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!