HAPPY NEW YEAR

Can you believe it is 2018! It's here to stay and I have been looking forward to it for a while actually. I have been wanting to get into my cross-stitch more than ever and getting involved in challenges to keep the ideas fresh and enticing.  So far this year I have had three (yes, count them three) new starts and they were the ones I was most excited about.  I will share them with you because they are all I've worked on this past week.  

Last year I had seen Sleepy Hollow stitched up by a few people and I fell in LOVE with this design from Glendon Place.  They had a wonderful sale for Black Friday I believe and I dove straight in and purchased fabric and all the specialty items because I have no idea where to get all of them from.  So one stop shop worked great for me.  Not only was this an amazing transaction it was also the best shipping I've ever had.  When this arrived I showed everyone (no one cared lol) because I was shocked they also signed it for me too.  

I couldn't hold out till New Year's Day so this became my 2017 New Year's Eve Start.  I think I will make this a habit every year.   Stitched on 28ct Haunted Cashel Linen by Picture this Plus 2/2 and I have enjoyed the progress so far.  

This is in my rotation this week and I will be doing and update on Sunday (hopefully) or you can see my daily updates on my Instagram @thepatientstitcher.  I seem to update that often because it helps me keep track of everything I do.  It is really a great resource to remember when you start something. 

So this leads to my "Official" starts for 2018.  I happen to love the Facebook Stitch Maynia site because it fills my head with notions ill finish EVERYTHING I purchase or I need to buy it or I see someone stitching something and I have to have it.  Well, they also have these amazing SAL's that the admins have set up which makes my stitching even more eventful and really is up my alley when it comes to change and setting goals. 

I have written each of them down so I can challenge myself to do them all and even if I don't like some of them I can think outside the box and still participate.  So many of my projects fit into challenges set forth in the Stitch Maynia SAL's.

New Year Start was Christmas in London by Mirabilia.  I have been dying to stitch this since I purchased it last year.  Mind you I have seen so many people stitch Mermaids and many other things and I have had no desire to stitch beautiful dresses and tails.  This pattern took me by surprise and spoke to me so now I own her and we are in love stitching together.  Before the end of the year I purchased the beads and the Krenik to be able to finish her.  Mind you I have never done beading or Krenik I am still old school, I have no idea what I got myself into because the beads were OMG a lot.  Well just this past week my Stitchy Stash came in and I am going to enjoy this beautiful masterpiece. I worked on her for five days and I was happy with my progress thus far.  She will be back in rotation as soon as I hear from my stitch partner who also bought it because I was showing it off.  I would love to work in it together so we will see when she comes up again.  

I have told you that I recently started stitching again after about 20 years of not touching a dang thing.  I can't remember what exactly got me back into it but as I do with anything I dove in head first and started my stash up real good.  I do believe seeing the Heaven and Earth Designs got me back into it and I couldn't believe there was no back stitching or anything just plain ole cross stitch.  So of course I dove right in and purchased way to many that I will never get a chance to stitch but one never knows.  Right!?  For my HAED start I choose the Old World Map because my husband thought it was very beautiful.  So New Years Day I put in my first 200 stitches and I was more than elated with the progress.  This piece is a confetti heaven piece, not that I am loving that part but I am loving my progress.  I do only rotate my HEAD on weekends because that is when I seem to have more time to stitch but I think this one will be in a weekly rotation at least once a month because I love it that much.  This past weekend I put 1000 stitches in and I was excited to see a little cherub take form.  

I don't just stitch at home, I feel idle time is a bit boring so I also have a lunch project that I just keep at work and when I get a chance I work on it.  I have been working this one for a while now but it's slowly coming along.  Amid Amish Life was released in sections in Cross Stitch & Country Crafts in July/Aug 1987.  I had all of these magazines way back when but life throws you curve balls and I eventually got rid of everything.  This past summer I was in a second hand store reminiscing about all those cross stitch magazine I once had and this piece hit my heart again.  I bought all of those magazines and my love began once again.  I have been stitching this since summer and here is the progress I have made since then.  My goal is to finish this in 2018 so we will see how it goes. 

I feel like this post is going to take forever and I can't believe I have worked on so many projects since my last post but I'm not done.  I also worked on the Class Schedule SAL to hopefully have at least a boarder done before the release of January's block.  It was fun to play catch up and was fun to banter with all of the other stitchers as to what will be the first release.  I have yet to stitch January's block so I will work on that this week and post progress next weekend.  But here is what she looks like so far.  Stitched on 32 Ct Lugana in Phantom by Picture this Plus.

The last thing that I believe I need to confess is I am working on my Stitch from Stash 2018 and I am no not good at this.  I was doing great until the 2nd of January when I see this AMAZING SAL that is being done and I was in a trance and only took 2 seconds to spend $18 of my $25 this month.  I did keep myself under control because I did have about $60 worth of merchandise and saved it all for later so I didn't overspend.  I should get extra money for self control. 

So here is my totals so far.

Purchases - Guardians of Notre Dame Mystery Stitch Along $18

No Finishes at this time

Money left to spend $7 I think I can handle this we will see. I am hoping to carry most over for a few months to purchase new fabric for a few projects later this spring. 

Until this weekend Happy Stitching all.   I hope you all find your stitchy place and have some fabric fun and enjoy the moment.  

Carey

Where has 2017 Gone?

Its was a whirl wind of surprise and creativity this year.  I have reintroduced myself to Cross-stitch and learned so much more than I ever knew from the community.  It is so wonderful to see an older tradition come back to life.

I have been traveling to watch my Son In Law graduate from Army bootcamp.  When I do travel I always think about what project I will bring with me.  We flew for almost 24 hours with long layovers so I think I got plenty done in that time.

The project I took with me is Amid Amish from Cross-stitch and Country Crafts.  The last time I actively worked on this was the End of October.  Here is what she looked like.

With lunch breaks at work I got so much done.  Where I work there was no one around for the last two weeks and Im all customer service.  Its hard to keep talking to yourself and not answering.  So this was the progress from last week.

This week I didn't get to work on this as much as I would have like to BUT I did get at least a few more chickens in.  I will continue to make this my weekly work project and hopefully will be seeing a finish in 2018.

Another project I have been working on this past two weeks, is a Heaven and Earth Design that I am so in love with, Trick or Treat by Randal Spangler.  I have been working on this one Extreme Cross Country but I'm only on the second color on a HUGE HAED.   So I broke down and worked on a single page and I was delighted to see anything happen.  I didn't get a page finish but I did see progress so that makes me sing with excitement.

Small Progress but Oh my how it felt to really see it come to life.

This is the second color complete on pages 45-52 I believe. 

This next week begins our new year.  Time to wipe the slate clean and begin a new year.  I have so many things I want to work on this year, but I have a lot happening this year also.  We are moving and going cross country (no pun intended 😂) I will be bringing my work with me but I know it will be very stressful to say the least.

The project that has kept me busy this weekend was the Class Schedule SAL that begins at 1am Eastern time.  I have purchased fabric three times for this Sal but I still screwed it up somehow.  Anyway if you ever need advice on dyed fabric (which you prob already know) is Lugana and Belfast are totally different when dying.  I've learned my lesson.  I have stitched almost the whole top, I will work on Jan frame today and then work on getting ready for the new year.  I have tons of exciting things Im going to be working on.

I do have an Instagram if you would like I do update it often when I am working on a project.  @thepatientstitcher  I will be seeing you again shortly to tell you how the year is going to unfold and what I will be working on this year.  

Happy Stitching Everyone And Happy New Year

Carey

Upcoming Plans, Goals and Challenges

I am new to all of the Facebook groups dedicated to Cross Stitchers, but I am loving all of the support the cross stitch community gives.  I have found Stitch Maynia on Facebook and of course have been enabled a lot on my own journey.  I have many projects I would like to start and Stitch Maynia will help get them started and keep me going on my WIPs.

Plans -

I plan on doing every event Stitch Maynia offers this year (including all SALs) I will make them work for me if I can be inventive enough 😉

So here it goes:

Maynia SAL's
Christmas Year Round - Santa Clause
Fifty Nifty United States - Your home state
Halloween All year Round - Pumpkin
Princess SAL - your favorite Princess
Temperature SAL - 

1-31st Start a new project - This project I've been wanting to do FOREVER.  More on this one later because for some reason she is special to me. Mirabilia Christmas In London
1-31st Tour De Designers 2018 - Glendon Place - I just purchased and received the kit for Sleepy Hollow and Im so excited to get this one started also. 
5th Full Coverage - I have plenty to work on for this one.  I want to work on my Trick or Treat HAED from Robert Spangler but it is hard to see how much work actually goes into this one since I am doing one color at a time and its SUPER CONFETTI.  It will prob be Trick or treat or Old World Map which I am also starting on the first for the New HAED year

15th Work that WIP
18th New Start - I have had this one for a while and its kitted and so ready to get worked on. Quotes to Live by from Stitchrovia OMG this is one of my most favorite pieces.
20th Color a Day Aquarius - this is an Electric Blue or Turquoise.  I think I will keep working on my Quotes to live by since he boarder is that exact blue.

HAED -
They are having the New HAED year and I choose to stitch Old World Map so watch for progress as I get that going.  I will do this one page by page EEEK.

SAL's -

Harry Potter Classroom SAL will start 1 Jan - I am still waiting for fabric so I might have to play catch up on this one but I am ready to begin.  If you would like to sign up there is still time.  
Class Schedule SAL

One other thing I am doing the year is kinda exciting.  I LOVE.. Did I say L O V E to spend money on my crafts and sometimes I get WAY to carried away with things.  This year I have joined the forces and will begin my Stitch from Stash 2018, because we all know that most of us have enough stash for at least 5 other people and we will never in an eternity stitch what we want to get done.  I know I have enough patterns to keep me busy, dmc floss for prob everyone I know.  I am a bit low on fabric and specialty floss but I will see what I can do with my monthly allowance.

I start out with $25 and I have to keep track of everything I spend.  If I finish something I get money put on my account and so on and so forth.  I'll keep you all updated on my happenings and to keep me accountable.  I am hoping with all my extra stitching I can accomplish some finishes this year.  I am very excited about this.  I will post photos once I get started and links incase you too would like to stitch anything Im stitching.

Happy Stitching all and enjoy each stitch you put in because a stitch is progress.
Carey