Hello Everyone! Our trip to Arizona was very good. Shaun and his hockey team did well. We went there to play against some good teams in preparation for upcoming California State Championship. The weather was pretty much the same as California bouncing around from freezing to pleasant every day we were there. They got to play a lot of different teams from Canada, Virginia, and Arizona. Very good competition!
STARTS & FINISHES
It has been two weeks since my last post. So… I have one finish and three starts to share with you.
START: February Year of Celebration by Hands on Design
To get the ball rolling, I spent one hour this week on this lovely design. This design is stitched on 16 ct dirty aida with called for Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art, and DMC called for threads. I did have to subsitute CCW Catepillar for WDW Acorn.
START: February Hello There by Hands on Design
That same night, I spent an hour on this cute design as well. This design is stitched on 16 ct white aida with called for DMC threads.
START: Big Hearted Tiny Town by Heart in Hand
Of course, I needed to get this one started as well. I just couldn’t let this night go by without working on this for at least an hour as well. It is funny how much less gets done with the smaller fabric count. I am stitching on 16 ct aida Picture This Plus Whimsey from my stash with called for Classic Colorworks and Weeks Dye Works thread.
FINISH: February Nine Patch by Primrose Cottage Stitches
It felt so good to wrap this one up in just two sittings! Those birds are so cute! This was stitched on 25 ct white lugana with called for DMC threads.
WEEKLY WIP UPDATE
I took two projects with me to Arizona, but only actually worked on one while I was gone. I am always so optimistic in my thinking. While the hockey schedule wasn’t too bad, it really doesn’t leave a lot of down time. Hotels have terrible lighting so I usually like to work in the hotel lobby if I can. Way more comfortable!
WIPGO Projects Update:
Just a reminder that my WIPGO goal for the month is to work on both projects for at least one hour five times during the month or finish the project.
Shabby Winter Calendar by Cuore e Batticuore
I worked on this project only once in the past three weeks to make it 3 times out of my 5 for the month of February. After spending so much time the prior two times unstitching and restitching, I finally made some significant progress on Day 3!
Let’s Talk Spring (Hoop) by Hands on Design
Last time we chatted, I had just started this adorable spring design. I really have enjoyed working on this project and can’t believe I am almost done. I was able to spend significant time the last two times I worked on it. With two more times left to work on this WIPGO project, I am thinking I should easily be able to finish it!
Non WIPGO Project Updates:
This being a short month and on the road for five days straight has put a kink in my plans to work on 15 WIPS. That number doesn’t even include the five starts for this month!
Fruit of Plenty by Modern Folk Embroidery
Since this project has been slow going, I set a goal to work on this one three times during February. I finished my third time last night. I finished the light colored filled border and was able to start on the dark lines. It is always fun to figure out a way to work the lines without breaking thread.
Snow Village by Country Cottage Needleworks
While I don’t understand why it is taking me so long to stitch this section, I have to acknowledge that progress has been made at least!
August Snapshot by Pine Mountain Designs
While I am not focusing on finishing this one right now, I am happy I was able to get it under my needle at least once this month to wrap up the lady under the umbrella.
Mr July, A Calendar Gnome by Charlie’s Needle
I was happy to achieve my goal of finishing Mr. July’s face & beard. I deliberately decided to wait before adding his embroidered eyes until last.
The Needleworker – Snowman Collector’s Series by Cottage Garden Samplings
I took this one to Arizona with me and got in some quality time working on the robe. Finishing the bunnies on the robe was fun and finishing another patch of his patchwork robe was satisfying. The colors I am working with are fun and unusal.
January Stackables by It’s Sew Emma (FQS)
I hadn’t really planned on working on this one again this month, but I found myself Tuesday night picking it up and quickly working through the beanie and floundering what to do next. I opted to work on all the little snowflakes in the stack. I am looking forward to starting the beautiful blue and white trees.
UPCOMING PLANS & THOUGHTS
Digital Planner vs paper planner journey
I have been playing around with a digital cross stitch planner I downloaded end of January. I’m using it to get a feel for what I like and don’t like. Meanwhile, I am maintaining my paper cross stitch journal and log. This week I finally started making notes of the things I like and don’t like about each.
I can tell you one of the things I do in my paper journal is re-writing all my current active WIPS each month as I track the current month progress. While the digital planner is great for the tracking the list and I am not pleased with the layout or how they do goals. It feels like I am jumping from place to place all the time. On the other hand, she has things in her digital planner I had not thought of.
This experiment is definitely interesting and thought provoking. I am itching to design my own. Considering I went to a blank journal two years ago, I shouldn’t be surprised. One of the negatives with my paper journal is how much time it takes to setup each month. I am getting more and more convinced, digital is the way to go. Now I just need to learn how I design my own pages and put it together to play with for the second half of 2023.
I’ve had some questions about digital planners. You need a tablet – most of the apps out there are designed for the iPad which is what I have. The two most commonly used apps for the digital planner is – Good Notes 5 and Notability. I have both. The basic app is free. I also happen to use Notability for loading all my cross stitch pdf’s into for easy markup. It all started because I wanted to ZOOM in on the pattern versus squinting at it. Then I started highlighting my pattern as I stitched, then… Well you get it.
Next week’s stitchy plans (2/24 – 3/2/2023)
As I sit here looking at my WIP list for the month. I can see that I have not touched a number of projects during February and I have not reached either Feb WIPGO project goals. There is only 5 days (including today) left in the month of February. This is what I am going to attempt to get done during those 5 days. Whatever doesn’t get done will flow over into the first two days of March.
- Work on Let’s Talk Spring Hoop 2 more times (or finish)
- Work on Shabby Winter Calendar 2 more times
- Just My Type – Finish Red & Pink heart
- May Calendar Crates – work on for an hour
- Snowballs for Sale – work on for an hour
- Winter Camper – work on for an hour
- April Cottage of the Month – finish Cottage
march plans
The WIPGO March projects have been selected already (2 & 22). For me that will be February Celebration and May Calendar Crates. My goal for both of these will be to finish them in March.
Meanwhile with February ending, I am going to rotate out of my active WIPS all my winter projects: Shabby Winter Calendar, Winter Camper, Snowballs for Sale, and Snow Village. Spring projects currently on hold that I will bring back into rotation will be: Tea Thyme, Butterfly Dream, and Sail Away. So 4 out and 3 in.
I currently haven’t put much thought into new starts but definitely will be March Nine Patch and hopefully March Celebration, Hello March, and Let’s Talk Spring perforated paper tulips. I still have to review all of my kitted projects to see if I want to start anything else. Maybe the new Stitching with the Housewives Spring project could be fun. We shall see. I tend to get overly ambitious. I need to start scheduling some FFO time.
want to get!
Nashville Market has me drooling so much. I am thinking one of the things I need to add to my Digital Planner is a page for New patterns to buy. Heart in Hand came out with Honey Tiny Town (cute!) Hands on Design final pattern for the Triple Play Pillows are adorable. The fourth in line for Snowman Collector series is just adorable with The Postman on an antique bike. The new Mad for Plaid series by Hands on Design….. Okay I will stop there. So many cute patterns and not enough time to stitch them.
Alright! Let’s wrap this up for this week. I hope you have a great weekend. It’s storming here in San Jose. While we all agree we need the rain to help end the drought, we are tired of it. Winds have been crazy, but the flowers are still blooming!
Happy Stitching!
Peggy Stockwell