Another New Start....

 Rose Quaker - Stickideen von der Wiehenburg.  Another new start from my pattern stash.  Watched a random floss tube - she talked about stitching it, and I pulled mine out to start it.  This is only three days of stitching on it, and I have the side laid in.  Yeah, not complete, but just the one to fill in a bit more on the edge.  Using the suggested dmc flosses on a 28 count antique white lugana, one over one.  I had not started it before because I was not thrilled with the floss colors.  And doing it, it would probably not be my first choice.  But it's not awful, so I am just rolling with it.  I like quaker, so that part of it makes me hang in there with it, and got me to just start it, rather than debating.... should it all be darker?  All just one color?  The pattern is from when my local needlework shop was going out of business.  It is 8 pages, and I have no pages complete yet.  

Ink Circles - Quaker Geometric Puzzle.  This is basically the first skein of dmc completed.  I'm kinda random, but now I'm kinda trying to keep the light areas light, and the darker things dark.  Again, the camera photos are not great.  And I am not gonna fussy cut to get the colors to land.  And if you have wondered, is there any logic to where I start and stop stitching in any of these things?  At the moment, I'm sometimes trying to complete the skein of floss.  Or the page, or the thread.  Sometimes trying to complete the thread leads me slightly over into the next page.  But that is never a big deal, it is whatever happens is fine. 

I placed another order for stitching things.  A couple patterns, and the flosses I would need to do those, and another pattern I have from a magazine, and I know I have it started, but having the pattern might make it easier.  But no pattern could travel alone.... 

Two more pages, and a new start...

 Modern Folk Embroidery - Winter Kaleidoscope.  Completed the two pages for March.  16 of 20 pages completed.  I love it, but I will be glad when it's done.  Each time I get a bit slower at completing the two monthly pages.  

Ink Circles - Quaker Geometric Puzzle.  A new start.  9 pages.  An older stash pattern that I just knew I wanted to change the colors somehow.  This is dmc 111 varigated floss on black 25 count lugana, one over one.  It is nicer than the photo, my camera sucks, and the flash is blowing out the colors.  The pattern says the stitch count is 225 x 225, but as soon as I finally started stitching, the count on the pages is more like 235...Not a big deal, but enough to remind me I should double check numbers against the pattern.  I have had it pop up on other patterns in the past, it happens.  I have done other Ink Circles patterns on black with Weeks floss in Whiskey.  But then Whiskey became more like Tiger's eye....which... dyelots change.  I think I have some of this dmc in my stash, but it was easier to just order more from 123Stitch.  I was ordering the fabric and a couple market patterns, and the cookbook anyway.  The hoop is sbout 7 inches.  The finished design is 9.4 inches.  I always start bottom right corner, unless it's something really weird.

Finish #1 for 2025

 

Finish #1 for 2025.  Ink Circles - Squirrels of Sumatra.  On Fiber on a Whim, 28 count lugana, one over one, and the color is Brown Sugar.  Used almost exactly 4 skeins of dmc 3371.  Start with more than four would be my advice.  It's about the size of a piece of paper when finished.  The photo has a flash on, so it's prettier than this photo. 

Long ago I did the little corner area with the suggested flosses in color.  It has a photo date of April 2019, but I don't know how accurate that is.  It is included with the pattern, and is called Squirrel's Garden to be specific.  

I grabbed back up the red one again to do the two pages for January.  I have almost a half a page done so far.  I thought that I would get this one finished before year end, but it was slow going, so I was 9 days into the new year before it got finished.  But any finish is fine, and it did not get tossed back, it did get completed.

Another new start for 2024

 

A new start.  Hobby House Press - Dasher and Dancer.  This was a pattern I saw and liked a year or more ago.  It just was never at a site that I buy from.  I saw it this time at the Colour & Cotton website.  She sent the pattern, and included two skeins of  Colour & Cotton - Valor Red.... oh, lovely red for this pattern.  So I ordered more of the Valor Red floss.  This is how far one skein of floss got me.  Of course I used Colour & Cotton fabric.  It is 28 count lugana, one over one, the Jan 2022 fabric club Chamomile.  The stitch count is 355w x 168h.  It is actually under 12 by 6 inches finished.  I will change the swans to something else, but no clue what yet.  But it is time to change to something else after finishing the skein.  

I had finished another page on Ink Circles - Squirrels of Sumatra.  That bottom border was just not my favorite.  But I could do that page, finish that border, and get a break, that seemed okay.  Two pages for December seem possible. 

Three more pages done...

 Ink Circles - Squirrels of Sumatra.  Finished the next 3 pages for November.  That is my goal, 3 pages a month, on this one.  This is 6 of 9 pages completed.   I am back on my two pages for the red design...

Finish #7 for 2024

 

Finish #7 for 2024.  Mary Woodrow, Violets & Verses.  Dmc 3799 floss, on Dove Gray 28 count jobelan, one over one.  I changed the word 'youth' at the end to be the more matching style of letters.  It was fun.  As I said before, I started this when I started chemo.  Then it got pushed to the side.  It's now been almost two years, and there were months when I didn't stitch, so it's lovely to have it finished.

This is A Winter Kaleidoscope from Modern Folk Embroidery.  The first two pages of twenty completed for September, and I'm going back to this next for the two pages for October.

Ink Circles - Squirrels of Sumatra.  This is three pages finished of nine pages total.  It's a third done, but the end pages are a bit smaller to be fair.  The colors are way off in the photo, it's more of a brown on brown. 

A New Start for September...

A new start...  Ink Circles - Squirrels of Sumatra.   It's on Fiber on a Whim, 28 count lugana, Brown Sugar.  dmc 3371 started with 7 skeins, one over one.  Almost finished the bottom right corner page.  It's the smallest of nine pages.  I did get up to the top border. This is actually showing 6 of the 9 pages partially stitched.  The photo is not very pretty, it's more of a brown on light brown. 

Finish #9 for 2022

Ink Circles - The Red Ship of Lesser Commitment.  Finish #9 for 2022.  Used more than one skein, but less than two of dmc 938.  One over one, on 28 count China Pearl Jobelan.  It was a new start and I stayed with it till it was completed.  We are not counting, but I think it is my third new start and finish so far this year.  The point is NOT to make the already started pile larger.

Yep, number 4 is the smallest, and is turned sideways on the fabric.  But it's a bit hard to tell scale, so...

Big Red Ship - the largest is 12 inches wide x 14 inches high.  March 20, 2021

Modestly Sized Ship is 10 inches wide x 9 inches high.   April 5, 2021

Small Ship is 6 x 6 inches.   March 8, 2022

Smallest (today) is 4.5 inches wide, and 5.5 inches high.   April 26, 2022

Dates after are finish dates, two last year, two this year, almost a year apart.  Who knew that March and April were Ink Circles Ships months for me?  For me, this series is completed.  I liked it and enjoyed it, but I'm out of fabric.

I had picked up Sarah Spurr, and was filling it in when I picked up that ship stuff.  It's was so close, and looked like the below photo when I picked it back up again.  Leaves on tree, hand flower leaves,  and the light part on the bird ( which doesn't really show ) got filled in... , then I started a boat..., so now back to Sarah again. 

Finish #5 for 2022

 

Ink Circles - Forests of Sumatra.  Finish #5 for 2022.  Done on a Colour and Cotton no name fabric of the month.  One over one, using Gloriana Silk - Cranberry.  I am gonna say it took almost 3 skeins, but that could be wrong.  It finished to be smaller than a sheet of paper.  It's on a smoke gray fabric but the lights wash out the photo. I have now completed Dragons and Forests, and I have the pattern for Squirrels.  Oh, and this might be a 28 or 32 count lugana. 

Just as a reference, the photo of Dragons completed using the same silk floss, but on a different fabric. 

Finish #4 for 2022

 

Needle Bling Designs - Stitching Comforts.  Finish #4 for 2022.  On white jobelan 28 count, one over one, using suggested dmc floss.  Skipped adding initials and date.  Added a violet fancy floss for the buttons, just because ecru wasn't gonna really show.  And real buttons, are just slower for me to put on.  But I liked the saying, so I bought the pattern.  The colors suggested are not my normal pallet, but sometimes what it suggests when finished, it's not what you expect.

Ink Circles - Forests of Sumatra.  I'm still working on those final two pages.  I want this to be my next finish. 

Started Something...

Ink Circles - Forests of Sumatra.  Filled in a bit more, still working on the final two pages. 

Heaven Above - Midsummer Night Designs.  A new start... using white jobelan, 28 count, one over one, using the suggested fancy flosses.  It's smaller than a sheet of paper.  I started in the bottom right corner, and I like words.  I was looking for a short break from the other project, and I got pretty far.

I have been trying to work on the already started pile.  I didn't buy too much last year, but I was part of the fabric of the month club.  This month I dropped the fabric club.  I watched the market patterns, and there was one I wanted.  But nobody orders just one pattern from 123Stitch.  So in the end, I got three orders of stuff.  I'm a happy stitcher. 

Finish #2 for 2022

Ink Circles - Comparatively Small Red Ship of Life.  DMC 938 on 28 count jobelan, China Pearl, one over one.  Used 2 skeins of dmc floss.  Approximately 6 inches square.  Finish #2 for 2022.  It was a new start, and continued to be a finish.  After posting the last update, I saw that the designer is releasing another ship...  which of course I will have to stitch.  I have a small area of fabric remaining, and 5 more skeins of dmc.  They all will match.  And I'll take a photo of them all together at some point.  This photo is very accurate for colors.  I like the combination because it has a masculine feel. 

Filling Up The Ship

Three of six pages completed.  Comparatively Small Red Ship of Life - Ink Circles.  This has used one skein of dmc already.  If I quit at this point, it would just be another project that I have two or three pages left.

7 of 9 Pages Completed.

Ink Circles - Forests of Sumatra.  This is 7 of 9 pages completed.  It is actually much prettier than the photo.  I get to a point that might seem like I should just finish it, but I've done several pages, and at that point, it's enough.  Next time should be a finish for several things if I only have 2 or 3 pages left.  Gonna try to find Death By Cross Stitch, finding it will be the trick. 

A page finish, then another that will need a restart...

 Ink Circles - Forests of Sumatra.  Finished another page, so 5 of 9 pages completed now.  It will finish at just slightly smaller than a piece of paper when completed.  It's on a 32 count Colour and Cotton, it's cranberry on gray, using silk.  Below is what it looked like when I picked it back up this round.  

I tried to pick up something else...

This is Love Never Fails.  I tried working on her dress, and that light color just sucks on this fabric.  Enough that I would rather just stop, and then restart this completely over again.

This is where it was when I picked it back up again.  I like the pattern, just not on this fabric.  So then I picked up the Ink Circles pattern instead.  It will get restart, but not right away.  I have so many things already started, and yet there will come a day when I just want to start SOMETHING... The other colors work, and I know that dress would KINDA work... but stitching something iffy is awful when you just cringe when you stitch it.

Finish #3 for 2021

Ink Circles - Modestly-Sized Red Ship of Life.  Finish #3 for 2021.  It's on 28 count China Pearl jobelan, one over one, dmc 938.  It used 6 skeins of dmc.  Finished size is 10.25 wide by 9.25 high in inches.  It matches the larger one in both dmc floss and fabric.  I also have the smaller third pattern and this cut of fabric is folded under, so the plan is to put the third one on what is left.  I don't plan to start that one yet.  Trying to do things I already have started.  *This was my 'New President, New Start'.  Which means I started and finished something not even from the already started pile.

Stitching Away...

Modern Folk Embroidery - Fruits of Plenty - April - MFESAL 2021.  Finished the latest month. 

Ink Circles - Modestly Size Ship.  Worked on it the final days of March.  Closer and closer. 

Two More Pages Completed

 Ink Circles - Modestly Sized Red Ship of Life.  10 of 12 pages completed.  I would really like to power through this, but there are other things I should be doing.  But I'm pleased to have finished two more pages this time.

Finally a finish for 2021...

A Finish!  Ink Circles - Big Red Ship of Life.  Used 9 skeins of dmc 938 on 28 count China Pearl jobelan, one over one.  It finished at 12 x 14 inches.  A bit confusing as this was the first one, the biggest of the three patterns.  It's 16 pages, I had 8 done, and parts of the other 8 done.  So I filled in and finished.  It got dated 2014, I had high hopes at that time.  There are a few changes randomly.  I looked for a random place to add the year 2021, but nothing that was quick and easy, and still hidden. Below is where it was when I picked it back up.  It is the first finish for 2021.  Which is sad...
 

Below is the Modestly Size Ship.  12 pages on that one, 8 completed.  Since I have been stitching this one, it's a bit weird to suddenly pop up with the other pattern as a finish, so I am adding this photo.

Here. There. And everywhere...

Ink Circles = Modestly Sized Red Ship.  Two more pages completed.  Used almost 4 skeins of dmc at this point.  Below is what it looked like when I picked it back up.  8 of 12 pages completed.  And the border lines up on that left side,- I checked. 

I wanted to break up doing that top border all at once. 

Blackbird Designs - Our Lasting Friendship.  My new start.  I got the border and the box done.  Called for fancy flosses on 28 count PTP Legacy, one over one.  When the flosses arrived - Caramel and Straw Hat look exactly alike.  I don't mean they are close, I mean - exactly.  So I reordered those two again from a different vendor. 
 

Band Sampler - Historical Sampler Company (I think).  This is just an odd one for me, but it's is different from the other things I stitch.  Below is what it looked like when I picked it back up again. I was just trying to get rows from side to side.  But I also only got a couple of days before I'm wanting to move on.  And oh, that outside border is gonna be miserable to do.