2022 WIPocalypse - Introduction

Hello 2022 

You know when you are unsure of what is to come you tip toe... yup that is exactly what I am doing right now.. slowly moving around 2022 like I'm waiting for something to jump out and say BOO!!!

You didn't come here to hear all of that but that is how I'm feeling and its already two weeks into 2022.  I guess this is when I should start my confession if this is an introduction.  I'm a mom of four and have two grandbabies also which I am amazed by all the time.  I am happily married to a muggle man who enables my hobbies (I am not sure this is good) but he also picks on me when I start something new (serial starter noises here).  He knows I enjoy all crafts and we go many times to craft stores and he always asks are you sure you don't need this or this.  I am truly blessed.  

I am a serial starter, and a pusher or enabler whatever you want to call it.  I also love many crafts and would like to give equal attention to all of them.  I love to quilt and enjoy sewing all kinds of things including clothing, small gifts and my newest hobby making Hand Bags and project bags so I'm enjoying working with all kinds of textiles and hoping to explore more in 2022.  I love to crochet a lot and have dabbled in my knitting but I would really love to make a sweater this year.  I do have a sweater machine but man to hear those needles going to town makes my heart so full.  

So I would post photos of what my goals are for all of 2022 but I'm doing things a little different this year.  Goals for Quilting is to finish all of my quilts I've "half" finished and there are a lot.. now finish to me is not quilted because that is another post all together but If I fully finish a quilt I'll make sure you know it too because it truly is an amazing feeling to have a project totally complete.  These quilts don't really have an home to go to just ones I've wanted to work on so they will get completed and put away until I have a forever home to put them in.  

I only have a few Crochet blankets that are also on my finish list this year.  So I am hoping there is some road trips so I can make that happen and I hope I'm not the one driving so I can make some good progress 😏

But lets get to cross stitching because really that's what y'all came for!!  I am working on my WIPGO 2022 board, I am also participating in my Semi Sane Stitches group because both keep me so motivated to stitch more and I really believe it helped me complete some projects.   So I plan I touching EVERY WIP I have and I think when I looked on my spreadsheet (yes I have one of those) I had 65 at my last count but I did find another 4 or 5 that were not on the list and I don't know If I ever posted them so I can't remember when I started them but I'll dig and find a spot with them.  So lets start from the beginning.  

Focus Piece - I have a very large HAED that I do still love (thank goodness) because its massive and I've gotten some stitches already into it.  I do not believe I did much in 2021 so this year it needs some massive work.  Each month I will work on this piece.  This is my Trick or Treat HAED from Randal Spangler.  I am planning on working on weekend on this piece so I can get as many stitches in as possible.  I will take an overall photo for next month so you can see how much I have completed.  This is the page I will be working on this month. 

My plans are to touch and stitch every WIP I have.  I want to make sure I can see things I love to stitch and really get some progress this year.  So I was going to work on projects I started each month.  The problem is I have many months with no starts, so I am robbing May because well Maynia is a thing.  I also am working on my oldest WIPS first so they did get put in January.  I am hoping for a few finishes this month alone.  

So each month I will pick about 5-8 WIPS depending on how large the projects are for the month.  I will work them in on several events to see if I can get as many stitches as I can get.  I am saving weekends for larger pieces or my focus piece if I can get a good amount of stitches on them I will switch it out.  

I am also planning on working on the Cricket Collection months.  Most will be new starts, some have already been started.  I am also tired of my box of overflowing new starts that have been kitted up forever and feel neglected so there will be a wheel spinning happening which tells me what project will be a new start for the month.  So if my new way of doing things works out I will have a start for each month in 2023 and I can continue to touch each project every year and I won't be surprised by a WIP sitting in a bag for years without any love (that is neglect) 

So for the Parade of what you will see this month are: 

Marauder's Map - Artist is no longer on Etsy

Lighthouse - Cricket Collection from 1992

Candy Cane Santa Stocking - Dimensions Gold Collection

Owls Growth Chart - Dimensions 

I hope you enjoy everything you've seen.  Come on back because each month something new will be here.  The only repeat will be my Trick or Treat HAED and I think the progress over the next few months hopefully will be amazing. 

I also update my Instagram often if you would like to see daily progress quicker - 

I also do an update on my YouTube and you get to hear all about life too 😀 I try not to ramble to much but its so exciting sharing everything with friends. 

Happy Stitching ~ Carey

October WIPocalypse Update

Where have the last few months gone.. I've missed August, September and now October has flown by and I've not been able to post.  I've always believed family comes first and then the rest just falls into place.  Earlier in August my husband had a scare and was hospitalized for High Blood Pressure and some strain on his heart.. That took us all for a roller coaster ride and the scare is still there but we are aware of it and I think that makes a huge difference.

I also started back to work in August and my stitching was even more depleted with two jobs, kids etc.  Still back to work and not working the second job as much, so I got to stitch a few things.  Then the dreaded phone call from your family.. My mom was in the hospital in October for Quad Bypass and that took its toll on our family.  She is doing much better but plans have changed and things didn't get done.  I am blessed to get to spend time with my mom.

Then the holiday season BAM!!! right in your face.. how does this all happen so quickly.

So I did get to stitch on many little projects for Magical stitches but I didn't write it down because when you have situation you just miss a few things.. I can't even remember what I did.  But in the last few months I did have some Amazing finishes..

I did get a page finish in on my Trick or Treat HAED.  I was just re-evaluating this piece and I am pretty sure that I will not get all the things completed that I wanted to get done by the end of the year.  I have a piece I need to work on and might try to finish before Christmas and will be taking a majority of my time between now and then so I am pretty positive that I won't get that goal completed but there is always next year.  But here is the page finish and maybe I can sneak another one in by end of December.

One that I've had on my scroll frames and I refused to take it off until I had all the back stitching done is my Amid Amish Life.  She is complete with all the bells and whistles.  I am very proud of this one, I've wanted to do this piece for about 20+ years now and I've finally made at least one of the three a completed project.  I have the other two pieces as WIPS at the moment and next year they will be in rotation and on my list to complete in 2020.

I will say this is all I have folks and I've enjoyed updating this because it feels like forever since I've done it.

Have a great day and enjoy your stitching moments when you get them.
Carey
thepatientstitcher

July Update WIPocalypse

Beginning of the month turned out as a slow starter.  I've been busy with school work and family home visiting so something just fall and just pick them up when you get a chance to breath.

I'm in a group for Magical Stitches on Facebook and honestly it's a great group of people and encouragement is awesome.  I think also the different assignments (homework) encourage you to stitch more and to stitch forgotten pieces that might be at the bottom of the WIPS that have not seen a frame in a while.

This piece is one of those pieces.  I started this in Maynia 2018 and did that day to start the stitches and has not seen any since that day.  Not that I don't love it just other pieces have taken up some extra time.  This was also not a focus piece for me this year but I did need to find a piece I have not worked on in five months or oldest WIP this is prob not my oldest WIP but its been a long time since i've worked on it.  I got another 300 stitches into this piece so more progress is great progress.  I might try to fit it into some other homework this month. I didn't manage to find another spot to put more stitches into it but I am sure I will work on it again soon.  It was fun to work on and a beautiful piece also.

I did manage to finish the outline and the 1 of 9 patterns for Quotes to Live by from Stitchrovia.  I've enjoyed this piece so much and can't wait to work on the others. 

I also worked on another piece that has not been out in a while as I've gotten frustrated with how my stitches were coming out and I totally tossed it and restarted.  I am super happy with the fabric choice and my stitches in this piece now.  Marauder's Map is just another piece that eventually I'll put up in my craft room.  I love Harry Potter and this is the perfect piece for me to enjoy.

I did get at least 2500 stitches into my Amid Amish Life and it brought it to and end.  Not a complete finish but I will say when all you have the backstitching to do you feel very accomplished.  I am going to do 30 minutes each day to see how much backstitching I can get done.

I did get to work on two Heaven and Earth Designs this month.  I used one for Magical Stitches Homework and needed some pink for Professor Umbridge's favorite color.  It was a very light pink but what was great is I finished a full line at the top of the page and again an accomplishment that stitches finally went into this piece.  I started this in 2018 and have not touched it since then.

Trick or Treat also finally came back out as I did have a page finish a few months ago and when I have a page finish I usually feel exhausted with a piece.  I did feel a bit guilty that I put it in my closet and didn't even look at it.  I did get it back out and have stitched at least 2000 stitches this month and I am beyond excited about the progress I've made on it.  My goal for this piece was to have it done all the way across which is 8 pages.  I still believe i can make this happen but I do need to keep at it.  I will post a fuller view when I finish this page up.

WIPocalypse Question of the Month: How do you get yourself out of a stitching drought?

I will say I've not been in a drought the last few years.  I did have to take a break when I moved but I did bring stitching with me so I could do it when I had downtime.  I didn't stitch as much as I thought I would.  My last drought lasted over 20+ years and I hope to never have that happen to me again.  I did raise four girls and had a 21+ year military career I am not sure I had a whole lot of time.  When I get a feeling of not stitching I do go to You tubers and they always seem to inspire me and I get a patter and start stitching.  I also try to stitch at least 30 minutes a day.  Its my Zen!  

Have a happy Stitchy month.  I hope August isn't to hot for everyone and you get so much time to relax and enjoy your projects.  

Carey

April WIPocalypse Update

                                                                   

                                                       

            WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share projects we want to complete that might just be sitting in our WIP piles for way to long.

The beginning of the month started out working on a few projects.  As everyone knows if I can work on Trick or Treat from Randal Spangler I would be complete.  I can't work on it all the time or I would be burnt out.  Somehow; I do manage to stitch on this piece more than I ever expected and I thinks its because I've seen so much progress on it and its coming to life with every stitch.  I worked on this for 18 Days this month, and when I say 18 days if I put a single stitch in this piece I say I worked on it 😏.  When starting this month I was unsure of where I would be by the end of the month but to my surprise 2200 stitches went into her this month.  I am so happy with the progress I've made.  A page finish was a bit of a stretch but in the end that is exactly what i got and i'm tickled pink.

While I was working on my Trick or Treat I've also been double dipping! I worked on my Sleepy Hollow from Glendon Place.  This as you already know is one of my focus pieces this year to complete.  I will say after this month Sleepy Hollow will be in the finish pile next month and hopefully off to the framers shortly afterwards.  I have enjoyed getting the last little details done on this.  Back stitching took forever and there was a lot of it. I still need to work on beading, back stitching and some krenik but its so close to complete its scary and exciting.  

Another double dipper and sometimes a triple stack for a few days was one of my all time favorites Amid Amish Life.  This has really been one piece that just takes me back to when I first saw this.  I am glad its on my WIP list and also on my focus list this year.  It was really nice to stitch on this again.  I've found the love I have for it.  It's nice to see projects that have not seen the light of day for a long time and then you stitch on them and don't want to put them down at all. 

A WIP I've not taken out in a very long time is the Guardians of Notre Dame.  Its crazy to see such and amazing piece of history go up in flames.  I will keep this on my bucket list but I think its awful to watch such a tragedy.  I started this WIP in 2018 and kept up until month three and then I was packing a house and trying to move so stitching was not on my mind for many months 😒. I wished I would have kept up with this SAL because all finished pieces are so stunning.  When I started this piece I instantly thought of a clock and I've seen finished ones and love them.  Totally still a clock when its finished.   Not a focus piece for 2019 but it will come out again soon.  I did manage at least 800 stitches on this piece because of magical stitches that needed to be completed..

Another piece I decided to pull out for 100 stitches but will see again I think because I enjoyed it again.  It is a piece I started in Maynia 2018 and have not touched it since.  This is how the story goes for a lot of things in my life.  I hope to find more time for it in the future.  This is called Silver Belle Run.  This is my first piece like this and look forward to working on it again.  I did only put 100 stitches but 100 stitches closer to a finish right!

Another piece I did start in Maynia 2018 is Old World Map.  This piece has been speaking to me for a while but the first photo is the Continental Stitch or Tent Stitch.  I did use two threads and did give it a lot of time but the thickness is not my style so I scrapped it and started in the middle of the fabric and works in a different area.  So I am still working on it and is still a WIP! I am also still in love with this one too. 

Question of the Month: Talk to us about your longest-running WIP or UFO.

So far I do have one that is my longest running WIP it is a lighthouse I started in early 2000.  I've been looking through all my things to finally find it and finish it.  I've manage to not loose the book and I've seen it a few things when I've packed and unpacked but living in such a small space and a storage unit its lost again.  I really don't have a huge story about it but when I was in the Coast Guard lighthouses are apart of our history and I thought they were amazing.  Soon I will finish this piece and make me happy to display it.  

I hope this finds your needles speedy and your stitchy bug just going crazy.  I know this is late but April was a great month for me.  I am not sure May will be as prosperous but I hope a few stitches will happen. 

Oh How Time Flies when your having fun!!

I am not sure where this week went but it flew by.  There is so much going on I am not sure where to begin.

As you all are aware, I started eating a bit healthier and started my couch to 5k.. This week was a bit harder than the previous, but I did it.. I had to run two days in a row and managed it this weekend.  I hope the weather this week was nicer than last week so I don't do my runs back to back.  I really despise running but I will tell you this, I've found that when I run I can let the world just go away.  I don't think about my college work, kids, work in general.  Its the only time I can be inside my own head and not thinking about anything else.  I really believe this is why I keep going.  We will see if week 3 is any good 😁

I had a photo shoot with a beautiful young lady who is graduating Penn State University this year.  She has accomplished so much in the short time she has been here.  She gives many so much inspiration that I was very excited to enjoy some company with her.  These were taken by my phone but should only tell you that even better ones are on the way.  I have a few that I am very much in love with.

My husband and I went to Geo Cache but his knee isn't doing so well so we drove around and found a very amazing place literally in our back yard.  We live near a town called Boalsburg PA.  This place is the founder of Memorial Day.  It has so much history and so much military background, we were impressed and had a great time looking around.  Here are just a few of the photos I took.


But I am sure you didn't come here to hear about all the things I did all week.. I will say this week I was super impressed with how much stitching I got done.  I have been trying very hard to get some old WIPS done and YES!!! I started a new one.

First part of the week I was working on my Trick or Treat HAED because it fit many of my homework assignments for Magical Stitches on Facebook.  I believe this past week I got 800+ stitches in and I am going for a page finish by the end of the month.  Lets hope so because I need money in my Stitch from Stash budget.

Pulling out a very old favorite of mine, that worked for a lot of Magical homework also. Amid Amish Life from the Cross Stitch and Country Crafts magazine in 1987.  I remember this pattern when it was released and I loved it so much but never stitched it, then I gave the magazines away.  A few years (lets say about 25 years lol) later I found them again.  ALL three of them!! I was so delighted I started them almost instantly.  I did about 300 stitches or more on this piece and I remembered why I've loved it so much.  This is a focus piece this year so I am hoping to finish it. 

Another piece I have not picked out of the WIP pile in a very long time is my Guardians of Notre Dame.  It is awful with the fires that took place this past week.  It has always been a place I've wanted to visit.  I still will but it always breaks my heart when history is lost.  This pattern is done by Ingleside Imaginarioum's on Etsy.  This worked into a few projects for Magical Stitches.  It worked so well I actually got March done besides back stitching.  Now this is also on my radar now and I have to work on it more because it really is such an amazing stitch and I really love doing it. 

                                     

                                     

I purchased this a little bit ago and started it for Maynia 2018 and did nothing after that.  So I needed something (in my head) that reminded me of trains of Hogwarts.  Well it so happens in my stash I had one.. Got my 100 stitches in and my WIP saw the day of light again.  I really enjoyed working on it but not so much the fabric but Oh well.. I'll forget about that when its all done. Silver Belle Run is what this kit is called. 

                                                

                                               

You've all seen this one at least a dozen times but I couldn't help but bring it out and put some worthy stitches into it.  I did get a lot of the back stitching done and frame work and words.  Honestly if I get a chance to work on it this next week, I am hoping for a HUGE finish.. I have been so excited about this one since I've started it that I am giddy with excitement.  I might just have to rush this to the framers to get it done completely.  

                                               

I've really been waiting to start this.  I don't have all the floss but I have this fabric that I purchased from Hand Dyed by Stephanie.  I purchased this about a year ago and what do you know a project that fits the Snow Queen perfect.  This is a play on Frozen, the fabric is called frozen fractionals 28ct.  I did get my 100 stitches in for Magical Stitches lets visit the stores of Harry Potter.  I am not sure I did well at telling a story but I sure did try.  This will be a gift for a special young lady.  Not a focus piece this year but we will see how far I can get on it.  

This week to end the week I have been working on my Physics class also so I think when school starts full time I will be doing less stitching or less sleep.. I am thinking I am going to miss my stitching so sleep might suffer! 

I've also been reading Janet Evanovich  Turbo Twenty-Three.  I have always said if a book can make you laugh really hard out loud its worth the read.  I say with every book she has written, even if its predictable I find funny parts all through it.  So far until college starts I hope to finish this book and work my way in my TBR list.. So i've added another thing to my weekly posts..

Have a great stitchy week!! Even though I've posted this way farther than I anticipated.

April Showers Brings May Flowers

The title is a bit deceiving because we have had some beautiful weather until Friday came along.  All week was amazing.. I got to run three days this week so that made me feel fantastic, three more than the last time I actually tried to do the couch to 5k.  Weather changed on Friday with pouring down rain and thunder and lightning... oh my favorite things to hear and watch.  One of these days I will photograph it but for now I'll admire.

Recently I've joined a stitching group called Magical Stitches.  I've already got myself on a fantastic rotation but man I will say when I am faced with a challenge or in the case "homework" I really work my tail off.

I ran Monday and cooked and cleaned and sat and let me tell you, I told my husband "I'm not stopping till I hit 500 stitches" well we watched The Voice and guess what I got 500 stitches on my Trick or Treat HAED and I did that three more times this week.. I am very pleased with what I got accomplished.. Before and After   I might be able to make a page finish happen by the send of April. 

This week a focus piece was Amid Amish Life from Cross Stitch & Country Crafts July/August 87 Issue.  I've always loved this pattern but when It came out I was in no place to do it.  I found these issues at a second hand store and quickly retrieved them and started them right away.  I can see this being finished this year and is a focus for the year.  I will continue to work on it this next week to see if I can get further along.. I am trying to work this into some Magical Stitches and did make 500 stitches in this piece this week.  Very happy with my progress on this piece. 

Last year when we moved from Alaska to Pennsylvania I was missing my flowers and my flower gardens and you name it.  One thing you don't know about me is that I love gardening.  I missed it and as soon as it started getting warmer I was in the store ready to start planting.   Here is my porch and a photo of one of our flowers we planted.  Oh one other thing is I absolutely love photography and enjoy seeing things through a different perspective. 

Some of you have seen photos of my grandson but recently my daughter came to visit and my grandson is here visiting.  How can a grandmother stitch when she is holding her grandbaby?  I've been enjoying having them and watching him grow up is so amazing.  He is talking up a storm and smiling all the time.  This was the first time he fell asleep in my arms... I've loved having them around.. I will soak up as much as I can because I know they will leave soon. 

                                                

I've enjoyed my stitchy week!! I hope your week was productive and full of stitchy goodness.  I hope next week something inspires you and you are out of stitchy control.. 

HAPPY STITCHING