The topic for this month is:
"What new discoveries did you have in the stitching world this year?"
Well, I'm not exactly sure I actually did make any "new" discoveries. I pretty much stuck to my usual techniques and designers; I didn't learn any new techniques; and I didn't discover any new tools. Possibly not surprising given how long I have been stitching and now many stitching techniques I have taken up over these decades (crewel, needlepoint, cross-stitch, free embroidery, encrusted embroidery, blackwork, knitting, quilting, crazy quilting, beading... to name a "few".).
New designers? Well, first there were the designers whose SALs I've been working on all year: Peppermint Purple, Stitchonomy. and Faithwurx. There were the designers that I knew the names of (Long Dog Samplers; Linen & Threads) that I had never tackled before but whose designs I now look at with great desire... And then there were those whose designs I have been accumulating but haven't stitched yet: Frau Rosa, Stitchingly, and Seba. Do these count as new discoveries?
That is about it...
~~~~~WIPS~~~~~
While "stay at home" orders here in Ohio are have mostly lifted, Covid is on the rise again in Ohio and (we're still on a "mandatory mask" order right now and cautioned to "go out" only if necessary), I have had the time to do quite a bit of stitching.
"Love Is..." is complete! Chart from X's & Oh's, design by Jo Gatenby. Started in September 0f 2016 and left off in February 26, 2017, restarted on January 23, 2020 (photo #1), and completed on November 26, 2020 (photo #2)!
New designers? Well, first there were the designers whose SALs I've been working on all year: Peppermint Purple, Stitchonomy. and Faithwurx. There were the designers that I knew the names of (Long Dog Samplers; Linen & Threads) that I had never tackled before but whose designs I now look at with great desire... And then there were those whose designs I have been accumulating but haven't stitched yet: Frau Rosa, Stitchingly, and Seba. Do these count as new discoveries?
That is about it...
~~~~~WIPS~~~~~
While "stay at home" orders here in Ohio are have mostly lifted, Covid is on the rise again in Ohio and (we're still on a "mandatory mask" order right now and cautioned to "go out" only if necessary), I have had the time to do quite a bit of stitching.
"Love Is..." is complete! Chart from X's & Oh's, design by Jo Gatenby. Started in September 0f 2016 and left off in February 26, 2017, restarted on January 23, 2020 (photo #1), and completed on November 26, 2020 (photo #2)!
I have re-started "Save the Stitches". Started in February 0f 2014 and stopped at the end of block 69 in April of 2015 (photo #1), this blackwork sampler by Elizabeth Almond is my last, and largest, WIP. I haven't progressed far in two nights of stitching (photo #2), but restarting wasn't as onerous as I had anticipated.
~~~~~Travelling Needlepoint~~~~~
No progress to report on "Butterfly on Scroll".
~~~~~Completions~~~~~
The long-standing WIP "Love Is..." (started in September 0f 2016) was completed on November 26, 2020! See also SAL #3 below
~~~~~SALs~~~~~
I have stitched on 3 SALs this past month, and completed one!
1. "52 Weeks of Blackwork" by Purple Peppermint; various randomly selected shades of pink, purple and blue DMC on 28ct tea-colored evenweave. Completed weekly installments Week 44 through Week 48, plus completed the border. Week 49 comes into my mailbox on December 2, 2020.
2. Linen & Threads 2020 SAL "Friends and Family", stitched on 28ct "Lavender Sunset" (not very lavender) Jobelin using Threadworx "Rocky Mountain (1070). The November installment was completed on November 14, 2020. The final (December) installment is due online on December 1.
3. Stitchonomy 2020 SAL, "Halloween 2020", was started in late September, with subscribers getting some advance information early in the month. The fabric and floss kit didn't arrived two days after the first pattern piece (the frame) was issued so I started using the recommended DMC colors on a lavender 14ct linen.
I made some substitutions in pattern (several cats instead of the icons provided, using an alternative set and a previous SAL pattern to create my cats; a substitute spell book for day 4); and substituted designs of my own (movie "Psycho" and "Jaws") for horror films in the last row;and used DMC4245 variegated thread for the letters and date in the frame, silver blending thread in day 2; and backstitching to pop some images...
I used beads for animal eyes in the border and a charm was added to the pumpkin in the middle.
I finished this SAL on October 30, 2020, just in time for Halloween!
I made some substitutions in pattern (several cats instead of the icons provided, using an alternative set and a previous SAL pattern to create my cats; a substitute spell book for day 4); and substituted designs of my own (movie "Psycho" and "Jaws") for horror films in the last row;and used DMC4245 variegated thread for the letters and date in the frame, silver blending thread in day 2; and backstitching to pop some images...
I used beads for animal eyes in the border and a charm was added to the pumpkin in the middle.
I finished this SAL on October 30, 2020, just in time for Halloween!
The fifth Stitchonomy SAL, Winter 2020, will begin mid-December... Kit is on order but I have a back-up from stash in the event mail from the Netherlands is held up somewhere along the way.
~~~~~Goals for December~~~~~
I still am not at all inclined to get out there and play, travel or otherwise risk my health. So I will continue to "stay home" a except when "necessary" (haircuts, doctor's appointments, financial consultant, and the like)...
What I HOPE to do in December is:
I'm thinking that I owe myself a new start... I've been eyeing the fabric and floss for Long Dog's "Pandemic" which sit atop my sewing basket in my bedroom, but it might be wiser to try something smaller...
Meanwhile, I'm saying home, keeping healthy and hoping the same for all of you!
~~~~~Goals for December~~~~~
I still am not at all inclined to get out there and play, travel or otherwise risk my health. So I will continue to "stay home" a except when "necessary" (haircuts, doctor's appointments, financial consultant, and the like)...
- I am still watching online chats, tutorials and the like for paper crafting which can take up as much as 8 hours a week that otherwise could be devoted to stitchery.
- In the year-long art community, where members engage in facilitated learning through monthly mixed media art projects and challenges, I have competed the fifth challenge and project. The sixth challenge and project is scheduled for November, and I have already seen a sneak peak...
- I gave up on the television episodes in my storage space on my DVR, purchased the series in iTunes, and restored my available storage to 90%+.
- I am sticking to my goal of at least 30 minutes a day of reading, both for pleasure (crime fiction and science fiction) and for enlightenment (I love histories and biographies).
What I HOPE to do in December is:
- a) keep up with "52 Weeks of Blackwork": the installments, weekly on Wednesdays, are small and, along with some additional border stitching, are doable in one night of stitching per installment. I just need to motivate on the border stitching...
- b) begin the Stitchonomy "Winter 2020" SAL
- c) complete the December installment of "Friends & Family" by Linen & Threads
- d) work on "Save the Stitches"
I'm thinking that I owe myself a new start... I've been eyeing the fabric and floss for Long Dog's "Pandemic" which sit atop my sewing basket in my bedroom, but it might be wiser to try something smaller...
Meanwhile, I'm saying home, keeping healthy and hoping the same for all of you!
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