WIPocalyspe update and crazy January week 2

So, first updating for the WIPocalypse.  As part of my crazy January challenge, I've worked on several WIPs.

First off, is Mirabilia's Sweet Pea.  She is so very close to being done!  I hope I'll be doing a happy dance on the next update!

Next, is Lizzie Kate's Plant Love.  It's only technically a WIP, because I started it before Christmas. 

Another Mirabilia, New Year's Fairy.  Not so much done on her.

The Miras are part of my goal to have one for every month for a particular spot on my wall.  So far, I have 5 done.  This one will be the January Mira obviously.  Sweet Pea will be for July.

Phoenix by Joan Elliott.  This one is also pretty close to being done.

Winter Sampler by Teresa Wentzler.  I was speeding right along with this one until I hit that over one section.  But I'm plugging away at it.  I have Spring Sampler kitted up and ready to go when I get this done.  :)

Ah, the Dragon Dreams Virtues afghan.  This got started as a round robin actually.  I did one square (peace) and the other two (and a half) were done by friends.  This only got pulled out due to interest on the SanMan board to do a afghan SAL.  I worked a bit on the half done square, discovered more than a few "issues", and then started a new square.

Last, but not least, the baby sampler I'm doing for some very good friends.  The baby's due next month, so I have to get going!  The nursery has a woodland theme, heavy on the owls, so I used a couple different designers to put this together.










So, that's all the WIPs.  Now for the crazy January week 2 update.  Mostly WIPs this week.

Day 8:  Started Little Witches needlebook by Fern Ridge designs.  I just got the outline done and the moon stitched.

Day 9:  Worked on New Year's Fairy by Mirabilia.  See pic above.

Day 10:  Worked on Phoenix by Joan Elliott.  See the pic above.

Day 11:  Worked on Dragon Dreams afghan and started a new square.  The pic above was a "before" pic.

Day 12:  Worked on baby sampler.  See pic above.  I counted over to start one of the owls, but now I'm wondering if I should have left more room for the baby's name.  The parents won't tell me until after the baby's born.  I just know how many letters.

Day 13.  Started tiny pumpkin Etui by Praiseworthy Stitches.  This is actually 3 pieces, a pincushion, a needlebook and a scissors fob.  This is one panel of the pincushion.

Day 14:  Worked on Winter Sampler by Teresa Wentzler.  See pic above.  I decided to remove Earth Goddess from my list and put another WIP on it.  I'll start the goddesses only when I finish Phoenix.

Day 15:  Starting Magnolia by Mirabilia.  And I should probably get off the computer and get on that.  :) 

Crazy January Challenge-week 1

So far, I've worked on one project a day.  Five were new, two were WIPs.  So much for concentrating more on WIPs!  *lol*  

Jan. 1  Started The Biggest Stash by Janis Lockhart (magazine pattern).  Since it doesn't look like anything but a greenish blob at the moment, I won't post a pic.

Jan. 2  Worked on Sweet Pea (Mirabilia).  She's pretty much number one on my WIPocalypse list because she's almost done.  I finished the braid in her wings and backstitched her legs.

Jan. 3 Started Sewing Jars by SanMan Originals.  This is a beautiful vintage sewing machine with lots of sewing stuff.  Someday I'll have a sewing room to hang it in (not to mention my great grandmother's treadle sewing machine!).

Jan. 4  Started Jack O'Cat by Mill Hill.

Jan. 5 Started a crocheted Cookie Monster scarf for my niece.  The main part of the scarf is cookies with the two ends being Cookie Monster's head.  Ok, that sounds a bit creepy, but it really is cute. It's a free pattern found here. (Pic is on Ravelry).  I got four cookies done, but didn't take a pic, since they're just four brown circles.

Jan. 6 Worked on Plant Love by Lizzie Kate, technically a WIP, but I only started it right before Christmas.

Jan. 7 Started a monthly SAL from the SanMan board of a cupcake stand with monthly cupcakes.  This is from the Merry Member club that you pay to get into.  I started the cupcake stand and got it to the point where I can start the January cupcake. 

Well, that's my first week.  Today, I'll be starting my Little Witches needlebook, as it seems a bit complicated and thus needs a bit more time than I have on week nights.  I think I have to stitch the outline first...so lots of counting.  *sigh* 

Project list(s)

So, I'm back home to my stash, and have picked my projects!  I think.  This list may change!

Crazy January challenge (new):

Tiny Pumpkin Etui (Praiseworthy Stitches)
The Biggest Stash (Janis Lockhart)
Sewing Jars (SanMan Originals)
Little Witches needlebook (Fern Ridge Collection)
Jack O'Cat (Mill Hill)
Earth Goddess (Joan Elliott)
Cupcake Tree (SanMan Originals)
Magnolia (Nora Corbett)
Cookie Monster Scarf (crochet)

Crazy January challenge (WIP):

Plant Love (Lizzie Kate)
Sweet Pea (Nora Corbett)
New Year's Fairy (Nora Corbett)
Dragon Dreams afghan
Phoenix (Joan Elliott)
Baby Sampler (various designers)

WIPocalypse (feasible, maybe):

Bluebell (Nora Corbett)
Irish Toast (Cross My Heart)
Windows of my Heart (Victoria Sampler)
Winter Sampler (Teresa Wentzler)
Witch's Hat (SamSarah)
Good Karma (Blue Ribbon Designs)
Celtic Seasons (Mike Vickery)
Moonshine
A Day Without Stitching
Home is Where the cat is

WIPocalypse (in my wildest dreams):

Peacock Tapestry (Teresa Wentzler)
Tuscany Town Mandela (Chatelaine)

Hmm...if only I didn't have to work.... *lol*

So, it's January 1st, and time to start the first crazy January challenge project.  I decided new year means new project, so I'm starting with The Biggest Stash.  It seemed appropriate.  *lol*

New year and a new start

Although I completely fell off the blogging wagon this past year, I am reviving this blog to participate in two stitching challenges in 2012.  First of all, I am doing a modified crazy January challenge, where I will work on a different project every day from January 1 through January 15th, and then try to finish all of them by the end of the year.  Most will be WIPs, which will fit in with the other challenge, the 2012 WIPocalypse, which is all about finishing the WIPs.  The latter requires blogging every month, so hopefully, the blog will stay alive this year.  :)

I need to get my list(s) of projects together, but I'm still away from home.  I have a few I can think of off the top of my head though:

Plant Love by Lizzie Kate
Phoenix by Joan Elliott
Sweet Pea by Nora Corbett
New Year's Fairy by Nora Corbett
Baby sampler (various designers)
Dragon Dreams afghan (afgan SAL on SanMan board)
Irish Toast by Cross My Heart
Cookie Monster scarf (crochet)

Well, that's over half for the January challenge!  I'll get a more complete list together once I get home to my stash.  :)

Life's been crazy!

So, I am finally getting around to updating.  The last month and a half has been just insane.  I found out my job was getting eliminated, my gall bladder went bad and had to be taken out, and despite all that my mom and I still managed to take the tour to Italy that she had already paid for.  Italy was fantastic, the job and gall bladder situation not so much. 

So back to stitching!  I really didn't stitch at all on the Italy trip.  By the time we got back to the room at night, we were exhausted.  And I've had some trouble getting back into stitching since I've been back due to jetlag and something causing dizzy spells and lightheadedness.  Meh.  But I've been able to work on smaller projects.  And I even have a few small happy dances.

This is Wanda Witch by Shephard's Bush.  I got this as a kit from a grab bag.  I actually finished her before the gall bladder episode, but never posted her.

This is one of the projects I took to Italy, but never worked on.  I managed to get it finished once I got home.  It's by Lizzie Kate and stitched on fabric I dyed myself with acrylic paint.

This is another grab bag kit by Charland Designs and is intended to be finished as a scissors case.  I've finished all the cross stitch for the front and back sides, and now it just needs to be finished into the case. 















World Steam Expo is coming up very soon and I have so much still to do!  I have to finish my new skirt and figure out my accessories.  My character is a seamstress, and while I have great ideas for making a steampunk sewing box, actually doing it is a lot harder.  I really wish I had some mechanical talent!

Some finishes and some progress

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting for February.  I decided posting monthly goals is a bit silly if I don't post anywhere near the beginning of the month.  I think going with my yearly goals and my weekly stitching schedule is a better way to go.  And speaking of my yearly goals, I got an old WIP done!

This is Sharing the Holiday by Sanman Originals and it's a freebie from 2007, I think.  Instead of stitching the lights, I sewed on minature plastic lights, and I replaced the stitched snowflakes in the background with plastic buttons.  I got the idea from someone on the Sanman board who did the same thing.  I plan to finish it as a no sew cube.







I've also been keeping my goal of sewing every weekend (ok, almost every weekend).  I've been working on quilts.

This is a wall hanging that came as a kit.  I got the top completely sewn...now it needs to be quilted.

This is square #1 of a Quilt Square of the Month quilt.  I picked up all 12 squares and the setting kit on uber clearence at Joann's a few years ago.  I'd like to finish the quilt this year.

 
And this is square #2.












And a small crocheted finish:

This was a request from my friend, well actually her niece, for a crocheted baby.













And now for some progress pictures of some of my WIPs.  But not all of them...I have waaaaay too many!

This is Irish Toast by Cross My Heart.  I stitched once (on Aida, argh!) for my grandmother, but I wanted one for me.  And the fabric is perfect!  It has been a WIP for far too long.

This is Minature Winter Sampler by Teresa Wentzler.  I have the autumn one done, and I was very glad to see she released the spring one last year, so I  have more incentive to finish this now.

This is Mike Vickery's Celtic Seasons, another very old WIP.  I'm trying to work on it, but it keeps getting frogs.  Stupid frogs.

And finally, good old Peacock Tapestry by Teresa Wentzler.  I started this over 10 years ago.  It is just one monster of a design, although it is gorgeous.  I was completely stuck in the pear leaves, so I gave up and moved to the grass at the bottom.  I was able to stitch that section of grass in January just working 2 days a week (Tuesday and Thursday are my TW days).  This month I'm taking a break and working on the Winter Sampler.

Valentine-themed weekend

Despite not feeling the greatest, I had one of the most productive weekends ever!  I stopped by the post office on Friday and picked up some Valentine designs I ordered from the Sanman January newsletter.  I kitted all three designs up that afternoon and had two of them stitched and the other started before bedtime.  I even pulled out an old Valentine ornament that I hadn't quite finished and got that done too!  And then on Saturday, I did the finishing for the three stitched pieces, framed my Mirabilia Valentine fairy, and finished stitching the last of the Sanman designs.  And then on Sunday, I "finished" the last design (just had to cut it down and slide it into a tuck) and put all my Valentine decorations up.  So yeah, very productive.  :)

And now pictures!

This is Sanman's 2011 Valentine charmer which came with the pillow and charm.

Sanman's Pretty Pintin.  I'm actually using it as a decoration instead of holding my pins.

Sanman's Quaker Valentine which came with the gorgeous tuck!

Dragon Dreams Mystery Valentine Dragon.  This was a contest last year, where the designer gave us the chart and we had to pick colors.  I ended up missing the deadline, so it sat mostly stitched all year until I picked it up Friday night and finished it off.

My Valentine's decorations!  Yes, I like giraffes. 

And finally, my framed Valentine fairy.  That pretty mat came with the frame and she fits perfectly!