From February

Yes, I am stitching Lindy Stitches What a Marvelous World SAL. 

This photo stinks as my fabric is actually blue. Picture This Plus Ariel to be exact. I have never kept up with a SAL before, but this is the month I fall behind most likely. Love this. Love everything Stephanie designs. I've got a lot of her patterns and cross stitching is totally my speed right now. 

 

Fourth WIPGO Finish

 Another bonus finish. In February I was Zoom stitching with my Friday friends when I had enough of what I was working on. I swiveled my chair and one of my clear plastic project cases caught my eye.

And there was Dolly. I had last worked on this at Camp Wannastitch January 2020. You know, in the before times. Fringe beading, messy beading, whatever you want to call it, it's a lot of beads. She's on some beautiful green wool from my stash with a piece of ribbon for her blanket. She's number 3 of 4 in a beaded menagerie class that Nancy Eha did for the EGA.

So many hours of beading later, she's finished and in her custom painted hoop. 

Still Stitching

First up, I picked up Outer Banks Sunrise from the framers. Oh. I love this little piece so much. I didn't intend to frame it. I was asked to teach it at my guild and thought maybe I'd put in a card. Nope. Love it. Keeping it. 

And I did a bonus piece this month. In January of 2020, I started this llama at Camp Wannastitch. Brought it home, worked on it once, then set it aside. Then covid happened and I didn't want to even look at it. Three days of work last week and it's finished. 

This is the third piece from an EGA class I took with Nancy Eha. I've got one more to go. 

 

Third WIPGO Finish

 

February's #17.

Work 8 hours on painted canvas.

Took me about 4 hours to complete this Santa that was partially stitched by my friend, JoAnn. This is one of her projects I decided to keep and finish. It had a stitch guide with it. She had started the glass of lemonade with the wrong thread and Stitch and I finished it her way. I changed the background completely. It's cute and fun. 

Second WIPGO Finish

 

The class is Sailing Away by Catherine Jordan. I took it many years ago with the Oatlands EGA Chapter.

We started by painting our paper mache boxes. And then for more fun, we painted our linen before stitching on it. As per usual, an excellent class by Catherine. And I'm happy to have added it to the finished column. 

First Finish

Queenstown Sampler Designs finish of R. LeTellier. 

When did I start this? I'm guessing somewhere around 2009? It's six colors of DMC floss on a Wichelt linen whose color name is Champagne. Linen from my early 1990s stash. 

I goofed on the right side border last year and made the piece longer than it should be. By the time I realized it, there was no way I was ripping it out. 

I left out 2 small hearts and added my initials. Also added qsd and the year of the finish. 

I'm still amazed at how so few colors can look so interesting. Wish we knew about the stitcher, but we don't. 

 

Behind Because Blah, or my 2022 Plan

 New Year. New plans. Completely derailed by massive cold. Not Covid-19. Everyone tested negative. But no energy and I've barely been keeping up with the basics.

Now that I have had two nights of sleep without coughing, I can feel the brain cells starting to function properly.

Twenty years ago, I joined the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the EGA in the Metropolitan Region. A very nice lady(Martha!), saw me ask online about stitching opportunities around West Point and she invited me to the September meeting. Well. I I had found my people. It was sad to move away from my new friends after three years, but Army retirement happened along with a final Army move.

I arrived in northern Virginia in July of 2005. Visited all the local shops and joined my new primary chapter, Oatlands. So many talented people, so much beautiful needlework. By 2011, I attended my first National Seminar. And though I don't go every year, I go as often as possible. I've won some ribbons of every color, worked on a needlepoint magazine, become a shop girl in a needlepoint shop. 

I've had the opportunity to try so many different techniques. And my stash reflects this.

Thus, this year my plan is to to do WIPGO with 20 EGA pieces. What is WIPGO? It's a Facebook group that calls out 2 numbers a month and those are the WIPs you work on. My goal is 8hours on each piece. That will be enough to finish some of them. Others, 8 hours will move me along and hopefully keep me motivated.

First numbers are 2 & 19. R. LeTellier from Queenstown Sampler Designs is #2. I've already worked 5 of my 8 hours and will just see this through to the end. 

My WIPGO board. Nothing fancy. Going for a coverall! 

January 1st, 2022

In a car driving north. Over 900 miles from grandchildren to our house. Trying to drive straight thru. 

Accidental photo I took this morning... LOL 

I do have stitching plans for 2022. But it will have to wait till Tuesday or Wednesday to explain. 

Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all. May 2022 bring you joy. 

 

Year End

 

Time has been getting away from me. Sometimes it seems like there's a lot happening, other times, nothing is happening. 

But we are currently in Florida with the granddaughters for the first visit in two years. Fun times! They grow up too fast. I've got the 8 year old hooked on needlepoint.

Above is my last finish of 2021. Little Women from Sapphire Mountain. This was number 22 if I wrote it all down. Yay for me.

I've got stitchy plans for 2022. But first we have to drive back to Virginia.

So buckle up, friends. It's been a bumpy ride these past two years and I don't see it changing too soon. 

Be kind. Be well. Enjoy the sunshine. 

Stitching Friends are the Best

 Last week I was browsing thru the Facebook group for finding cross stitch unicorns, i.e. out of print charts.

I saw that someone was looking for this, the Charland Designs Welsh sampler. I currently have this in progress and will pass my chart on if the searcher doesn’t find it before I finish mine. I don’t have this high up on my priority list as I’m trying to finish two samplers.

But this made me remember that I don’t have a photo of the Charland Design chart that I want, the Thistle sampler. So I start searching google for a photo. Eventually I refine my search one more time (I have done this before without luck). What should appear but the Stitch Bitch blog where she’s posting about her finish in 2014. 

Within the hour I’ve messaged her and she’s located it! 

And now I have it. Thank you ever so much, my friend.