Wipocalypse - February Update

So, within the last month I finished Papillon Creations' "How Does Your Garden Grow", which you can see here.

I also started "My Daugher" by Indigo Rose:



And I started "Far Away" by Shepherd's Bush:

Hopefully I will have more HDs by next Full Moon!

The last of 2011

The last piece I finished right before 2011 ended was a model that I worked for my old LNS in Virginia - Scarlet Thread. They have now moved entirely online, and they mostly cater to canvaswork-type stitchers, but I used to work models for their store when they did XS as well. Anyway, I'm embarassed to say that I never finished this one - something about the store closing, and then we moved a few times...  anyway, I finished it up right before the New Year and sent it off to Sara Leigh. I didn't want to ruin the surprise, so I waited until she received it! Here is a link to the pic that Sara Leigh posted of it... 

This is Ewe & Eye & Friends' "Heart In The Garden", stitched 1x2 with the Anchor/DMC being subbed out for NPS.

Another One Bites the Dust...

I finally finished "How Does Your Garden Grow" a 12-part sampler by Papillon Creations. Without further ado, here are the pictures...

January Wipocalypse Update

For the first update, I've been steadily working on Papillon Creations' "How Does Your Garden Grow". As you can see I am nearly done with it. I thought I would have a happy dance for this update, but thought it best to invest a little "kitchen clean-up time" before proceeding. Darn kitchen chores.

As you can see, I am just about done with this. I am currently working on section 11 out of 12. I've got my mind set to next things work on... and since I've been so diligent about killing my WIPS lately, I think I will treat myself to a few new starts next weekend. After all, it *is* Guilt Free January!

Speaking of which, please discuss... what are your thoughts on scroll frames for stitching? I normally use Q-Snaps, but I am going to start a big sampler that I think will not be well suited for Q Snaps. For that matter, I've been working those Long Dog Samplers, and I just don't like working on such a big Q Snap held in my hand/propped up so I don't have to hold it. Or is there a lap stand that is compatible with Q Snaps (I seem to recall there was?) I LOVE the tension that Q Snaps offer, so whatever I use has to be comparable to that. I'd love your thoughts on this.

WIPOCALYPSE 2012!

As I said before, last year I lost my stitching mojo for a while. I got pretty burned out and bored on beading the Mira piece I was working on, and for some time thereafter did not pick up a needle. I got it back though, and managed to finish a number of smaller pieces throughout the end of the year (I even had one last 2011 finish yesterday while at work).

Measi has organized a WIPOCALYPSE for 2012 for us stitchers to jointly work on reducing our WIPS (aka Works In Progress) which is something I had already come to the conclusion I was going to do because I have a number of pieces so close to finish (including that Mira piece that caused me to lose my mojo). As I was talking with Stasha on FB yesterday I was like... and I want to START this, and I want to start that... and I want to start this, and... well, you get the idea. I NEED to FINISH SOME STUFF TOO!! LOL... 

So my stitching focus will be on:

~Finish Stargazer (just have to finish the beading)

~Continue on Plight of Fancy (Long Dog Samplers)

~Continue work on Angel of the Morning, and if possible finish it (MLI)

~Continue work Fairy Moon (Mirabilia)

~Continue work on How Does Your Garden Grow (Papillon Creations)

~Continue work on Castles in the Sky (Papillon Creations)

~Start Time Well Spent (Sampler Cove)

~Start Celtic Banner (MLI)

~Start (and finish) Far Away (Shepherd's Bush)

~Start (and finish) the daughter sampler that I can't think of the name of right now

~Start (and finish) some of the millenium SB ornament series for gifts from the JCS Ornie issues (my goal is to stitch the whole series over time for Christmas gifts)
~Start the three other Miniature Season Samplers (all TW)

I may add to this list as time goes on, as far as WIPS (I have a few others but not sure if I want to work on them this year). However, I won't start anything beyond what's on this list. And, per the WIPOCALYPSE I will post here on Full Moons with status updates which are:

January 9
February 7
March 8
April 6
May 5
June 4
July 3
August 1
August 31
September 29
October 29
November 28
December 28

Happy Stitching New Year!

OK - REALLY my last finish!

OK... OK. I promise this is the last one! I finished this up while I've been on my little Christmas staycation. I finished up the 1x1 on the fruit (which I thought would never end), and almost everything through the end of the Celtic Knots yesterday. Today I finished the BS on the Celtic Knots, and then did all of the drawn thread-work and beading today. I thought I would do this as just a one off, but I enjoyed working this piece so much that I think I will work the other three seasons. This makes me feel a little *less* guilty about starting the new sampler Tom got me for Christmas (which I still need to get fibers and fabric for). In the meanwhile I will keep trekking through Long Dog's Plight of Fancy (I'm in the bottom third!), and see if I can't get over my beading ADD and finish up a few of the Mirabilia pieces that I am sooo close to finishing in the New Year. Considering I lost my stitching Mojo for about half of this year, its not a bad accomplishment to have finished WIPs, about 10 ornaments, and continued work on Plight.

Last Stitching Finishes of 2011

So, I worked all of Teresa Wentzler's Byzantine Ornaments, plus a few other freebies she has released. My strength is definitely in the stitching, and not so much in the finishing! Well, there is always next year!

First: Celtic Sampler Ornament

Byzantine Oranament 1:

Byzantine Ornament 2:

Byzantine Ornament 3:

Intermediate White Work Ornament:

Peacock Tapestry Ornament:

Byzantine Ornament 4:

Byzantine Ornament 5:

Byzantine Ornament 6:

Torta di Mandorle

Last night I made this for dessert: Torta di Mandorle, which is an almond torte with chocolate chips. Who can go wrong with that? It is DELICIOUS (and of course a little home made whipped cream to top it off doesn't hurt either). You can find this recipe in Lidia Bastianich's "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy" in the section on recipes from Liguria.

Nature's Alphabet - Elizabeth's Designs

I finally had a stitching finish this year! For a long time this year I lost my stitching mojo. Over the summer I picked up the needle again, and had been working on L&L's Angel of the New Dawn... but then I hit the 1x1 on the face and lost interest (for now anyway). I wanted something I could tick off the WIP list, so I picked up a piece I started many years ago. It actually only took me about  1.5 weeks to finish it, so without further ado... the pictures: 

Shooting

And now without further ado... a video of us off shooting from a few weeks ago! What fun!