2013: End of Year Wrap-up

Like in 2012, I'm not that happy with my completion rate for 2013. Finishes were (not necessarily in order of finish):

• An Elizabeth Arnold blackwork design "Red Thai Mandala", the only hold-over from 2012, as it was started on December 30, 2012 )won a blue ribbon at the Wood County Fair in 2013)
• An Elizabeth Arnold blackwork design "Midnight Garden"
• A Casey Buonaugurio design, "The Taco Sampler" (won a third-place ribbon at the Wood County Fair)
• An Ajisai blackwork design "Puppy Dog"
• Janet Perry's "Color Through the Ages" online needlepoint class (one piece) and "Mittens & Mini-Socks" online needlepoint class (3 pieces)
• A Laura J Perrin needlepoint design "Purple Daisy" which was an online class featuring "Messy beading"
• Sharon B's "Encrusted Crazy Quilting" online class (one piece - won a blue ribbon for beading on fabric at the Wood County Fair in 2013) and "Sumptuous Surfaces Embroidery" online class (two pieces, one of which won a blue ribbon at the Wood County Fair in 2013)
• Sharon B's "Tale a Stitch Tuesday" online challenge ( 42 stitches and one multi-stitch "challenge")
• Bead Journal Project for 2013 (12 butterflies, one for each month)
• Wall hangings for Bead Journal Project (beaded in 2012) and Crazy Quilt Journal Projects (pieced in 2012)
• 12 crazy quilt blocks for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project - one a month every month
• A mug rug for a quilt guild challenge
• A "Bling It On!" crazy quilt block for a quilt guild retreat challenge (it won a prize for best use of embellishment at the retreat)
• A "Pink" crazy quilt block for the fair's special entry (won honorable mention)
• A biscornu for a secret Santa exchange that never took place 

Eight pieces were framed for fair submittals in 2013 (five first place ribbons, 2 second place ribbons, one third place ribbon and one honorable mention - not framed) three more framed: one for a gift and two for 2014 fair submittal  (IF I am in town for the fair that is --- there is a road trip in the offing for around submittal time and depending on husband's plans, we might not even be back in time for the fair itself).

As for accountability, in addition to my weekly wrap-ups (all including the words 2013- Reconnect to My Stitchery), I participated in the WIPocalypse 2012 Project and the International Hermit & Stitch Weekends, all three of not only which required regular accounting for my works-in-progress but encouraged me to work on pieces otherwise not calling me to the needle! I am still a full-fledged member of the local quilt guild (and their webmaster as well!) and I actually did some quilting this year! And I was the "detail angel" for the 2013 Bead Journal Project blog (an assignment which is no longer required with the BJP going on FaceBook for 2014)!

Long-standing UFOs from precious years weren't even taken out, let alone stitched on:

• "Angel of Love" - started before we moved to England in 1992!
• "Celestial Angel"  - started before we moved to England in 1992!
• "Map of England and Wales" - started in Saudi
• "Nature's Song" (excerpted from a larger chart) - started in Saudi

to say nothing of that ancient crewel-work pillow (I'm sure the moths have  done in the wool by now), all the top work on six or seven needlepoint pieces that all predate 1992, and a slew of piece-worked tops from quilting classes in Saudi...  And then there is my Round Robin piece from 2006 --- I still need to finish that off. (if the preceding words look familiar, they are almost verbatim my report from 2012!)

There are two years of BJP, one of Crazy Quilt Journal Project, and all the previous years of Janet Perry needlepoint exercises that need finish-finishing... I have made a small dent in the pile but it is by no means minuscule!

Started but unfinished needlework in 2013:

• A "Chinese Coins" quilt top (ready for sandwiching and quilting):

• A "Green Thumb" challenge quilt for quilt guild:

• and an Ajisai design "Ladybug & Daisy":

Waiting in the wings ( for which I have all the written material but haven't even started to think about) are:

• nine "Roll Your Own" mandalas from InkCircles
• Two Janet Perry classes (one a stitch guide practicum and the other a background stitch notebook)
• A selection of Craftsy courses, paid for and even read through but not started

I have two BJP years (2010 and 2013) and one Crazy Quilt Jorunal project (2013) to finish-finish. In addition, in 2014, there will be the Take a Stitch Tuesday stitches (which will likely be a monthly rather than a weekly deadline in 2014), the 2014 series of Crazy Quit Journal blocks (I have ordered inspiration fabrics) and the 2014 Bead Journal Project pieces (I have ordered inspiration fabrics) on my schedule. Coming up mid-January is a finishing stitchinar (Called "Finish It! The Skinny on Embroidery Finishing) being offered by Jen Funk Weber, for which I have registered (anything to encourage me to finish my stitchery!) Also, I have a book on order which is the basis for a Mary Corbett SAL later in the year and I'm sure that other things will pop up in my radar as the year passes.

I want to do a few more Christmas ornaments (this year, I used two trees to display my stitched ornaments because there were too many for the one, but there aren't enough to fill two so I need 50 or so more!), so I need to go through my set-aside patterns that I didn't stitch this year as well as back issues of the JCS Christmas Ornament issue.

In addition to my regular weekly progress reports (theme TBA) on my blog, there will be specific WIPocalypse postings on the full moon of every month, postings for the International Hemirt and Stitch Weekends (third weekend of every month),  and special postings for TAST 2013 (as assigned), CQJP 2013 (monthly), and BJP 2013 (monthly). Blogging will be keeping me as busy as stitching, I fear!

2014 looks to be another busy year. Here's hoping it's productive!

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Fifty-Two

Plugging away at the guild challenge, "Green Thumb" and have a top ready to sandwich and (GASP) quilt)!

And I've started on the blackwork for the "Ladybug & Daisy" piece...

I'll post my year-end-wrap-up tomorrow... but I doubt much will have changed on these two pieces between now and then!

The Final Bead Journal Project 2013 butterfly...

The final bead was put onto the December butterfly on December 26:

Another collection of "blocks" to be finish-finished!

International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, December 2013 and 2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Fifty-One

For IHSW, I worked on three WIPS.

I had the body and two top wings and part of the bottom wing beaded on my December BJP butterfly before the weekend. Over the weekend, I managed to get the third wing done and started on the fourth:

Early in the week, I couched red cording around the appliqued flower and sewed on the buttons in the heart of the flower --- cording (passing as "string") and buttons being two of the requirements of the "Green Thumb Challenge" for January's quilt guild meeting. Over the weekend, I couched black perle cotton (more string) as the stem of the flower:

I also completed the ladybug in "Ladybug & Daisy" - now on to the blackwork (once that blasted December butterfly is completed, that is):

Also completed this week were four variations of a stitch in TAST:  Stitch #94, the Reversed Buttonhole Bar.

I have found my inspiration fabric for the 2014 Bead Journal Project --- and ordered it (it was on sale, although the coordinating fabrics were not! Phewey! Oh well...). Still mulling over a format for the 2014 Crazy Quilt Journal Project...

 I really don't know how much stitching will happen this week, what with the holiday and all... Being neglected is "Roll Your Own" mandalas (which is now fully kitted out and I only need to start), and two online classes from Janet Perry... It's embarrassing how many OTHER pieces I have in my pile of unstarted projects, some kitted up, some not, that are calling to me. And to think the year is almost over!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2013 - Stitch #94

This stitch, the Reversed Buttonhole Bar, done four ways...

It wasn't difficult (other than my usual inability to stitch a good circle, that is) once I got the tension down. I like the look, especially in the circles - it would make great flowers!

This completes another "page" in my TAST sampler, the fifth for 2013:

This page includes stitches 82 through 94: Spanish Feather, Siennese, Spiked KNotted Cable Chain, Raised Cup, Turkman, two approaches to Buttonhole Picot, Twisted Satin, Twisted Satin with bead, Straight Feather and two variations, and revised Buttonhole Bar.

WIPocalypse - December 2013

This month, we are supposed to "Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc)". HMMM... That means I need to check back through the year and see what happened as far as stitchery is concerned and that isn't an easy task. I try to do this as a final post of the year wrap-up as well, but let's see what I can come up with WIPocalypse-style...

Finishes were (not necessarily in order of finish):

• An Elizabeth Arnold blackwork design "Red Thai Mandala", the only hold-over from 2012, as it was started on December 30, 2012 
• An Elizabeth Arnold blackwork design "Midnight Garden"
• A Casey Buonaugurio design, "The Taco Sampler"
• An Ajisai blackwork design "Puppy Dog"
• Janet Perry's "Color Through the Ages" online needlepoint class (one piece) and "Mittens & Mini-Socks" online needlepoint class (3 pieces)
• A Laura J Perrin needlepoint design "Purple Daisy" which was an online class featuring "Messy beading"
• Sharon B's "Encrusted Crazy Quilting" online class (one piece) and "Sumptuous Surfaces Embroidery" online class (two pieces)
• Sharon B's "Tale a Stitch Tuesday" online challenge ( 41 stitches and one multi-stitch "challenge")
• Bead Journal Project for 2013 (11 of 12 butterflies so far)
• Wall hangings for Bead Journal Project (beaded in 2012) and Crazy Quilt Journal Projects (pieced in 2012)
• 12 crazy quilt blocks for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project - one a month every month
• A mug rug for a quilt guild challenge
• A "Bling It On!" crazy quilt block for a quilt guild retreat chalelnge (it won a prize for best use of embellishment)
• A "Pink" crazy quilt block for the fair's special entry
• A biscornu for a secret Santa exchange that never took place 

Eight pieces were framed for fair submittals in 2013 (five first place ribbons, 2 second place ribbons, one third place ribbon and one honorable mention - not framed) three more framed for a gift (1) and for 2014 fair submittal (2 so far).

Started but unfinished:

• The "Take a Stitch Tuesday" stitch for the week starting December 15
• The December butterfly for the 2013 Bead Journal Project
• A "Chinese Coins" quilt top (ready for sandwiching and quilting)
• A "Green Thumb" challenge quilt for quilt guild
• An Ajisai design "Ladybug & Daisy"

Waiting in the wings ( for which I have all the written material but haven't even started to think about) are:

• nine mandalas from InkCircles
• whatever Take a Stitch Tuesday stitches appear in the next two weeks
• Two Janet Perry classes (one a stitch guide practicum and the other a background stitch notebook)

In addition, there are the 2014 series of Crazy Quit Journal blocks and the 2014 Bead Journal Project pieces as well.

And I want to do a few more Christmas ornaments (this year, I used two trees to display my stitched ornaments because there were too many for the one, but there aren't enough to fill two so...)

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Fifty

Lazy again this week. At least as regards stitchery. (OK, I admit it, I'm in another stitching slump and motivation isn't my strong point this time of year) 

There was a lot of time decorating trees... Two with hand-stitched ornaments: 

and one with multi-colored glass (and faux glass) balls):

Husband was also busy decorating outside, once his back order of industrial grade LED lights arrived... The front yard, with one artificial and one real (the closest to the house) tree:

and the dock in the back garden, from top:

to bottom:

And of course, as you can make out from the above photos, we had our first "major" snow of the season (7 inches, give or take --- the most in three years of winters!). It isn't much in the scale of things nationwide but it was enough to cause the quilt guild to cancel their Christmas brunch on Saturday (and that means I have a nicely gift-wrapped biscornu pin cushion with no where to go!  But it also meant I had more time to stitch, supposedly)

I did put in a little beading on my Bead Journal Project December butterfly:

Of course, I started running low on the red (this running low on one color is beginning to be a nasty habit --- next beading pieces are going to have to be smaller and use less beads!) so I had to improvise with buttons and gold beads...

I also started on the quilt guild challenge for January 2014, called "Green Thumb". It came with a requirement to use a specific floral shape, a four-patch, black-and-white somewhere, string (see the red cording --- I'm couching it around the floral piece), a button (not shown here) and any other embellishemnt. It was a coward's way out to go with black, white and red, but I am limited in my stash to only a few black fabrics and one came with built-in red polka dots; I came up with this:

It looks awfully plain, now that I see it on the photo, but I hope it will get a little more blinged out as I proceed... 

Not quite what I had in my mind originally but there is no point in getting truly different when this will be a first time for me and I'm a total novice at this kind of challenge.  We shall see if this even gets finished before the January meeting when it is due.

If all goes well, I'll get my gifts for our Girls' Night Out exchange wrapped today (the exchange, weather permitting, is tomorrow night) and a card made for husband's birthday (ALSO tomorrow). No idea what the Christmas plans are yeat --- husband and brother-in-law are always last minute on that --- so there may also be an emergency trip into town for dinner supplies. A busy week ahead, I fear!

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Forty-Nine

Holiday prep and a persistent headache sort of got in my way of stitching this week. To be honest, so did two or three football games! My alma mater, Bowling Green State University, won it's league by upsetting a ranked team and Ohio State LOST YAY! Adrenalin for two straight days, enhanced by a UPS delivery snafu before the first game which had me going as well (I HATE to deal with customer service with all their computerized messages and hang-ups and... it caused us to miss the HOA Christmas party - for which we had already paid). But I did get a crazy quilt journal block done earlier in the week and I got started on my December butterfly:

In addition, on Wednesday, after husband's high school class monthly breakfast, I took three pieces into the framers: Laura Perrin's "Purple Daisy":

Elizabeth Almond's "Midnight Garden" (the photo doesn't show it but that frame is a deep blue-black and matches the darkest blue thread in the piece exactly!):

and the Ajisai "Puppy Dog":

I'm really happy with how all three came out - the first two as fair candidates for next summer and the third as a Christmas gift for our West Highland Terrier-owned neighbor!

Quilt guild Christmas Brunch is Saturday so that will put a crimp in my weekend... and although we

dodged one winter storm bullet, last night we got hit with freezing rain. The streets are icy and it's COLD! Good week to stay in, decorate two trees, wrap gifts for mailing and stitch (IF I can beat this headache, that is).

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project for 2013 is complete!

Here is my December monochromatic yellow block, complete with snowflakes to commemorate the first winter snow flurries, even while roses still were blooming in the garden.

OK, a little time shifted there because it was in late November that snow flurries and  still-blooming KnockOut roses coincided. But, hey, artistic license!...

Now --- to assemble the blocks!

2013 - Reconnect to My Stitchery, Week Forty-Eight

This past week, in addition to three TAST stitches and a biscornu, I worked a bit (mainly I cut fabric) for the guild January challenge, stitched on the Ajisai "Ladybug & Daisy" (three more shades of "pink" needed on that ladybug and then she'll be done except for the backstitching.):

and started my December crazy quilt journal block:

Not a lot to show for the week, but the holiday put a crimp in my stitching time, what with cooking, time at the nephew's house and recovery from overeating!

My First Ever Biscornu

These items always scared me a little but I needed an "under $10" Secret Santa gift (don't you just HATE those) for the quilt guild Christmas brunch on the 14th and decided I'd try to make a biscornu pincushion as my "gift". After all, if it didn't work, it was only a days' time and two 6.5" squares of fabric form my stash (OK I did buy some thread to match and three sets of buttons to finish it off.). Besides, if it did work out, then I'd be willing to risk embroidered pieces on one.

It probably needed to be stuffed a little more as it's a little "squishy", and putting those buttons on was the hardest part so they are not quite centered (Note to self: mark center of each square next time!), but, in all, I think it came out OK enough to be a gift: