple of weeks - that means I need to do an e-consult with the doctor again, and it would be good to find out if there was anything on my x-ray I had taken just before Christmas.

Today's stitching was more work on Companions by Teresa Wentzler, another 482 stitches and it's now 18% complete so only 4% short of my WIPGO goal for Square 18. I did some snow, dried grass, the darkest colour on his boots and a bit of filling in gaps on his cape. Tomorrow I plan to finish the snow and boots and work some more on his cape. 

January 13th and I ventured outside

 Today I went on adventure. In Covid times, going anywhere is an adventure. I had an eye test and ordered new prescription sunglasses. 

I also stitched on Magical Night and added 283 stitches so that is now 5% complete. 

Stitching Update 12th January

 

Today I managed 409 stitches on Companions by Teresa Wentzler. It's now 17% complete, three-quarters of the way to my WIPGO goal this month for square #18. 

January 11th Stitching Update

398 Stitches on Teresa Wentzler's Companion. Mostly mauve on the cape, some gold on the bottom of the cape and the backstitch around the tassle on his hat.

 

First WIPGO Weekend Success!

 My WIPGO Weekend goals were 200 stitches on my European Border Sampler which is WIPGO square #6 and 500 stitches on Companions which is WIPGO square #18

Here's the starting point on the sampler:

Here's where I got to - 241 stitches:

Here's the starting point on Companions:

Here's where I got to - 531 stitches:

Stitching update 9th January - Wipgo Weekend on Companions

 

I worked on this one on Saturday towards my WIPGO Weekend goal of 500 stitches. I managed 361 on top of 42 the previous day so only 97 stitches to my goal. It may still be possible to hit my target.

Stitching update 8th January - Linen & Threads 2017

 

I managed to finish March, finally, on the 4th Birthday of starting this piece. It's now 29% complete.

2020 Finishes - a late round-up

These are my finished from 2020 in approximate order of completion, the notes I kept were a bit spotty and I didn't blog all year so information is going to be far from complete.

9 completed Flower of the Month Squares - stitched to complete a set of 12 started by a stitcher who passed away. I was only given working copies so I have no idea where they came from. The last square was finished before August 19th. They were all stitched on 28ct white jobelan. They were charted for Anchor threads which I used if I had them in my stash, but used the DMC palette if I didn't.

Another finish from the same stitcher's WIPs, this one was over one on 28ct fabric. Again I only had the working copy that came with the piece so I have no idea where it came from or what it was called. Stitched using DMC threads and finished before 20th August.

Final finish from the pile of WIPs for the stitcher. This one is called Oriental Phoenix and was from Serendipity Designs. It has a companion design called Oriental Dragon. Finished before 20th August. 

My own design, Summer Time stitched in various threads. Finished before 21st August.

Watch Out Spooks About - designed by me, stitched on 28ct black jobelan with DMC threads. Finished before 21st August.

Stitched with an unbranded variegated thread, probably a Janlynn Dyeing For The Needle colour. Finished on 25th August.

Flutterby - designed by me, based on my daughter's artwork from many years ago. Finished on 27th August.

Sun Mandala Biscornu - my own design stitched on 28ct yellow jobelan using unbranded variegated thread possibly Janlynn Dyeing For The Needle. Finished on 27th August.

London 2012 - designed by me and finished on 31st August.

Faith - designed by Dee Mohring and stitched using Olde Willow Stitchery thread in RIP Purple. Finished 3rd September.

Daffodil - designed by me, finished on the 4th September.

Russian Sampler, design from public domain - stitched using unbranded threads and finished on 12th September.

Stitched on 14ct white Aida with DMC threads. Finished on 16th September.

Stitched on 28ct Linen band using DMC threads. Finished on 20th September.

Birds in a Forest stitched on 28ct evenweave and finished on 20th September.

Sampler Witch by Homespun Elegance stitched using threads from stash and finished on 1st October.

Magic Kitty - Mill Hill kit stitched on perforated paper, finished on 6th October.

Pumpkins by Hand In Heart - stitched on 28ct evenweave using threads from stash, finished on 23rd October.

Dragonfly - my own design stitched on 28ct aqua linen band using Kate's Kloths Summer Sky and Polstitches Sizzling Sherbet. Finished on 28th October.

Tiny Toad - old free design from Cross-Eyed Cricket, stitched on an evenweave using DMC threads. I didn't use Kreinik and it needs a charm which i haven't attached yet. Finished on 29th October,

Steotchalone 2020 - designed by Steotch (Em Fitzpatrick) - wording changed from House Sweet House, stitched on 14ct white aida using DMC threads. Finished on 5th November.

May Flowers designed by me, finished on 6th November.

Celtic Knot Bookmark stitched on 28ct Country French Linen in Old Lace using threads from stash. Finished on 7th November.

Sweet Apples Sampler Tree Ornament by Little House Needleworks - stitched on linen using threads from stash. Finished on 9th November and then finished as a long pillow with polka dot fabric and burlap ribbon trim.

Penguin freebie from Maria Demina of Little Room in the Attic, stitched on Ice blue linen band using DMC and Kreinik #8. Finished in a small hoop that I painted and trimmed with sky blue ric-rac braid. This cutie was part of a penguin parade sent to a member of #TeamQueueingPolitely. Finished on 13th November.

Christmas Ornament made from the top of a drum in Blackbird Designs book "The Sewing Club" using Weeks Dye Works Begonia, Cayenne Red, Bullfrog and Palomino. Finished 17th November. This was for an exchange for the Cross Stitch Crazy group on Facebook. 

Echeverria Cactus from Ugly Duckling House stitched on 35ct printed fabric from SewItAll, light green mottled using DMC threads. Framed in a 6" square black frame for Secret Santa @ #TeamQueueingPolitely (the Steotch team I'm a member of). Finished 24th November.

I'm A Cross Stitch Addict by Durene Jones stitched on 32ct white jobelan using threads from stash. Finished on 25th November.

Just Dragon, freebie from Dragon Dreams, changed all the writing to be the same colour as coffee. Finished 27th November.

Home for the holidays, designed by me, stitched on 28ct Eau de Nil Jobelan using Olde Willow Stitchery and Six Strand Sweets threads. Finished on 28th November.

Penguin Letter Library from Cross Stitcher magazine. I took the Penguin from the letter H and adapted him to fit around the letter J. This was finished and sent as part of a penguin parade sent to a member of #TeamQueueingPolitely. Finished 2nd December.

La Tulipe Noire from a magazine stitched on 28ct Ivory Linen using DMC threads. Finished on 3rd December.

Sweet Honey by Elizabeth's Designs, stitched on 32ct evenweave using DMC and Weeks Dye Works. Substituted Weeks Amber for Golds and Weeks Moss for Needle Necessities Greens. Still needs a bee charm on the top centre. Finished 5th December.

Garden Mini designed by Helen Wind, finished on 6th December.

The Do Not Love - design by me, stitched using Anchor 1206 and 47 on Kiwi Illusions "Kiwi" 28ct. Finished 7th December.

Cats Rule from Designs by Lisa stitched on 28ct evenweave using DMC threads. Old free design finished on 8th December.

Lady Drinking Tea - Stitched on 32ct Vintage Zweigart using DMC threads, no metallics, finished 8th December.

Lily of the Valley - my own design stitched on an unknown 32ct linen using Sparklies Solo SF0061 and Royal 9011. Finished on 20th December.

And finally a non-stitchy finish this year - Luna Lapin - though I have yet to make her any clothes. She's made from grey marl wool felt and hand stitched. We won't mention the wonky ears.

And a knitting finish - this cable jumper took me about 18 months to finish. Knitted in an
80% wool/20% acrylic mix in charcoal grey.