My cross stitching plans for 2014

Cross stitching plans are more fun to make than New Year's Resolutions (which I never do).  Tomorrow is a new start for a new year of stitching!  How exciting! Which stitching challenges and SALs (stitch-alongs) have you signed up for in 2014?  Here is my list:

The buttons in my side bar are linked to the sign-up pages.

Grow Your Blog 2014:  This blog party is hosted by Vicki of 2 Bags Full blog and I missed it last year.  Deadline to sign up is January 15.  On January 25, everyone will post on their blogs and visit the other blogs and find new blogs to follow and gain more followers, too!

Turtle Trot SAL 2014:  This SAL is hosted by Claudette of BAP Attack blog.  Choose 10 UFOs/WIPs to work on and post progress photos on your blog by the 10th of each month.  Leave a link to your blog post on the BAP Attack blog.

WIPocalypse 2014:  This SAL is hosted by Measi of Measi's Musings blog.  This started in 2012 when we made a list of all of our WIPs to finish before the apocalypse that was predicted for December 21, 2012 (this didn't happen so the end of the world has been extended indefinitely).  Post progress photos on your blog on the Full Moon of each month.  Leave a link to your blog post on Measi's Musings blog.

TUSAL 2014:  This SAL is hosted by Daffycat.  For this Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long, save all your ORTs (old ratty threads) in a jar and post a picture on your blog on the New Moon of each month.  Leave a link to your blog post on Daffycat's blog.

Ultimate Crazy January Challenge:  Start a new project each day for the first 15 days in January or all 31 days (for the Ultimate version) and try to complete them during the year.  You can sign up on the Crazy January Challenge Yahoo Group or the CrosstitchCrazy2014 Facebook group but it's not required.  Just start something new every day and have fun!

2014 Smalls SAL:  This SAL is hosted by Heather of Stitching Lotus blog.  Stitch a small project (ornament, bookmark, pincushion, etc.) each month.  Post a picture on your blog on the last Wednesday of the month.  Leave a link to your blog post on the Stitching Lotus blog.

Theme-a-licious 2014:  This SAL is hosted by Heather of It's Geek to Me blog.  There is a different theme to stitch each month.  Post on the first day of the month to celebrate the past month's successes and share plans for the coming month.  Leave a link to your blog post on the It's Geek to Me blog.

Stitch From Stash 2014:  This group is hosted by Mel of Epic Stitching blog.  This is a challenge to spend less than $25 per month on stitching supplies and try to stitch from your stash instead.  Post about your spending or lack thereof by the 28th of each month and send an email to Mel.  There will be monthly prizes and an end of the year giveaway.  Sign up by January 2, 2014.

YOTA SAL 2014:  This is the UFO SAL (Year of the Acronym) hosted by Pull the Other Thread.  Pick a UFO (Unfinished Object) to stitch on during the month and post before & after progress photos on the first Saturday of the month.  Leave a link to your blog post on the Pull the Other Thread blog.  My UFO will be Universal Unity (my oldest cross stitch project started in 1997).

Fall Welcome SAL:  This is a Saturday SAL with Linda and Kaye of the Fall Welcome chart by Diane Arthurs.  It should be finished in plenty of time for fall decorating!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas SAL:  This is a Sunday SAL with Linda and Kaye of the Prairie Schooler designs for Santa's 12 Days of Christmas.  There are 3 booklets for Days 1-4, Days 5-8, and Days 9-12.  The plan is to stitch on them every Sunday. I finished 4 of the 12 days and am stitching them all together on one piece of fabric.

Bothy Threads Cut Thru' SAL:  This is a Monday SAL hosted by Linda and me with over 30 stitchers working on different Cut Thru' charts.  There is also a Bothy Threads Cut Thru Designs Monday SAL Facebook group.  Please join us if you're stitching a Cut Thru' chart!

Happy Stitchy New Year, everyone!

Happy Dance time!

Hurray!  I finished Quoth the Raven at last!  I already have a black frame picked out for it and I'll post another picture when I get it back from the framer.  The border was really challenging!

Quoth the Raven - FINISHED!

"Quoth the Raven"
Designed by Kell Smurthwaite
Kincavel Krosses
14 ct red Aida
Started 2/18/2012, Finished 12/28/2013

Now I only have 68 starts in my WIP list!

Final WIPocalypse update of 2013

The apocalypse didn't happen on December 21, 2012, after all, so we still have time to finish all of our Works in Progress (WIPs).  I started 2013 with 49 WIPs and added 31 new starts in the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge by starting a new project every day in January.  Then I started 12 more during the year.  I had 29 finishes this year.  You can see them all on my Finishes 2013 page, but here are some of my framed finishes:

 

 

 

Here is one more that I finished this year and just got it framed in this wooden box that I found at a thrift store.  It fits perfectly!  This is The Bear and the Bees by The Prairie Schooler.

 

I also made progress on some big designs this year.  

Boo! Club by Lizzie*Kate started in January with just one part finished:

Now 7 out of 12 parts are finished: 

I finished one full shelf of "99" by Ink Circles, only 8 more to go!

Universal Unity looked like this back in January:

and looks like this now:

I didn't finish Quoth the Raven in time to get it framed for Christmas, but it can be a January present instead!

Quoth the Raven update #7

I also just posted my choices for the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2014.  I'll start a new one every day in January.  Then I'll have an even 100 on my WIPocalypse list. I wonder how many I'll finish in 2014!

I also posted a page for my Turtle Trot SAL choices for 2014.  I will try to make progress on these WIPs during the year and post updates on the 10th of each month.  You can sign up HERE.

Happy Stitching, everyone!

Final Turtle Trot post of 2013

Claudette of BAP Attack started the Turtle Trot SAL last January, when we chose 13 projects to work on during 2013, and we posted progress pics on the 13th of every month.  She is hosting this fun stitch-a-long again in 2014, but you only need to choose 10 WIPs and post progress pics on the 10th of every month.  You can sign up HERE.

I need to decide which 10 WIPs to use for the Turtle Trot SAL next year, but some of these will definitely be carried over.  I finished two of them, and another one is pretty close to being done.  Here is my progress from January until now on all 13:

1.  Stained Glass Nativity

2.  Universal Unity

3.  Thomas Kinkade's Lamplight Bridge

4.  The Sorcerer

5.  Flaming June

6.  All's Good in the Hood

7.  Merry Christmas

8.  Disney Princess Birth Announcement

9.  Passione Ricamo Fairy Mystery SAL

10.  Day of the Dead

11.  Majestic Eagle

12.  Orange Poppies

13.  Canyon Waterfall

Which ones should I keep for Turtle Trot 2014?

More framing finishes!

I found these frames at thrift stores and my framing friend stretched and mounted my finished cross stitch pieces for me.  They didn't need mats.  Jolly Jack fit perfectly into this black wood 6x6 frame.

Jolly Jack - framed!

Cut Thru' Igloo also fit perfectly into this metallic green 9-1/2" square frame.  I love how she centered it so precisely.  I even counted the holes in the Aida and it's exactly the same on both sides! :-)

Cut Thru' Igloo - framed!

I also asked her to fix BBQ Queen.  I framed this one myself with a piece of sticky board but it bugged me every time I looked at it since it wasn't centered.  She took it apart and mounted it with pins and now it looks perfect!

BBQ Queen - framed!

Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having an 11th day of Christmas giveaway of fabric, the winner's choice of 32 ct Belgian linen that she dyes herself or 18 ct Aida in different colors.  Drawing on December 23.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Her 12th day of Christmas giveaway is a $50 gift certificate for her eBay store!  The lucky winner will be drawn on December 24.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

I'm a winner and you can be one, too!

I was one of the lucky winners of the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe giveaway today of three skeins of over-dyed floss!

You still have plenty of time to win some of Nancy's other goodies!  Her 9th day of Christmas giveaway is a surprise present for you and a present for your friend! Drawing on December 21.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Her 10th day of Christmas giveaway is your choice of floss, trims, buttons, ric rac, or a chart!  Drawing on December 22.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Raven progress and lots of giveaways!

I'm trying to finish Quoth the Raven this week so I can get it framed and sent to my nephew for Christmas!

Quoth the Raven update #6

This is the book I will send him to go with it, The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.

Caitlin from Naughts & Cross Stitches blog is having a giveaway of your choice of chart from her Naughts Cross Stitches Etsy shop!  Last day to enter is today, Sunday, December 8.  This has been extended to Friday, December 13.  Enter HERE and tell Caitlin that I sent you!

Kim from Wisdom with Needle and Thread blog is having a wonderful giveaway of Nutcracker charts!  Drawing on December 17.  Enter HERE and tell Kim that I sent you!

Stitcheranon has a free Christmas chart and a giveaway of a box of crafty goodies hand-picked for the winner.  Drawing on December 26.  Enter HERE and tell her that I sent you!

I've found a new blog to follow, Missyllaneous!  Missy will give the winner two pairs of gorgeous scissors, plus a $20 gift certificate for the winner's friend!  Drawing on December 20.  Enter HERE and tell Missy that I sent you!

Nancy of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having so many giveaways this month! Her 4th day of Christmas giveaway is 25 skeins of her 20-yard over-dyed floss. Drawing on December 25.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Her 5th day of Christmas giveaway is ric rac trim or buttons to three winners. Drawing on December 17.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Her 6th day of Christmas giveaway is a surprise gift! Drawing on December 18. Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Her 7th day of Christmas giveaway is Patriotic, Christmas, or Gingerbread trim bags, or 5 skeins of floss. Drawing on December 19.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!

Her 8th day of Christmas giveaway is a $25 gift certificate to her eBay store. Drawing on December 20.  Enter HERE and tell Nancy that I sent you!