The Year in Review...

The year in review...  I made a list of 'already started things', and hoped to make it a smaller number by the new year.  It had 87+ items.  I finished about 26 things.  Not all from the list of 87+, some were new starts, new patterns, pulled from stash.  Some got bought and stitched and were never part of any list till they made a finished in 2020 list.  Part of that 26.  So I wanted to touch and sort and make a new list... reset the mess for a new year again.  

Now I have 105+ started things on the new list.  Clearly I failed at just wanting it to be 'less than, not more...'.  But I also suspect it could have been worse.  And it shows this is exactly how I got to now over 100 things started.  I already can see 5 new starts in my head for 2021.  I do not wanna plan - no new starts -  I wanna still love stitching.  But I wanna try it again, grab from the already started pile.  As I sorted, I put several things in a basket I can leave near me and pull from to start the new year.  I have one that I want to restart... my pattern / floss and fabric choices are not working for the design.  I think the fabric and floss will work for a different pattern better, and the pattern needs something calmer.  It was nice to look at where I was on a few things.  I would know I started it, and be surprised as to what I had done, or think I maybe had more done.  Or think - didn't I already finish that?  Clearly not.  As I said before, it is not about getting exact numbers.  It's about wanting to have less things started by the following year.  This year, I kinda sucked at it.  But I'm willing to try again, no harm, no foul.  I decided I will also try to take photos of it when I pick it back up again so I can see progress.  I did like the stitch a skein plan... but also know I do have to keep my projects changing.  If I need a break from all solid, it doesn't really matter.  If I stitched the whole year and finished nothing - but I enjoyed it...  it's okay.  The point for me is to enjoy the stitching. 

Closer and Closer

Carriage House Samplings - A Primitive Stocking.  Finish #26.  Used called for NPI Silks on 25 count Vintage Country Mocha Lugana, two over one.  Worked on it for three days to finish it.  Seemed like the right thing to work on for Christmas Eve.  Finished the final three letters Christmas Day.  Really happy with the results on that fabric, and a fat quarter is enough to do it easily twice, maybe three times.  And certainly enough thread to do it at least twice or three times.  Finished area stitched is about 16 x 7.  But stitching it several times, you could place the toe area under the heel of the previous one, flip the material so the toe fits at the top and body of the stocking is where the thread is in this photo.  You would not have a three inch border around each one, but you have the sock outline on the pattern.  As long as you stitch whatever first, I think easily three fit without crowding anything too tight. 

Long Dog Samplers - Pandemic.  Used more than 11 skeins.  All the motifs are completed.  I still have backstitching yet to do.  You CAN probably do it one over one in 12 skeins of dmc on a 28 count, but you sure can not do it in 11 skeins.  I started with 12, I am gonna make it.  Because I do stitch over one, there ARE backstitches I leave out.  But if you are watching to see how much floss - I would want at least 14 skeins of dmc.  So it's still not done, but it will finish after just a couple more days of working on it.  

I am going to spent a time reorganizing my pile of started things.  I started this year with a started already list of projects.  I stopped counting at 87, and there would have been a couple more.  There were a few new projects along the way.  I started Pandemic, and started and finished a Modern Folk Embroidery pattern, and also a With Thy Needle and Thread pattern.  And a few other things got started... but the point was to end with less than the 87 I started with on that list.  Some things got worked on and tossed back into the pile.  Some things never got touched and are still waiting.  I had two of the monthly SAL projects, I still have those to finish.  I already love the Modern Folk one for 2021, but wanna finish the 2020 final parts.  I pushed to get close to the end of Pandemic, and since I am at just fill in a bit of backstitching, I am fine with being slow with a final month of that finish.  I started with only a list, and the plan of "less - not more", at the end of the year.  I still bought things I loved, I still started new things, things from my stash too.  But the key was - try to grab from the started already pile.  Reach into that.  And there was a large Courtney Collection finish.  I still want to do the mirror version of that, but I wanna finish things from the started pile.  I am not ready to die, but I'm too old to have a pile with 100 projects in it.  A few things just got kitted and not started.  But it's not even about if I finished #15 or #25 this year.  The point is - less.  And I think it's time to touch all my piles of started things again.

Finish #25 for 2020...

 Lizzie Kate - ABC's of Faith.  Finish #25 for 2020.  It was basically right half done when I picked it back up this time.  Took me three days to fill in the left side.  I did notice I forgot the angel wings when I took the photo, but that did get added before I posted this.  No clue what the fabric was, but 28 count even something, one over one.  Used the called for Weeks flosses, except the white, which just didn't show on this fabric.  Changed to dmc 3032.

Finish #24 for 2020

Courtney Collection - Mermaid's Folly.  Finish #24 for 2020.  On PTP Brash, 28 count lugana, one over one, using dmc 310.  Used 8.25 skeins.  Pattern is 24 pages.   The photo is showing it much lighter more like Doubloon, and it is NOT that at all.  

This was how far 8 skeins completed got me....  just not quite there.  That was another 1/4 skein needed to finish.  And this photo is not color accurate either.  I would say Brash looks like a very soft tan suede.  It is 18.75 x 7.5 inches.  I know I wrote that I counted the weave and it was closer to 30 than 28 count, which would be normal dyeing process shrinkage.  I would still like to do the mirror image of the design yet, there is enough of the floss and fabric to do it.  But not right away.  I'm just happy to get through it once at the moment. 

Songs About Glue...

This is the Linen and Threads 2020 Mystery Sampler.  This is as far as it get for now.  I need to find a replacement for two motifs.  One was the vase with a HUGE bird, and the other was the HUGE fly.  I heard someone say something about the Bee on it, I'm still going with it's a fly.  And weirdly enough, 2020 and a huge fly on it - TOTALLY FITS.  I looked a little for replacement motifs, but nothing jumped out as perfect to fill in.  So it's done, but not done.  And the skeins of dmc off to the side show scale.  Done with PTP Gingerbread 28ct Lugana, one over one, dmc 154, kind of a wine purple. 

This is Little House Needleworks - Battle Hymn of the Republic.  This was a new start, and a finish. Finish 23 for the year 2020.  Done on 32ct jobelan Colour & Cotton Treasure Map, one over one.  Treasure Map was an early Fabric of the Month, and the scrap I had left was perfect to use it all up.  The suggested dmc threads were fine.  When I was a small kid, still fit into the grocery cart seat size...  I used to sing this.  But being a kid, the chorus for me was....  Lori, Lori, Can I glue ya...  My mom told me years later that people looked, but she decided she would rather have a singing kid, than a crying kid.  So she let me sing.  I have no clue why this song, or where I would have heard it.  I can not carry a tune in a bucket, although it took a long time before somebody finally told me that, so I was probably not much better as a kid singing this in that shopping cart.  But I was happy, not screaming.  It was just a silly thing to stitch for me, but only because I have a slightly different version in MY head.  I do remember getting most of the other words of this correct.... I think he was 'trampling on the village'...,  but that chorus...  not so much.  Maybe I should add, we were not religious, so that H word was not part of my world, but my family did use glue. 

Closer, but not yet.

Long Dog Samplers - Pandemic.  I just have to take a break from it.  I can not power through to finish it.  At the moment I am adding about two threads a day and looking for any distraction to do something else.  I don't dislike it, I'm just burnt out and need to look at a different pattern, a different color of floss.  So I put this one away and picked back up Courtney Collection - Mermaid's Folly since I only have 3 pages left to do on that 24 page pattern.  I wanna finish one of these yet this year... it might just not be this one.   But the photo does maybe show the dmc 35 color correctly.

10 Skeins and 15 Pages

Long Dog Samplers - Pandemic.  This is 10 skeins of dmc and 15 pages completed.  Two skeins left... gonna be close.  This round went pretty quick, and I finished the border lines.  Finished the lower left, adding the year.  Years actually.  I wanted it to show it was a pandemic in both 2020 and 2021.  I know in other parts of the world, the dates would be different.   I filled in partial motifs.  Back stitching things can be in a slightly different shade if I run out.  Five pages to go.

Nine Skeins Finished So Far...

Pandemic from Long Dog Samplers.  This is nine skeins of dmc used so far.  I started with 12 of the same dyelot.  Is it 3/4 done???  I think I am gonna be short.  It is 13 of 20 pages completed.  I am trying to finish motifs or borders that are started with the same dyelot and be able to mix in a different dyelot at the end.  I got several more skeins, same color number, just a different dyelot number.  I am hoping that if I prepare to run out, I might not. 

Another skein completed.

Pandemic from Long Dog Samplers.  This is 8 skeins and 11 pages completed.

Totin' Hare by La-D-Da.  I can not even explain why I had to start this, but I did.  The border matched up.  It will be 8 by 3 inches, a small thing compared to the rest of the things I have been working on recently.  Pandemic is over 15 by 12.5 inches.

10 pages and 7 skeins completed

Long Dog Samplers - Pandemic.  Finished the 7th skein of dmc 35.  Now have 10 random pages completed.  I did continue a few more threads to see if the motif would meet the top border properly.  It did.  Hooray. 

In January I must have needed a new start.  I had gotten the booklet Sisters from Blackbird Designs.  I had enough to start - Peace and Plenty.   I was missing a fancy floss.  I had a list of a few projects where I just needed one or two, and recently I have tried to fill in the flosses.  This got pulled out to put the floss away, I honestly did not remember starting it.  But it had multiple colors - for me right now - that was enough for me to play with it.  So it looked like the photo above when I picked it back up... and it looks like the photo below now when I shoved it back into the pile of started things. 

One Skein At A Time

Long Dog - Pandemic.  This is 6 skeins of dmc used.  Seven random pages completed except for some backstitching tiny things.  The pattern is 20 pages, 4 rows across, 5 pages per row.  I worked on bottom row middle page, and am gonna add a few more stitches to that yet so I can finish the page since it is silly close to completed.  Also the second row first page is now complete.  Rather than just get completely sick of the area, I skip around, work in a different area, anything so I can get to the end of the skein of floss.   

Linen and Threads 2020 SAL - finished October.  Actually I think this also flipped to another skein during this month.  I think I have started the third skein of dmc.

Getting there....

 Mermaid's Folly from Courtney Collection.  This is 7 skeins of dmc 310 used and 21 of the 24 pages completed.  Finished 3 more pages this skein, leaving me with just 3 more pages to finish.  But I am gonna stop and change to something else for a skein.  I'd like to see this as finished before the year end, but those pages that I have left sure look like a lot of stitches.  

Stitch and Re-Stitch...

 

Courtney Collection - Mermaid's Folly.  Six skeins used at this point maybe.  Six pages left of 24 total.

I tried to make the borders meet, and I actually thought they did, till I realized I was one thread too low.  So put a pin in to show where I skipped a row, and then I removed back to that pin.

This would be the before photo.  Finished the page around her head, and filled in the border so it joined.

I finished the August and September monthly sections on the above pattern.

 

And finished the September monthly section for this one.  That silly tiny treee had to be removed and restitched, I stuck it in the wrong place.

Five skeins of floss used...

Pandemic from Long Dog Samplers.

This is 5 skeins of dmc used.  I have only finished 6 pages of 20.  7 more pages are started and 7 more I have not started at all.  I did get to that upper right corner, so three corners are in place.  The photo color is way off, it's a wine color - dmc 35.  I tried stitching on other things, but I could not stick with them, and the progress I made was not worth taking any photo of.  I am gonna add one more thread to this, and then catch up on a couple of those monthly sectional samplers I have been working on.

Another skein of floss

Long Dog Samplers - Pandemic.
I have used 4 skeins of dmc to get this far.  It is dmc 35, one of the newer colors, but still just normal flosses. 

Added another skein of floss

Pandemic - Long Dog Samplers.  Three skeins of DMC floss used at this point.  About three pages completed.  I am skipping some of the backstitching, some flowers, mostly because I'm not sure how much a hoop would pull at those motifs as I move the hoop to stitch other areas.  It's still just the bottom half of the entire pattern. I am just picking pages that I feel have parts I want to stitch, or more likely would be easy to stitch.

The Linen and Threads 2020 monthly SAL - for August.  I skipped a basket with a huge bird that was from July, I'm gonna replace it with something else.  But I can't really do that until the end, till I see what the other motifs are.   

More Than Halfway

Courtney Collection - Mermaid's Folly.
Had 3/4 of a skein of dmc opened, so filled in the bottom partial pages to complete the bottom row. 
Then filled in the mermaid's body page to complete that, leaving me with 7 pages yet to go.
Below is what it looked like when I picked it back up again. 
It's dmc 310 on PTP Brash 28 count lugana, one over one. 

Not stitching every day.  Either I seem to stitch for hours or not at all.  It was nice to work on this again. The top photo is a bit more accurate for color if you are wondering.  Stupid camera. 

2 skeins of floss completed

Long Dog Samplers - Pandemic.
One page is completed, the bottom left corner. 
It's 2 skeins of dmc completed.  It's still just the bottom half of the entire pattern basically.  It's 12 5/8 inches across the bottom.  And crap, that bottom border is not really completed on that corner page.

Since I have so many of these huge patterns that are solid colors, I thought maybe the key is to stitch through a skein of floss each time.  Then rotate projects.  I don't know if that plan works for me or not.  It got me to finish the skein this round, but I can not imagine doing several more days to complete another entire skein. 

Three Pages, first skein of floss....

Courtney Collection - Pelican (Reversed)
This is 3 of 20 pages completed.  There are 5 pages along the end, this is the top 3 done.
Four pages across each row.  This is also the first skein of dmc completed.  The pattern took 7 skeins total last time.   Same floss as below, just a crap camera photo.

The original.  I cut  the two apart, because I would be sick if I did something that screwed up the one I have completed.  This is getting put to the side for the moment.  I picked up the Modern Folk 2020 SAL, and I have two months to do on that one.  I said last time that if I reversed the pattern for Mermaid's Folly that I didn't have fabric to do that.  But I looked up my blog post about it... My blog post said I did have enough fabric...  Clearly I do not remember that.  So I pulled it out, measured, and that old blog post was correct... there is enough to do it twice.  But I still have to finish the original verson first. 

Let's Try The Reverse Image...

Okay, maybe I have settled and will stitch this one for a while. 
Courtney Collection - Pelican (Reversed)
Let me explain.  The bottom one is complete and is the pattern off the shelf.  The top one that I have started is the mirror image of the pattern.  So you can see the big open area on the left is now on the right side...  The birds beak tip is now on the right side...
It's still one big piece of fabric at the moment.  I had planned to do this from the start, then I took a small cut out to do something small - and thought - I am an idiot when I remembered the cut was supposed to do both.  I lucked out, and both would still fit, I just had to shift this reverse one slightly right to fit into the  fabric space I have.  There is a 6 inch gap between designs, for finishing later, so this is just folded for the photo.  I have the side stitched from top to bottom, and I normally start bottom right corner.  The little tie thread is just to mark where the actual page corner was to count from. 
On PTP Doubloon 28 lugana, 938 dmc floss.  One over one.  Still on my first skein of floss at this point. 
You can do this with any pattern.  Words would be an issue, but I seem to really like this idea with the Courtney Collection patterns.  I have already done this once...  That time I literally did draw the pattern reversed using software.  This time I took the pattern to a copy place and said - Mirror Image?  Reverse image?  and it was a minute and a couple of dollars.  I understand a scan copy image and saying reverse or flip or mirror would have done it...  my stuff is not linked that well to do that at home. 
The page count just starts now from the upper right as page 1. 

 But if you are curious as to what the result can look like - this is what hangs on my wall.
Courtney Collection - Bernadette.  Pattern and mirror image - both framed... 
It was worth drawing it out for me to get this, at least that first time.  Can you tell which is the original pattern direction?  Does your eye prefer that she faces left or right? 
Kinda neat right???  I think the original is the right hand side - but I am not sure anymore. 
But for people that want to stitch something and be slightly different, once you remember, Oh, I can flip that...  your stash patterns that can be flipped... all those Mira patterns....  lots of ideas... 
But I'm having fun with just the Courtney Collection stuff... and am doing Pelican reveresed, plan to do Knightmare reversed.  I have started the Mermaid's Folly the pattern way, but it would also be wonderful in a mirror image.  I didn't buy enough fabric to do that - but after I realized it would flip, I wished I had.  But it is something to keep in mind, and use to be creative. 

I was able to find the stupid boxes that With Thy Needle and Thread used for their patterns. 
I wanted the one on the left for the Baltimore Saltbox pattern that is below.  I ordered two.  And since they had it, I ordered the little chest box and the pattern for it.  And started that pattern.. 
Prices for these are all over the map. 
BUT - if you want the stupid box for the Baltimore Saltbox pattern below... 1,2,3 Stitch has the box.
$5.39 each.  Here is the Link...

I'm sure it has to be stitched the one over one on 28 count to fit...  And you have to paint the box or whatever...

And I did start the chest pattern... one over one, using suggested.
I will point out - if you look at mine, and the pattern cover photo... the blues are reversed.  The pattern says to do what I have done - the bird is darker... but the pattern cover photo is actually the reverse.  The bird is lighter, everything lighter blue is darker blue and darker blue are the lighter blue.  I had about this much done before I noticed.  So if you have this pattern, or plan to do it...  head's up. 
But I never would have bought this is I had not been able to get the silly chest for it.  But the place I got my boxes and chest, they are now out of the chest.  And the box is cheaper at the link I provided above if you are looking for the box.
But now I am really trying to fall back into stitching things I have already started.  Or at least stitch things I already have planned out. 

Let's Start More Things...

 Real Comfort - A Jane Austen Sampler from Modern Folk Embroidery.
With just one day of stitching so far.  Stitched on 25 count Victorian Red lugana using white 12wt Sulky thread.  One over one.  It should finish at about 8 inches square.  This is side to side.

 Rebecca Nurse by The Primitive Hare. 
On 32 count Vintage Country Mocha lugana, two over two.  It's the suggested fabric and dmc flosses.
I am omitting the her name at the bottom.  This is side to side. 

Pandemic by Long Dog Samplers.
On 28 count MCG Textiles 28 Evenweave - White.
Using dmc 35, one over one, and the fabric was because I needed something slightly bigger than a fat quarter, and it was 20 x 27 and it should fit.  I am side to side at this point, and still on the first skein of dmc. 

Primitive Stocking by Carriage House Samplings.
This is on Vintage Country Mocha 25 count, two over one.  Using the suggested 5 NPI silks. 
This is just 3 days of stitching, and it is more than halfway.  I liked the color of the 32 count Vintage County Mocha used in Rebecca Nurse above, so I ordered it in a 25 count for this, and wanted the silks to be solid, so decided two threads.  The 25 count is a lighter dye than the 32 count, but it's working fine.  I don't usually buy the NPI flosses, but it used only 5 - at $5 each.  It should finish at almost 7 inches wide, and 17 inches long.
Like last time, I spent time starting things instead of working on already started things.
I am sure it is a reflection of my life, and the things going good or bad. 

New Starts This Round

Bent Creek - Begin Row.
New start on 25 count Wichelt lugana in Moss / Celadon, one over one, using the suggested fancy floss.  I am really happy with the fabric color for this - a light green.
There were lots of new starts this round. Begin Row was the last one, and my favorite. 

 

Plum Street Samplers - Blackberry House.
New start on Colour and Cotton - Swiss Coffee 28 count lugana, one over one.  Using the suggested fancy flosses.  The house color is the suggested, but mine is a darker dye lot.  The house is not my favorite part, so I'm just letting it be weird.  When my LNS went out of business, their floss was cheap, but you had to find the a chart that needed the floss they still had left.  This one they had 8 of the 14 colors.  I was not gonna just buy random colors, I bought for stuff I had or wanted to do. 

Lizzie Kate - Things Unseen. 
Using all the suggested stuff so that the button set will work.  Stitching two over two is not my thing, but I'm trying.  I like the pattern, and might have to do it a second time over one. 

It's a long way to a finish around here...

Beloved - from A Stitcher's Hands.
Since I forgot the after photo, I went back and added more to get a photo.  Finished the first 3 pages.
Basically three more pages to go.  I think it's a 25 count gray evenweave, one over one, using Anchor black.  But it's time to put it back in the pile.  The stitch count is something like 200 by 500.  

Above is was when it got picked back up.

Then, Prairie Schooler - Christmas Village.

This was the between project with Beloved before and after.  And the before photo below.

This, That, and Those Other Things...

With Thy Needle and Thread - Baltimore Saltbox.
Finish #22 for 2020.
On Cameo 28 count, one over one, fancy called for flosses except the red which is Weeks - Merlot.
All I needed to do was to fill in the white flag stripes and star with Eggshell.  So now it's done. 

The Teresa Kogut pattern.  The border is filled in except on the ends. 

Linen and Threads mystery sampler - the June section is now completed. 

And I worked on this - but this is where it was when I picked it back up again.  Working on that top section, added more words and a vase/flower thing.  Nothing real impressive or I would have taken an after photo.  I had a few things I picked up and then couldn't stay with it, so I got a little more done, but nothing to feel it was closer. But there is a lot in that already started pile.  I worked on two more things that are not even worth mentioning.