A New Year, and my first 2022 Finish...

BlackBird Designs - Winter is Past.  Used the suggested fancy flosses, one ove one. Used 32 count Floba, which was just something new to try for me.  Floba is available from a couple of the usual easy cross stitch order places.  This is standard, natural oatmeal, as the color.  It seems to come in 18, 25, 32.  I don't know a lot about it, but it's an evenweave, and it's slightly different on the back and the front.  Maybe it has some mottling on one side, but not the other.  When I started this, I had trouble stitching on it, only because the count just seemed so small.  28 is my comfort zone.  32 can sometimes be uncomfortable.  But it's just lovely fabric.  I know I bought more of the 25 count to have in my stash.  It's not weird, or tight, but it IS a nice alternative to have in your stash if you like evenweaves.  I have stitched on this pattern maybe three different times to get to the point of the above photo.  I just wasn't making much progress each time.  THIS time, everything just felt comfortable, and I had no problem with stitching it.  No clue why this round was different.  Nothing has changed in my stitching life.  I did stitch this on the less mottled side of the fabric.  But if you were looking for an old natural linen type color, with the natural flecks in the fabric, but wanted that in evenweave....  Flobe might interest you.  It is a Zweigart fabric I think. 

This is the finished photo.  Ironed and everything.  I skipped the date and initials.  I didn't do my fancy stitches of the berries in the basket in alternate colors, or the heart, or the big basket.  I skipped adding the second color the the flying bird.  I just liked the simplier versions.  But it's a lovely pattern.  I'm glad to have it finished as I started it years ago, but it's my first 2022 finish, and with a title like - Winter is Past...  it may have been wishful thinking as my year ended and a new year began.

Progress - and back into the Started Pile...

Band Sampler by Historical Sampler Company
Got about a day of stitching on it, and I'm tired of looking at it.
It's going back into the started pile. 
Below is where it was when I picked it back up again.

I just had the lower right corner started.  I got to the left side with the numbers, and I got to the top.  Well, my border vines are still missing at the sides and the top, but hey, for just over a day of stitching, you can tell I tried.  The encouraging part is - it's not as big as I thought. 
I can't say that I bought this because I loved it.  I bought it because it was different than other things I was stitching at that time.  It's still different than what I stitch now. 

The Winter Is Past - Blackbird Designs.
This got two days before tossing it back in the pile.
This is one that I like the pattern, but when I started this - I started it on 32 count Oatmeal Floba fabric.  I was willing to try new things, it's an evenweave...  I stitch one over one on 32, it also comes in a 25 count, but again, I knew nothing about it yet.  I knew it was cheaper than hand dyed fabric.  It should have been fine - I felt the color / texture would work.  Using suggested fancy flosses.
And then I stitched on it.  And I kinda hate stitching on it. 

This is where it was when I picked it back up this round.
I think it has to do with the threads are thicker, the holes you stitch into are smaller.
The stitches lay fine.  I thought, maybe it's something wierd like not a 32 count, and I'm just feeling the fabric is smaller than I think - but I marked off exactly an inch and counted threads,  and it's a 32 count.  And it's not going to be a large piece, so  I decided to power through it.  I think it took me two rounds to get to this bottom photo point, because I do not find it relaxing at all.  And I stitched on it a couple days this round, and obviously filled in much more. 
It does look fine on the Oatmeal fabric - and I think I even bought some of the 25 count of this - and maybe over two threads - it's a whole different experience.  I do like the fabric - I think it would work greatfor many patterns - but it's like a slow grind to work on it.  I had thought maybe I was just in a mood when I worked on it before.  But nope, two days this time was enough. 

Progress.  I'm making progress.  I started with almost a 100 things started.  It's not gonna be a finish or something I just stick with every time.  The goal is fewer if I counted again, and to enjoy stitching.