August WIPocalypse and SAL updates

It's a full moon and time for the WIPocalypse update!  The topic this time is: "Tell us about your oldest and newest WIPs."

My newest WIP is Wedding Tango, a Riolis kit, which will be a gift for my daughter's friend's wedding in September.  I've known her at least 10 years.  The color of the shoes and bouquet will be changed to match the bride's colors.  I'm also stitching it on 28 ct white linen instead of the 14 ct white Aida in the kit, and I will add their names and date at the bottom.

Wedding Tango

Wedding Tango

Since I recently finished my oldest WIP (Stained Glass Nativity, started in 1980), my oldest WIP now is Universal Unity by Dimensions Gold Collection.  I started this one in 1998 and was making great progress on it for a few months, then it got put away and never touched again until 2012.  Now I have cross stitch friends all over the internet encouraging me to keep stitching until this one is finished!  I post an update on this one in the YOTA SAL on the first Saturday each month.  Here is the pic from the last post, when I started stitching the zebra stripes.

Universal Unity update #19

Since the last WIPocalypse update, I have had 3 more finishes, but the list of WIPs on my WIPocalypse page is still at 90.  I finished Stained Glass Nativity, Mary Mouse, and Boo!

On my Saturday SAL with Linda and Kaye, I stitched 5 rows of the basket on Fall Welcome.

Fall Welcome update #13

On my Sunday SAL with Linda and Kaye, I finished the 6th day of Santa's 12 Days of Christmas!  Now the whole project is officially halfway done!  We have more members in our Prairie Schooler Santa's 12 Days of Christmas Sunday SAL Facebook group, too!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) FINISHED!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Days 1-6)

"Santa's 12 Days of Christmas" (Day 6)
Book No. 126
Designed by Pamela Byrd Smith
The Prairie Schooler
28 ct mushroom evenweave
Started 5/4/2014, Finished 8/11/2014

In the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Monday SAL, I reached the bottom left corner of Cut Thru' North Pole House and stitched some water.  I'm looking forward to using the variegated floss in the water, which is the same color floss that I used for the water in Cut Thru' Igloo.

Cut Thru' North Pole House udpate #12

Be sure to check Measi's blog for a list of other bloggers with WIPocalypse updates this month!

Theme-A-Licious Jubilee July

The theme for last month was Jubilee July, "It's time to celebrate! What are you celebrating this year? Stitch on your holiday-related projects, OR find some WIPs you know you'll never finish and set them free."

I stitched on Halloween and Christmas designs in July, which I actually do all year long!

I started Brew, which is part 9 of Boo! Club.  I think I'll finish the whole thing by Halloween this year!

Boo! Club (Brew)

I also started part 2 of Very Scary Mystery Sampler by doing the border on the right side.  I might finish this one by Halloween 2015!

Very Scary (Part 2)

For Christmas stitching, I finished Santa's jacket and pants on Santa's 12 Days of Christmas.  No, I don't think all 12 days will be finished by Christmas this year, but I'll get there eventually!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #4

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #4

I also finally finished the Stained Glass Nativity needlepoint this month!

Stained Glass Nativity - FINISHED!

The first three animals of Brooke's Books Advent Animals are finished.

Brooke's Books Advent Animals 1-3

 I stitched on Santa Hang-Up while I was waiting in an airport for 3 hours.

Santa Hang-Up update #9

I also added more cross stitch videos to YouTube showing some WIPs and finishes in July!

Cross Stitch video #4

Cross Stitch video #5

The theme for this month will be Author! Author! August.  "The words are speaking this month! Hunt out those WIPs with a verse or two.  It's time those projects with words and sentences grew."

I have several wordy WIPs to choose from to stitch in August!

Check in on Heather's blog, It's Geek to Me, to see what everyone else stitched for the holiday theme in July!

Theme-A-Licious Menagerie May

The theme for last month was Menagerie May, "Is it a zoo in your stack of WIPs? How many projects can you find that include animals or birds?"

I have lots of WIPs with animals and birds and this was just the right incentive to stitch on some of them that have been ignored for awhile!

On Bird Nest (No 2), I stitched more of the pretty pink bird from Yiota's XStitch.  I started this one in the Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2012.

Bird Nest (No 2) update #3

Yiota's XStitch kits come with all the floss on bobbins already.  Isn't this nice?

I stitched the other back leg on Leo, a freebie from Stitch Alley.

Leo update #5

I stitched an owl on Picnic Area.

Picnic Area update #7

I stitched another little bird on Thankful Critters.

Thankful Critters update #13

I also started stitching another crow and the basket on Fall Welcome.

Fall Welcome update #12

And here's another bird, a goose on Santa's 12 Days of Christmas!  The gap in the middle is where Santa's arm is holding him.

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #2

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #2

I filled in the rest of the raccoon and started the zebra on Universal Unity. This is on a 14" x 17" Q-snap.  Since I'm right-handed, I turn it upside-down to stitch the zebra so it will be closer to the right side.  Do any of you stitch your designs upside-down, too? 

Universal Unity update #17

Check in on Heather's blog, It's Geek to Me, to see links to more blog posts with the animals theme this month!

Heather sent me this amazing prize package for suggesting the theme for April Showers.  All the goodies have the "water" theme.  She sent an April Showers chart from Country Cottage Needleworks and a kit to make a Lighthouse scissors charm. The fabric colors are Seafoam and Neptune blue.  But the most amazing part is the floss with names like Tropical Ocean, Mediterranean, Seafan, Silver Icicle, and Sea Turtle!  She included a vinyl project pouch to protect my WIPs from getting wet! Thank you so very much, Heather!

April Showers Theme-a-licious prize package!

The theme for this month will be June Jolt, "School's out for the summer! Let's work on things with sunshine in them or REALLY bright colors.  Summer is here!" (Northern Hemisphere... LOL)

My WIPs with sunshine and bright colors are Stained Glass Nativity, The Sorcerer and The Sorceress, Flaming June, Pac-Man, Holiday Cheer, Thankful Critters, Fractal 156 bookmark, Dance of the Geckos, Triple Jack-o-Lanterns, Beach Babe, Basket of Fruit, Orange Poppies, Jacks are Wild, Trick or Treat Greeting, and Believe.

I'm looking forward to making some progress on these to share with you on July 1! Happy Stitching, everyone!

May WIPocalypse and SAL updates

The full moon was last week and the WIPocalypse topic this time is:  "What designs or themes do you really wish you could find?  What do you think is missing among stitching designs?"  I think it would be great if there were more designs based on movies, TV shows, actors, actresses, singers and bands; not just a computer generated chart that's a copy of a photo, but an actual design!

Be sure to see the list of other bloggers with WIPocalypse updates this month on Measi's blog, too!

Since the last WIPocalypse update, I have had three more finishes, but two of them were new starts so my WIPocalypse page isn't getting smaller yet.  I finished Happy Easter, "O" is for Owl, and Winter Witch, which were all small designs.

I started the 6th day of Santa's 12 Days of Christmas by stitching a goose!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #1

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6) update #1

The scarecrow girl on Fall Welcome has a face now!  I really enjoy backstitching!

Fall Welcome update #11

Fall Welcome update #11

I started stitching the red and white pole and mailbox on the Cut Thru' North Pole House.  I want to get to the bottom of the design so I can start stitching the pretty water!

Cut Thru' North Pole House update #10

Since the last WIPocalypse update, I finished Alice's jacket, her hair, and started stitching the background on Alice from Resident Evil.

Alice from Resident Evil update #5

I also made some progress on the Very Scary Mystery Sampler by stitching the green vines and the blue row on the bottom.  After the acorns and rest of the border are stitched, part 1 will be finished!

Very Scary update #11

I'm really looking forward to a stay-cation next week so I can stay home and stitch! I'm not going to tell my friends and family that I'm on vacation, either!  HA!

SAL updates and videos!

I've been so behind in my SALs with Linda and Kaye but I'll really try to keep up now! My Saturday SAL is Fall Welcome.  I finished her sunflower hat and her face will be next!

Fall Welcome update #10

Fall Welcome update #10

My Sunday SAL is Santa's 12 Days of Christmas by The Prairie Schooler.  I started the 6th day by backstitching the border.

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 6)

My Monday SAL is the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Monday SAL with almost 50 other stitchers!  There are so many different Cut Thru' designs to choose from!  I stitched a blue blob on North Pole House.

Cut Thru' North Pole House update #9

I'm in several Facebook groups about cross stitching, and in one of the groups, we posted videos of our WIPs or stash to show each other.  I made these 2 videos of some of my WIPs.  Teddy started barking so I stopped the video and then made a part 2 instead of starting all over again.

"I like to bark during videos."

WIPs video #1

WIPs video #2

Great news about Teddy!  He started taking hypothyroidism medication and his weight has gone down from 132 pounds to 120 pounds!  

Theme-A-Licious April Showers

The theme for last month was April Showers, "What pieces can you find in your flood of WIPs that include water? Rivers, lakes, oceans, or rain (and anything that lies within)."  I was thrilled that Heather of It's Geek to Me used my theme suggestion and will send me a prize!

I had a lot of WIPs with water to choose from, but I only managed to stitch on one of them!  I finished the elephant and stitched a row of waves on Christmas Ark by The Prairie Schooler.

Christmas Ark update #3

I also started and finished this cute little Winter Witch freebie from The Snowflower Diaries for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL but she has "frozen water" snowflakes so this one can count, too!

Winter Witch - FINISHED!

"Winter Witch"
Designed by Maja Matyas Szilagyi
The Snowflower Diaries
18 ct green hand-dyed Aida
Started 4/30/2014, Finished 5/1/2014

The theme for this month is Menagerie May, "Is it a zoo in your stack of WIPs? How many projects can you find that include animals or birds?"

I have lots of those!  My WIPs with animals are Universal Unity, Bird Nest (No 2), Santa's 12 Days of Christmas, Gallinas, Gatitos, Thankful Critters, The 12 Days of Christmas, Boo! Club, Eeyore & Butterfly, Dance of the Geckos, Christmas Sampler, Feeding the Rabbits, Leo, Very Scary Mystery Sampler, Easter Hang-Up, Picnic Area, Fall Welcome, Halloween Happiness, Christmas Ark, Majestic Eagle, Shiver Me Timbers, All Hallows Eve, Circle of Songbirds, Black Cat Alphabet, Bear, We're Off to See the Wizard, Rudolph Wreath, Hungarian Peacock Sampler, Snow Bear and Sleigh, Nesting Season, Wolf, The Wizard of Oz, Cats in Hats - Samantha, October Witch Snowlady, Trick or Treat Greeting, Penguins at Play, and Heaven and Nature Sampler.

Hopefully I'll find time to stitch on some of these during May and post updates on June 1.  Happy Stitching, everyone!

April WIPocalypse update and a finish!

There's a full moon in the sky, a blood moon, an eclipse of the moon, and it's time for a WIPocalypse update!  I saw it last night from my front yard, but if you missed it, you can see the video here:
http://www.space.com/25507-moon-turns-red-lunar-eclipse-time-lapse-video.html

Since the last WIPocalypse post, I've had 3 more finishes; the Best Witches Halloween ornament, the first Advent Animals ornament, Katie Kitty, and another Santa!

On the 5th day of Christmas, Santa brought to me.... Five Golden Rings!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Day 5) FINISHED!

If we actually stitch on this every Sunday, Linda and I should be able to finish one Santa per month and have them all done before Christmas this year!

Santa's 12 Days of Christmas (Days 1-5)

"Santa's 12 Days of Christmas" (Day 5)
Book No. 126
Designed by Pamela Byrd Smith
The Prairie Schooler
28 ct mushroom evenweave
Started 11/17/2013, Finished 4/13/2014

I made good progress on Fall Welcome, my Saturday SAL with Linda.

Fall Welcome update #9

I've also been stitching on Alice from Resident Evil.  Does she look like Milla Jovovich yet?

Alice from Resident Evil update #3

This is how she will look when she is done:

Alice from Resident Evil

I also stitched more on The Sorcerer's cloak.  When I finish him, I'll stitch The Sorceress next!  These are gifts for my best friend who loves wizards and castles and dragons!

The Sorcerer update #12

My idea is to get them framed together, and my framer friend suggested that I find some charms so she could include them in separate cut-out parts of the mat, so I bought these pewter pendants on eBay:

The topic for this month is, "How do you keep your stash organized?"  I don't use bobbins and keep the floss skeins in small 3"x4" ziploc baggies in these plastic photo cases:

I keep all my WIPs in gallon size Ziploc bags with the fabric, chart, and floss for each project.  I put all my Ultimate Crazy January Challenge starts for 2012 in this sewing basket, and I have another sewing basket full of starts from the UCJC 2013.  The new starts from UCJC 2014 are just in a pile on top of my Rubbermaid tote where I keep all my future kits and charts.  

Then I have about 6 fabric tote bags with several WIPs in each one on Q-Snaps, so I can easily grab a tote bag when I meet my friends to stitch or to take in the car if I leave home.  I always say, you never know if there will be an earthquake and the ground will crack open and I won't be able to get home for awhile, so at least I'll have something to stitch!

I bought a pink plastic drawer cart like this one to store my cross stitch fabric, but it's still empty and all the fabric is in 2 cardboard boxes instead.     

Be sure to visit Measi's Musings blog to find links to everyone's WIPocalypse blog posts with their stash organization photos, too!