WIP myself into shape, Week 8

10 pages of chart complete and lots of parts of the remaining 6: I like to do one motif at a time, and some of them have pieces on as many as six chart pages and as few as two --- so there are bits and pieces of all the remaining charts stitched... just don't feel like calculating what percentage of stitching is done! Anyway, what you see is the final shape and size of the piece...


The beads I need for the February BJP still haven't arrived --- I suspect the weather (level two snow emergency due to drifting and blowing snow and six inches of new snow - and level two means only go out in an emergency!)...

WIP myself into shape, Week 7

My gosh, seven weeks into the year already! That is hard to believe! And I've gotten so little done! What I get for stitching BAPs, I guess...

Anyway, here is my progress on "Garden Stars":


The top row (four pages) of the 16-page chart are complete now and I'm plugging away on row two. What is intriguing to me is the details that start "popping out" as I stitch. I couldn't tell from the chart that there were bees in that dark motif to the top right of the big green star! And that the neon green piece in progress to the right center was oak leaves and acorns until AFTER I started stitching!

BJP is on hold, awaiting those beads I ran out of. Funny thing is, the beads I ordered for March, August and December are here now and calling to me! AAACK!

WIP myself into shape, Week 6

I said I would work a little on the February BJP - and I did (but I ran out of a bead so I'm waiting...) and I said I would try to finish some of the 2010 BJP pages - and I did: they are all pinned and ready for the sewing machine. But I did stitch on "Garden Stars" as well. Smaller motifs move a lot faster!

Still, only one of the 16 chart pages (page 2) is actually completed although there are parts of at least six more pages underway.

WIP myself into shape, Week 5

Still not working out (my excuse this week is a very nasty cold... and 10" of snow) but I did FINALLY get that central motif on "Garden Stars" finished!



I think I'll work on February's BJP this weekend... or maybe do the finishing work on the 2010 BJP... or...

WIP myself into shape, Week 4

No exercise this week --- just snow and cold and wind and... no motivation at all!

This week's WIP is "Garden Stars" by Ink Circles, stitching DMC, 2 over 2, on Silkweaver overdyed 32-ct Lugana, color "Scattered Leaves". Four days of stitching and not even half the first motif done!

January 2011 Bead Journal Project

"January Ice"

Started with a Mardi Gras mask template from online, reduced by 50%. Transferred to a piece of white felt which I then beaded. Cut out the felt, attached to the background fabric, glues a snowflake to the white shell bead, edged the cut-out with some string "beads" and added the "tassels" of Swarovsky crystal (sadly, what I thought were white crystal drops show up yellowish in light... Oh well). and glass beads.

I learned that felt is tricky to bead on --- little strings of the wool kept attacking my needle, making placement of beads tedious. I also learned that beads will come off if you cut too close!  And that the ink I used to transfer the project is still a little visible. So some felt and some ink still show. Have to come up with another way for February.

Not sure how I'm going to finish this. I wanted to go smaller than last years 5 x5 but now it looks like 5 by 7 rectangles will be the end result.

Oh, yes, and masks are my 2011 theme! Why? I don't know. I just saw a Venetian mask and that was it...

WIP myself into shape, Week 3

Another week ending with no exercise *and* only BJP "in progress". There are several charts and kits in the mail (BAAAD!) but I haven't decided on what to stitch next.