Take A Stitch Tuesday (on Thursday)

I have joined Sharon B on her TAST SAL the first two weeks but have not posted my progress here.
For information on TAST, go to  Pintangle             .
The first week was the chain stitch:

I am putting it in the grooves of the lace.
Week 2 is Fly Stitch and the Italian Border Stitch

I love the Fly Stitch and use it a lot, but the Italian Border stitch is a new twist. Basically, it is a French Knot holding down the "U" of the Fly Stitch instead of using a straight stitch. I see a couple of places where this would be great. I may even add a different color thread to make the knots.

Gifted Gorgeousness for January

Well, Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching    hosts this lovely stitch-a-long where we post photos of our progress of our stitching projects that we are giving as gifts, were gifted to us or we can shoehorn into the category of gift.
I am trying to get this out of my stash. I have made so many mistakes on it that it is pitiful.
This is the photo from my WIPocalypse post:

And here it is now:

I was trying to take an "arty" photo-see my cat in the background?-so you can't see that I have stitched more on the left of the butterfly...

Because I'm Not The Brightest

I knew I was going to start Enchanted Pumpkin this year from Mill Hill but I wasn't sure when. I was looking for a project to take on a road trip and thought it would make a great piece to take. Then I realized it was full coverage. Did you all know that? Like a fool, I still decided to start it:

Two things I did wrong: I started with the black and some of it migrated over to the light orange. NOT picking it out! Then I signed this piece up for Full-Coverage Fanatics on Facebook. Not a big deal except I need to finish it before I can stitch on Reptiles for that group. Or maybe I could figure something else out...
Anyway, a new start, just what I needed....

2020 WIPocalypse Introduction and Plans

I had thought I would post plans on January 1st, but that did not happen. Luckily for me, Melissa is hosting the 2020 WIPocalypse SAL. This post is supposed to be about ourselves, our projects and goals for the year.
I love all types of needlework. I don't smock or knit which is good as I dabble in about everything else. I belong to my local Embroidery Guild of America and to several American Needlepoint Guild chapters. I have a HUGE personal goal this year to put something-ANYTHING-into a fair or exhibit to be judged. I think it will stretch me.
Last year I went wild and posted all the WIPS I could find in my stash. This year I am trying to keep this to things I really will be stitching.
1. MH 1656, My Beloved by Hands Across the Sea Samplers

I think that pink is coming out....This piece has captured me. I really don't want to work on any other large pieces until I get this done. And we all know I have a lot of large pieces in my WIP pile!
2. Drawn Thread Sampler and Doodle Sampler by Gay Ann Rogers

I haven't touched this in over a year, but it needs to get done. It is lovely and I don't want it to live in my basement.
3.Art Quilt

This project will NOT get done this year. I have too much slow stitching to do on it. My plan is to work on it while traveling. Will see if that pushes it forward. The first photo is just for placement. I have not stitched all those bits down. ..Maybe I should post a photo of it once a month to see if I can see any progress?
4. Butterfly- Alesandra Adelaide

My plan is to stitch on this every day, even if it is only a few stitches. I won't do all the flourishes around the edges, but try to get the center bits done.
5. Lotus Box by Terri Bay

This box intrigues me. I will restart it and hopefully get it done. Ha!
6.Reptiles by Heaven and Earth Designs

 I am so slow on this piece. I hope to get back to stitching on it every month. It has been forever since it has seen the light of day...
7. Autumnal Abstractions by Joni Stevenson

This piece was a workshop my guild held. When I get MH 1656 done, my friend Mary and I hope to pull this out and get it done. Or we may start something else. But I want to do some stitching with her this year.
8. L. Genders- Brenda Gervais

I love this little piece! Hopefully I can finish them and have them on display this year. Or maybe I should give one away?
The rest are plans as I haven't started them yet.
9. A Janet Zickler Casey Santa. I have quite a few and would like to get more of them done.
10. Gay Ann Rogers Heart. I have a few (cough, cough) in my stash. I love stitching them and they are easy to finish.
11. Enchanted Pumpkin-Mill Hill Kit Because I love stitching on Mill Hill Kits and I think this one if fabulous.
12. Inchies by Needle Delights  I must start this one ASAP as I am leading this one for my guild.
13.Angus Dei- Modern Folk Embroidery Well, Gary and Vonna are doing this for Lent and I want to join the fun.
14. Group Correspondence Course though ANG It starts in March...
15.Mandala Musings from Inspirations Magazine-My local guild is doing this and I have a plan to do my own version.
16.Linen and Threads Mystery SAL 2020- I have pulled my threads and linen but have yet to make a stitch.


I hope I gave you enough eye candy for one blog post. I have lots of other plans floating in my brain, but I will keep them there for right now.
Hopefully you have lots of plans for 2020. Love to see them and read about them.

TUSAL for the End of 2019

TUSAL is the Totally Useless Stitch-a-Long where you show a photo of your orts.

My jar is totally full and my daughter asked me earlier this month if she could dump them. No! I needed to take a photo and share! This is a year or two of stitching. I will empty it and start fresh in 2020.

Last WIPocalypse Post for 2019 Photo Heavy

This was fun to do although I often forgot to post...It is the brain child of Melissa over at
Measi's Musings . If you want to learn more about WIPocalpse, check out this post . I plan on doing WIPocalypse 2020 as I do have  a few (cough, cough) that I did not finish this year. If you want to see my starting post, look here     .
So here we go:
1. First Christmas Stocking
Here is where I started:

 And I had a finish!

    2. Drawn Thread Sampler by Gay Ann Rogers:

Well, I did not touch them this year. Maybe 2020?
3.MH 1656-Hands Across the Sea

 I am behind the group, but only by a few months. Will take a photo of the whole thing for 2020.

4.2020 Crazy Quilt Challenge:

I am so behind on this! But I did get one more block finished. Doubt I will get done before the end of the year.
5.Welcome-Mill Hill Kit
I did get this finished too!

6.Butterfly-Alesandra Adelainde
I am getting closer on this, but it isn't done.

7. Flowering Lotus Box_Terri Bay

I restarted this as I made a mistake. And now I have no progress to show.
8.Reptiles
Here is where I was in January:

 And my last time I worked on it, which was August:

I do hope to make more progress on this piece in 2020
9. Tall Year Squared by Betsy Morgan

I finished this piece which made me very happy.
10.Here are a few of the pieces I fully finished from the stack of shame...

Not too bad although I have a few more to get done.
11. No progress on Saint Nick:

12. Warm and Wise:

Finished and ready to display!
13. I was going to start a project with my friend Mary, but we never did. It is my fault as I could not bring myself to start another big project when I had so many started. But we are going to try again in 2020.
14.Catherine Jordan Map Class:

Well, I outlined my map....So now it is a true WIP.
15. Hooray for the Red, White and Blue:

Can't wait to display this in July.
16. Pumpkin Canvas:

Stitched and waiting for me to fully finish it. I also have my friend's canvas. I'm a bad friend.
17. Coverlet-Janet Perry. I ended up trashing this piece. I made a mistake and was never going to stitch it. And I needed the stretcher bars!
18-27 I won't bore you with the other WIPs from my stash that never got stitched. But because a girl can never have too many projects, here are the ones I added in 2019:
28.Love Lives Here-Heart in Hand and 29. The Scarlett House Valentine Pillow
I stitched and finished these two smalls:

30. Here Lie my Needles by Shakespeare's Peddler
Stitched and finished:

31. Imperial Diamonds Heart by Gay Ann Rogers
Stitched and finished:

32. Quaker Ball adaptation- I have finished the stitching on this but I need to make it into something....

33.Art Quilt Remake:
I am doing a VERY slow stitch on this piece:

34.L. Genders-Brenda Gervais
Started this piece and here is where I am at this point:

If you made it all the way to the end, you are amazing! It looks like I finished 10 projects out of the 34 on my list. Not too bad considering some are truly large projects. I need to think about what will be on my WIP list for next year. I have already started making plans and I know I will be having some new starts in the New Year.
Happy end of 2019! Hope your New Year is full of joy and lots of time to stitch.












      

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to share this finish with you on the day we celebrate the birth of My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
 Ta da!

 I started it January 2017. Lots faster than the one I stitched for my husband, which I think took 10 years.

A friend finished it for me as I was too afraid to do it myself. She did a lovely job. Thanks Nancy!
Hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful day together.