2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Thirty-Nine

It felt like a really really good week. I got three pieces off my WIPlist (TAST #83, Bling it On! and August BJP butterfly) and actually got in some cross-stitching - and the Ajisai blackwork "Puppy Dog":

All other items in my work bag were ignored but since there is an October butterfly to take the place of the August one (and September hasn't even been designed yet!) and an October Crazy Quilt block coming up as well, I'm really no closer to clearing the decks than I was last week.

A Completion --- and an ALMOST there completion!

August's BJP butterfly:

Needs to be backed and bound... but nearly there --- Bling it ON! 

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2013 - Stitch #83

This week's stitch was the Siennese and here is my sample:

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Thirty-Eight and IHSW September 20- 22, 2013

All of my stitchery done this week was done this weekend, which also happened to be International Hermit and Stitch Weekend for September. In addition to tackling the week's TAST assignment on Friday and visiting the Needlework Show on Saturday, I made a concentrated effort to work on "Bling it On":

which is now ready for beads, and on the August BJP butterfly:

which now has an outline in place.

No completions but I am getting closer...

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2013 - #82

Stitch #82 is the Spanish Feather Stitch and here are two attempts --- which didn't quite work:

I might attack this one again later this week..

WIPocalypse - September 19th's Harvest Moon

The themes for this lunar cycle are Designer – Heaven and Earth Designs, Style – Specialty Stitches, Colors – Brown and Green. I have to say I have never stitched a HAED piece (nor do I own any, although I've been tempted). They are just to BIG a project for me, I think... As for Speciality stitches, I suppose blackwork could be considered speciality and I finished Elizabeth Almond's "Midnight Garden" and am currently stitching an Ajisai Designs piece called "Puppy Dog" which is blackwork. As for brown and green, I have nothing in my project bag at present with those colors.

Since the last WIPocalypse check in, I have completed the following:

• TAST - Cloud Filling, Chained Cross Stitch, Raised Chain Stitch Variation One, and Raised Chain Stitch Variation Two 
• The August Crazy Quilt Journal Block and the September Crazy Quilt Journal Block 
• Laura J. Perrin's "Purple Daisy" 
• The June Bead Journal Project butterfly and The July Bead Journal Project butterfly 
• "Midnight Garden" by Elizabeth Almond

I worked on (but didn't complete)

• The 2012 Color Palette/Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal Project wall hanging 
• The 2010 "Unstarted Project" quilt top 
• Ajisai Design's "Puppy Dog" 
• The "Bling it On!" quilt block for guild retreat:

It looks like I completed a lot but there are still some online classes I have yet to start: a background stitch journal (needs to be kitted up) and a stitch guide practicum from Janet Perry (the design needs to be transferred to canvas and I HAVE to come up with a color scheme and stitch selection) and Tracy Horner's "Roll Your Own" mandalas (there are currently seven, with fabric and threads selected but that's as far as I've gotten), to say nothing of a kitted but not started August Bead Journal Project butterfly and a yet to de designed, let alone kitted up, September Bead Journal Project butterfly. Of course, October Bead Journal and Crazy Quilt Journal pieces as well as more weekly TAST assignments are also waiting in the wings for their entry cues.

I finally beat the cough, although a permanent throat-clearing irritation is still hanging in there. And the stitching mojo, once I forced myself to pick up that needle and stitch, came back, sort of... It's just that the pieces I'm stitching aren't interesting any more and I don't have anything in my stash that really really is calling to me. I suspect I've burned out on online SALs, but we shall see --- sign-up time is coming up for Crazy Quilt Journal and Bead Journal 2014 and I expect I will register again for both. 

I did attend quilt guild's work day on September 14, hoping it would stimulate me to get back on track, and am signed up for retreat October 11 - 13 for the same reason. Also, I'm hoping to go to the local EGA annual show either Friday or Saturday and have plans to stitch, stitch, stitch this weekend because it's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend!

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Thirty-Seven

This past week was another catch-up week but with quilt guild obligations, I didn't get as far as I wanted, I fear. Still, one day at a time!

I had two completions --- the July Bead Journal Project butterfly and the September Crazy Quilt Journal Project block:

I stitched on the new blackwork piece, "Puppy Dog", and got an eye done:

And at quilt guild, I finally cut and sewed strips for a quilt I promised to do way back in 2010 (it was called the "unstarted project" or USP)... It will eventually (I hope) become a throw-sized quilt of the Chinese Coins pattern. right now, the strip set is 50 inches long by roughly 40 inches wide, but it will be cut into three smaller strip sets of 50 inches by 5.5 inches...

This will probably end up a VERY large throw! LOL

Meanwhile, I kitted up the next BJP butterfly (August) which will be in greens with a touch of crystal...and I want to start on the "Bling it On!" block for quilt retreat as well...

Catching Up - slowly but surely!

My July Bead Journal Project butterfly. He did end up a tad wonky, one side being a slight bit smaller and his body something of a tortured curve, but he is patriotic, as  July butterfly should be:

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2013 - Stitch #81

Here's my take on the second variation of Raised Chain Stitch (Stitch # 81 of Take a Stitch Tuesday):

and here is page 4 for 2013, which includes stitches 74 - 81 (Zig Zag Chain, Woven Zig Zag Chain, Vandyke Stitch, Woven Cross Stitches, Cloud Filling, Chained Cross Stitch, Raised Chain Stitch version 1 and Raised Chain Stitch Version 2):

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Thirty-Six

This week, to reward myself for finishing a couple of pieces (Midnight Garden and the June butterfly for BJP), I started a new project, a non-traditional blackwork piece from Ajisai Designs, called "Puppy Dog":

Just teh nose so far... the finished piece looks to me a lot like our neighbor's West Highland Terrier and so I'm making it as a Christmas gift for this coming holiday season.

I also beaded on my July BJP butterfly:

He's a little wonky, with his body just a little contorted and his right side just a scosh smaller but he is in patriotic colors...

Finally! A completion!

Midnight Garden, a blackwork piece designed by Elizabeth Almond:

and a close-up showing (barely) some of the beading detail:

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2013 - Stitch #80

This week's stitch is the Raised Chain (version one) and here is my interpretation using a variegated #5 perle cotton: 

As easy as this stitch is, I found myself getting lost and having to undo it many times. Very frustrating...

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Thirty-Five

I buckled down this week and tackled more WIPs which were tending to becoming UFOs...

I completed the Take a Stitch Tuesday stitch.

I kitted up the Crazy Quilt Journal Block for September: 

I assembled the block for "Bling it On", the quilt retreat: 

I stitched on "Midnight Garden" (only eight more border blocks to stitch in the two blues): 

and I completed the June BJP butterfly: 

Yet I'm still woefully behind... 2012 Color Palette/Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal Project wall hanging needs batting, backing and binding; the July, August and September BJP butterflies need to be kitted up and beaded; the September Crazy Quilt Journal block needs to be embellished as does the the "Bling it On" block; "Midnight Garden" has those eight border blocks to stitch and then bead;  the "Roll Your Own Mandala" SAL with Tracy Horner of Ink Circles (there are now seven) has only been printed out with fabric selected and threads pulled and the class on stitching journals/background stitches from Janet Perry and a stitch guide practicum by Janet Perry have only been printed, not even read! I'm hoping that, with Septembebr 14 being a quilt guild work day, that I'll get SOME of this done but I fear catch-up is highly unlikely in the near future...