February Goals

I did quite well this month:

1) start a new project on the first - I started sonata
2) finish Phoenix - oh look, I did that already :)
3) finish sonata (well it's going so quickly!!) - yes, finished it last week
4) spend the remaining Mondays with TW's Fantasy Triptych - I missed the Monday I was in Cheshire, but spent quite a few extra nights on FT in the middle of the month
5) work on Las Vegas - yes, but there's a problem, which I'll explain in a bit
6) start something new (guilt-free January remember) - started Mirabila's waithing for ships
7) organise birth sampler for Monty and possibly start that too (see note above). - started this yesterday
I also completed my lace project, and started an ornie

As I said above, Las Vegas is a bit of a problem. 18 months ago my friend Jane got married in Vegas, and I said I'd do a wedding sampler for her. She wanted a picture of Vegas, and (not finding anything at all available commercially), I used a friend's XS software to create a chart from a photo. I decided to stitch it over 1 on black lugana, but I underestimated the scale of the project. Quite frankly, 8 pages of over 1 is a much bigger commitment than I'm really prepared to make. Plus it's all confetti stitching - not exactly fun (although I love the confetti on a TW - maybe it's just the piece?). I spent 2 weeks solid working on it this month, I've still not done 1/4 page, and it doesn't look that great anyway. So LV is being abandoned for somehting more practical. This is the first time I'll have not finished a project, so it's denting my pride. A LOT. But stitching is a hobby and should be fun - even when it's obligation stitching - by comparison I'm loving the birth sampler for Monty. I want Jane to get a gift from me that I enjoyed making to give her, not something that's driving me insane...

So, new Feb goals:
1) finish the centre panel on FT
2) finish birth band
3) finish ornie and start another small
4) work on Waiting for Ships
5) work on Peacock Firescreen
6) start new lace project
7) pick out a new wedding sampler for Jane

Nothing like optimism, is there?

Happy New Year!

Yesterday I tried to finish the xs on Phoenix. I failed. The bit where the tail meets the flames totally stumped me, after several hours of solid stitching (and NO frogging) I'd barely made headway... Eventually at 12.45 (so 2009 anyway) I gave up and went to bed. So Phoenix will be my first happy dance for 2009...

This morning I got up bright and not so early (11.10!!!!), and started to think about my new year start. I had been so focussed on Phoenix yesterday I hadn't really thought about it. So I decided it was time to be ORGANISED with my stash, at the same time as stash diving for my next project. SO... I made a list of all my WIPs (5), kitted up projects (6), kits (14) and charts (39 - and a few of these have mre than one design in - Best of TW Fantasy for example, was counted as 1). Not too bad all things considering? I also made a list of my fabbies, and measured the pieces, as many are offcuts from larger pieces. I didn't measure the tiny bits though. Hopefully I'll type these up at some point, before I lose the hand written notes. I already have a good list of DMC and Mill Hill Beads, and don't have enough of anything else to be worried.

Eventually I got my choice of new start to a reasonable number, then rationalised that a smaller project might be a good idea... so I chose Sonata by Abbey Lane Designs. I'm stitching it in Belle Soie silk 'Blue Lagoon' as I loved the colour. So not red at all...

Anyway here are photos of my WIPs (I forgot to take a new one of Eeyore's problem, but think nothing's changed since the the last photo, so I used that one here):

Dracolair's Phoenix

Peacock Firescreen by Barbara Thompson

Las Vegas (designed by me from photo)

Fantasy Triptych (TW)

Eeyore's Problem (Designer stitches?)

Yearly Recap:
In 2008 I finished 26 xs projects (don't gasp though..). I did 8 medium to large projects, 2 bookmarks, 1 small project and 15 ornaments. I also finished 1 lace project. Of these, I did 3 birth samplers, 3 exchanges and gave one item as a blog giveaway. The lace project was also a present. Of the remaining 11 ornaments, 10 were given as Christmas presents. So quite a few were gifts, which was nice.

I didn't set any yearly goals and I won't this year, as I prefer my stitching to be for fun, and not to deadlines. I do want to sort out more gifts though, so in 2009 I want to complete:
1) Las Vegas (wedding sampler for Jane and Keith)
2) Postman Pat (birth sampler for Riley - nephew of Leanne)
3) Birth sampler (possibly 'Birth Band' by the Drawn Thread) for Monty (Michaela and Stuart's son)
4) Possibly birth samplers for other friends, but I must try and chose small, simple designs (eherm..)
If I miss these it's not really a problem, they are all late anyway :)

I'll think about my January goals and post those later this week.
Happy stitching :)

Stitching photos to share

It has been far too long since I added any photos. I blame to start of term - my students are taking up most of my time, and I'd FAR rather be stitching than surfing the web and blogging in my downtime (when it's limited). Anyway, that does mean I've done a fair amout of stitching!

I never showed any photos of my September startitis pieces, so here they are:



Dracolair's Phoenix - I did get about 50% of the stitching done in September. I thihk this one is a stunner. The fabric is by Stitches and Spice, and is very close in colour to the yellows, but I LOVE it anyway.



Las Vegas, designed by me (ie photo dropped into a cross stitch chart creating program). Not sure how this will turn out. It's stitched over 1 on black. Am I crazy.....

I also started Eyore's Problem, but I've not made any progress since the last photo.



This is Fantasy Triptych at the beginning of the month. I've done quite a bit more, but don't have a more recent photo... maybe I'll post one later...