Venetian Delight

 This WIP was started in 2004(?) and has not been touched since. I really need to search through my stash and find the threads.

As you can see, I still have a lot to do.

And there is another canvas that I have barely touched.

I would really like to re-frame this and get to work on this. We will see.

Paisley Passion-Deb Forney

 I have not toughed this since....well probably when I took the class in 2011. Sad. I think this color was chosen by my daughter. I definitely want to get back to it.

Mill Hill Bead Kits

 I did a quick look through my projects and found these three started. I probably have more. Sigh. My goal is to get at least one of these done this year although I would love to get several finished. 

Purrfect Christmas Santa:

Love Coffee:

Garden Chair:

Angel of Love

 Well, I did not spend much time on this piece in 2022. Maybe she can get some attention in 2023.

MH 1656, My Beloved

 This piece has been in time out. I need to decide what I'm going to do with her. I know I need to do some frogging as the band I'm working on is incorrect. The first photo shows where I currently am working:
This is a photo of what I have done so far...

Gay Ann Rogers WIPs

 If you have been following me for very long, you know I'm a big fan of Gay Ann Rogers. Here are my current WIPS that are hers:

Catherine:

Betsy Ross Needlecase:

Drawn Thread Sampler:

I hope to work on these soon. HA! Gay Ann Rogers has issued a challenge on her Facebook page to get out one of her queens and make an appointment to work on her. I need to reframe Catherine on better stretcher bars and then she will get some attention.

Catherine Jordan Pieces

 I have two unfinished Catherine Jordan pieces. I'm not sure I will touch them this year, but I wanted to post photos of them.

A Knot Garden:

Sad to say, but I'm not sure where my pattern is for this one.

Map Class:

And I think the instructions for this are on my computer....

Do These Even Count as WIPs?

 Or are they UFOs? Anyway, I started them and I think I want to finish them at some point. One project at a time...

Dawn to Dusk:

Florentine Christmas Ornaments:

I definitely need to restart this one as I don't like my color choices...

Silk Gauze:

I think this is really a full coverage piece....

Octopus by Don Moyer

 This piece has been on hold as I think I just need to restart it. I don't like how I shaded the Octopus. It was a quick stitch and would be a perfect travel project. Maybe navy thread this time instead of the black....

Art Quilt

 I did work on this piece in 2022, but it needs more attention.

Or to be cut into tiny pieces......

Dorset Button Eye Glass Case

 This piece stopped because I am afraid of making a mistake....I just need to work on it and ignore all the negative voices in my head.

Star of Wonder

 This needs to be restarted. I am fairly sure I have oriented the piece in the wrong direction.

Scissors

 I like this piece. Why don't I finish it? Maybe it is the yellow fabric that I don't care for...

But it would be so cute as a small!

Lotus Box

 I think I just need to restart this one. I'm not sure if what I have is right or wrong. But I love, love, LOVE the idea of making a box!

Chip and Chick

 THIS would make a perfect travel piece! I can work it in a hoop and it is supposed to be washed when finished. PERFECT! So why don't I do that?

Alice Ellen Usher

 My goal for this one is to NOT work on it until I finish Pour ta Fete. Let's see if I can do that....

She is a huge piece and I do love stitching on her. But she must wait her turn.

Pour ta Fete and GG 2023

 Gifted Gorgeousness is the brainchild of blogger extraordinaire Jo . On or around the 15th of every month we are to post a photo of a project that fits under the title of "Gift". Pour ta Fete was a gift from a young girl to her aunt originally. Or I think that is the story...

Here is where I was at the end of 2022:

 Here I am now:

I did finish another page before the end of 2022 so there is a chance to finish this in 2023.

Blue Larkspur

 This piece has given me fits. For some reason I have a difficult time stitching it. But I am trying not to start another Avlea design until I finish it.

I made a mistake and had to rip a bunch out. Here is a more recent photo:

Lizard Canvas

 I'm so close to finishing this. I just need to get over my fear and get it done!

17the Century Whitework Sampler

 This piece needs to get finished this year! I am close, but all the whitework will take a bit:

The blue part is the pattern that I need to imitate...

Sampler Book

 My local guild is working on this as our year-long project. I'm trying to stay a little ahead so I can help if people are having problems with the stitches:

I'm using scraps of fabric from my stash and threads from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. Trying to use my stash!

Reptiles

 My goal on this is to work on it at least one weekend a month. Did I say that last year? Anyway, my middle child likes it and I would love to show him true progress on it.

Here is where is was in 2022:

And here it is now:

I added 500 stitches since the beginning of the year. Progress in 2023!

Gnome Santa

 I really need to finish this so I can hang it on my tree this year! And he is so close to being done!

Here is where I left off:

And here I am now:

So close to a finish!

WIPocalypse 2023 Introduction

 Well, I have all the WIPs, so I thought I would join Melissa for her fun yearlong challenge. If you don't know what WIPocalypse is, check her blog post. I have participated before and decided to try it again. My understanding is that this started the year before the Mayan Calendar ran out and we "had" to finish our WIPs before the "end of the world'. (Even if that isn't the way this challenge started, I love the story and am sticking to it!) Anyway, this is the day we are to introduce ourselves and post our WIPs and what we hope to accomplish.

Introduction:

My name is Beth and I live in Illinois along the Mississippi River due west of Chicago. I have 3 grown children, two boys and a girl. My daughter has graduated from college and has a job raising funds for a private foster care group. My two boys are working on their PhD's in engineering. I home schooled them and was a stay-at home mom. My husband retired recently and we have a small camper that we plan to use to see the USA. I love about any type of needlework and  like to keep several projects in a "current" rotation. I also like starting new projects, which can be an issue. I am active in my local Embroidery Guild of America , Cyberpointers , and co-host Fiber Talk .

WIPs

My WIP list is too long to post so many photos. (As I write this, I have FOUND 29 WIPS and I know there are more lurking.) So throughout the month of January I will be post photos of my WIPS. Here is my list (in no particular order);

1.My Beloved, MH 1656-Hands Across the Sea

2.Catherine-Gay Ann Rogers

3.Betsy Ross Case-Gay Ann Rogers

4.Art Quilt

5.Dorset Button Eyeglass Case-Ariane Zurcher

6.Star of Wonder

7.Reptiles-Heaven and Earth Design

8.Scissors-Shakespeare's Peddler

9.Reptiles Painted Canvas

10.Octopus-Don Moyer

11.17th Century Whitework-Thistle Threads

12.Blue Larkspur-Avlea

13.Drawn Thread Sampler-Gay Ann Rogers

14.Lotus Box-Terri Bay

15.Map Class- Catherine Jordan

16.A knot Garden-Catherine Jordan

17.Florentine Ornaments-EGA GCC

18.Paisley Passion-Deb Forney

19.Venetian Delight-Ro Pace/Jean Hilton

20.Chip and Chat-Judy Jeroy

21.Dawn to Dusk-Textured Treasures

22.Alice Ellen Usher-Sassafras Samplers

23.Pour ta Fete-Lindsey Lane Designs

24.Sampler Book-Erica Michaels

25.Purrfect Christmas Santa-Mill Hill

26.Love Coffee-Mill Hill

27.Garden Chair-Mill Hill 

28.Gnome Santa-Janet Zickler Casey

29.Angel of Love-Lavender and Lace

 I will be posting photos of my photos for the rest of the month, in no particular order. That way, I have a record of all my WIPs!

Plans

 Well, like everyone, I hope to have fewer WIPS at the end of the year than the beginning, but that is not really a plan. To whittle the WIPs down, I plan to work a cross-stitch piece, a needlepoint piece and my travel piece. Pour ta Fete is the first cross-stitch piece but it is on 56 count linen and therefore I may decide to work on another cross-stitch piece along with it. But before I start a new sampler, Pour ta Fete must get done! My painted canvas is the needlepoint piece as it is so close to a finish. I'm still not sure what my travel piece will be, but probably one of the Mill Hill bead kits.

The People's Choice- January 2023

 Well, this is another SAL hosted by Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching.

 

I think my designer of the year will be- Gay Ann Rogers. Surprise. Surprise.

I have quite a few of her kits that haven't been started along with several that I have started.

Here are the ones that I really want to stitch this year:

The nest heart in the America series-

 Both the Drawn Thread Samplers:

Catherine:

 Betsy Ross Needlecase:

 I hope to work on something I've already started, but who knows what the new year will bring!

 

New Year, New Calendar

 Here is my calendar for December 2022:

I bought the one from Needlework Press one year, but love the spiral binding and extra pages in these:

On the very last page it says "Goals" and I wrote my WIPs down. My husband looked at it and said, "You have a lot of goals." Yes, I do. ;) Starting January 8th, you will see posts of my WIPs as I joined the WIPocalypse Sal. Let's see how I do!