WIPocalypse 2019 Check-In - November

The discussion topic for this month was:

"What new stitches or techniques did you learn this year?"

I usually learn new stitches when a) doing samplers (basically self-teaching using diagrams and the occasional online video), b) doing enhanced needlepoint. (that's what I call it, not sure it that is a real name for it), or doing free embroidery challenges/classes like TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday). I did my last TAST sampler back in 2014 and while I often applied some of these free embroidery stitches in my crazy quilting, I haven't done any of that since 2015. So I guess you'd have to say I've stagnated for the past 5 years, using plain-old cross-stitch, backstitch, and tent stitch when I have stitched at all. So, since I didn't stitch much at all this year and not at all this last month, I didn't learn any new stitches.

​I did finish my physical therapy for my tendon graft surgery at the end of October and had my next-to-last surgeons' visit in early November (the 12-week period when tendon grafts tend to be totally healed). He said if the pain I had been experiencing  in the thumb joint(a gift, he said, for having opposable thumbs, AKA arthritis) and the unpredictable flash of nerve pain (possible the result of adhesions to the scar). I could cancel the one scheduled for December 17. Given the steady decrease in pain over the past few weeks (I've been faithfully continuing the PT exercises at home n my own), I suspect I will be canceling that appointment and possibly even get back to stitchery after the holiday fuss and bother is done and dusted.

WIPocalypse 2019 - October Check-In

This month's topic for discussion is:

"Do you prefer to stitch on a rotation or one project at a time?"
Well, I have to say that it varies with me. If I am working on a small-to-medium sized piece, I prefer to stick with it until it is finished. However, in the past few years, I have been stitching massive BAPs (the Ink Circles original "Roll Your Own" series and Elizabeth Almond's blackwork sampler the most recent examples) and I find that I preferred rotation with those. 

Since "Roll Your Own" is no complete, I have no excuses for one at a  time but... given my injuries to my left hand over the past three years, stitching one at a time on smaller pieces seems more likely in my future, especially since I don't seem to be able to put in the time necessary to make much visible progress on the BAPs. And I find that visible progress is now what motivates me.

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As for my stitchery progress this past month. Again, sadly nil, zip, nada, none! I have spent the past two months in occupational therapy, getting my thumb to a workable state again. My final (I hope) visit to the surgeon is November 5 and I hope that he agrees with the therapist that I have reached my goals and no more therapy is warranted (although I suspect hand exercises are on my daily routine from now on as there is still pain in my hand when I make certain movements with the thumb,  and that pesky thumb isn't nearly as flexible on my left hand as the one on my right hand...)

WIPocalypse Check-In: Septmeber 29, 2019

This month's topic for discussion is: "What finishing style have you never tried but would love to do?"

​I can't say that there are many that I haven't tried.

I have done framing, three-dimensional (mainly boxes and ornaments but also pillows and easels/stand-ups), even banners! I can't say I've had rousing success with all of them...I still prefer a professional framer to my own handiwork and getting banners cut right, hemmed and properly lined is a pain I associate with my terrible record with making quilts (many of which have featured embroidery, although not cross-stitch)!

I have never tried using cross stitch on cards (although I have stitched on paper) and don't really see the need for that.

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​As per usual, I have not stitched at all this month because of my wrist/thumb injury. I am out of the splint and in to strength-building PT for at least three more weeks. I see the surgeon for the second follow-up on October 3. We shall see if the thumb will ever be "nornmal" enough to allow me to hold a hoop again...

WIPocalypse Check-In, August 25, 2019 (a few weeks late here)

This month's question was:

"What do you have on your stitching bucket list?  (for example, specific projects, designers, fibers, etc)"
Well, on August 25 (the day this was supposed to be posted), I had been dealing with a cast and subsequent splint on my left hand resulting from a rupture of the flexor tendon to my left thumb on July 24 and surgery to repair said tendon on July 26. I'm still in therapy (passive exercises only) and see the surgeon on September 9 to see if the splint can be removed and active therapy. followed by stength building, can be initiated. So, clearly, I did no stitching this month!

​Getting full use of my left hand with a capable left thumb is my immediate bucket list goal. And someday getting BACK to stitching is the entirety of my bucket list right now!

WIPOcalypse Check-In, July 28, 2019

The question for the month is:

“How do you get yourself out of a stitching drought?”

Good question. Since I was in such a drought for nearly two years because fo try aftermath of a broken left wrist, I’m not really a good source for a solution. I managed to “force” myself into a finish back in April and even that didn’t have a permanent effect. I tried to use the second stitch-a-day challenge with new pieces and it seemed to be working until…

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July 16 (I missed a day because of a late night after two days of house guests following an exhausting road trip to and from Wisconsin)  and then July 24, when I ruptured the extensor tendon to my left thumb (yes, the same hand I broke!) and ended up in surgery on July 26. The cast makes stitching, or any other two-handed activity, impossible.

And it will continue to be impossible until well after cast removal on August 12, 2019, because Physical Therapy will be require to get function back. This is practically a replay of the wrist break events and I expect it will result in similar stitchery impacts.

​~~~~~

​I did accomplish some stitchery this month, however. There was the finish on July 7 of a Michael Powell "twinchie", floss on 18ct canvas:

There was the stitching on a road trip on a kit, "Leopord Purse" by Design Works (Marilyn Robertson), floss on 14ct Aida, between July 10 and 13:

And the stitching on a second Michael Powell twinchie between July 8 and July 23:

Two frogging attacks in the second twinchie and a massive mistake in color choice in the aida piece (which I decided to live with as I didn't discover the mistake until three days in) did not help with the motivation.

All in all, the month started out good and fell apart at the end.

A Compleion!

I finished a little 2x2 square designed by Michael Powell. It's meant to be one side of a scissor keep but I think I'll make it into an ornament instead and stitch the other side as another ornament.

OK, I shouldn't brag but it's been so LONG!

Two strands of Anchor floss over one --- in an 18 ct (I think) canvas. A bear to frog so there is one mistake I simply fudged around. Luckily, Powell designs are wonky enough to make fudging invisible!

​On to the other side --- this is where it is as of today:

It would have been further but after stitching three rows in white, I realized it was SUPPOSED to be a blended white/blue thread and that could NOT be fudged around! So... I carefully frogged for half an hour, trying to save as much of the flow as possible.! ARRGH! Here's hoping I can substitute DMC on the other two charts in the kit because I suspect I will run out of what was supplied VERY soon!

WIPocalypse Check-In, June 30, 2019

This month's topic for discussion is:

"Half-year recap:  How are you doing with your goals so far this year?"

Well, I'm stitching and that is definitely an improvement after two years hiatus! I finished one WIP ("Palm Tree Elegance") in April and dithered about for a month Finally, I decided to get my hand in practice for smaller stitches than called for on that needlepoint canvas so I took out a Michael Powell kit of key fobs and scissor keeps (Beach Huts Scissor Keep X131). It is four patterns (back and front of a scissor keep and back and front of a key fob), charted for double stranded floss on a very fine canvas, so I thought it would be a good test of whether I could handle cross-stitch on linen and other even weaves. Also, it is pretty small (I chose the 2" x 2" scissor keep) so should have been a quick finish.

I started mid-month and discovered that two strands of floss on canvas is a pain, and when it's two strands of different colors, even a bigger pain --- more for the keeping my threads organized than the stitching but the length kept catching on the edges of the canvas. Irritating to say the least.
​
​I didn't get as far as I would have back in the day --- in three calendar weeks, I probably stitched only 7 days. This is the result:

Lots of confetti stitching left. It doesn't look like much here (it's supposed to be  - no it WILL be - a wonky beach hut), but there is backstitching to come.

​I'd like to say that my hands and fingers cramping were the main reason I did so little on this piece. They did cramp, but... it was more the fussing with the single strands of floss and all the confetti stitching that was putting me off. I'm not giving up, though!