Challenges/Stitch-A-Longs, Stitching, Works in Progress

WIPGO 2023 – Week 36 – Blessed Be

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After I finished Witches Wheel last year, I realized I had no Halloween-themed cross stitch going. How on earth did that happen? It’s my favorite holiday of the year! I quickly resolved that issue by joining the Black Needle Society’s #13StitchesofHalloween stitch-a-long last October, tossing several new Halloween charts into the mix.

Blessed Be by Plum Pudding Needleart

One of the pieces I found that I really loved was this simple little sampler with one of the most common of Pagan phrases, Blessed Be. Cute, autumn-ey, and just easy to stitch. Exactly what I was looking for!

I started it on October 2, 2022. It got a bit of work for the SAL, but then fell into the background as other projects took over my time. It sadly did not get much work on it last year, and it’s been stuck since then. Thankfully WIPGO and the Semi Sane Stitcher game Go Fish should help me get this moving a bit!

Blessed Be as of September 1, 2023 – stitched 1 over 2 on 36 count unknown linen from Fortnight Fabrics with charted threads

I’m using an ornament cut I received in one of my monthly club ships from Fortnight Fabric last year – they sent three cuts perfect for ornaments and super small pieces (9×13 inches… ish) every month. My choice was 36 count linen. It’s a soft neutral with hints of light pumpkin orange in it. Perfect for an autumn piece.

Since I’m doing this post late and backdating it, I’ll show the progress I made thanks to the Semi Sane Stitchers Go Fish game. B was called multiple times. 🙂

Blessed Be as of October 1, 2023 – stitched 1 over 2 on 36 ct linen with charted threads

Much more established now! 🙂 I’d thought to push this one to a finish this year, but I think it will become a goal for 2024. A nice finish to complete before the autumn season!

Challenges/Stitch-A-Longs, Stitching, Works in Progress

WIPGO 2023 – Week 35 – A Stitch for Sweet Freedom

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I am generally not a huge Americana stitcher. I’m hyper-aware that American patriotism has always tended to be a little over the top for many of our foreign friends… and things just have gone into bizarro world in the last decade. It admittedly has deterred me from a lot of projects that I may have otherwise stitched, simply because I don’t want to be seen under the current label of a “patriot” as it’s often identified in social media.

I love my country. I want my country to succeed. But in recent years, I’ve also been pretty ashamed of it. After the hope of the Obama years, things have been in a pretty dark cloud here. This is not news to anyone who’s watched the insanity occurring on our side of the pond.

But with the election in 2020, I wanted to regain some of that hope. Especially with the frustration of Covid. I needed something to celebrate, however small it might be. Enter into the #ReclaimOurFlagSAL and #InaugurationDaySAL in January 2021, where a number of stitchers chose pieces in Americana that interested them, that we could stitch together as we watched Joe Biden’s inauguration.

A Stitch for Sweet Freedom by Lindy Stitches

I selected A Stitch for Sweet Freedom by Lindy Stitches. I’ve always liked the Betsy Ross symbolism in Americana. I loved that this particular piece had an African American stitcher to represent Ross. And I really liked the verse. It’s a gentle one, which I appreciate – rather than the Rah Rah Freedom!!!! stuff that I often see (much of which tends to lean Christian, which doesn’t work for me).

I started my piece on January 20th, and I have a mix of Gentle Arts and DMC from stash, but am not using the charted colors. This one was kitted entirely from stash.

A Stitch for Sweet Freedom as of September 1, 2023 – stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct Morning Mist lugana from Heaven Lea Creations with threads from stash

My attention switched to other pieces in 2021 and 2022, so I haven’t done a bunch on this piece. It will probably get occasional work for stitch games via Semi Sane Stitchers until the presidential election cycle starts heating up… and then I’ll likely put it into more active rotation as I watch the primary results from various states in the spring and summer. I’d like to have this finished by the next inauguration – a fitting window for the project. 🙂

Since I am back-dating this post, here’s the progress made via Semi Sane Stitchers Go Fish game in September. Not a lot since I only used it once as an “S” draw… but still… every stitch counts!

A Stitch for Sweet Freedom as of October 1, 2023. Stitched 2 over 2 on on 32 ct Morning Mist lugana from Heaven Lea Creations with threads from stash

Challenges/Stitch-A-Longs, Stitching, Works in Progress

WIPGO 2023 – Week 34 – Bird ‘n Berry Box

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Things have been a little crazy here in Measiland in recent weeks, and I misplaced this project, throwing my whole updating mojo into a funk. But it’s been found! So now catching up on some much-needed WIPGO. Backdating some entries to keep them in proper sequence 🙂 – Mel

Like everything else in 2020, stitching retreats and conventions were cancelled or at least indefinitely “postponed.” Celebration of Needlework, which usually occurs in May, was one of those conventions. The organizers of the convention wanted to try to get it going in person anyway late that summer, but the understandable push-back from the attendees forced it into a virtual retreat. They managed to do some remote sales via Zoom, and also had classes. Was it ideal? Not really… but it worked. And it’s how my next piece came into my WIP pile.

Bird ‘n Berry Box by Barbara Jackson was a class offered that year at Celebration. It’s a multi-piece set of smalls consisting of a strawberry, a scissor fob, a needle book, and a little box to hold the three pieces.

Bird ‘n Berry Box by Barbara Jackson (cover sheet for kit)

Barbara organized this kit beautifully for the class – each individual small was kitted by itself with the fabric and instructions in a pattern sleeve, including anything needed to finish that specific piece. The thread was on a collective labeled punched sheet. All of the finishing instructions are included with diagrams and photos. The little box and the red scissors are also included.

Three years on, I don’t really recall most of the class – but I know we were all awkward and trying to figure out now to navigate Zoom for classes at that point. It has blurred into that craziness that was Covid internet times. But I do remember she was very pleasant and willing to take any questions. The stitching is straight forward – lots of queen stitches with the strawberries, but otherwise mostly standard crosses.

Bird ‘n Berry Box as of 9/1/23 – stitched as charted with kitted threads on 32 ct antique white linen

I have the front and finishing outline of the needlecase done except for the beads. The piece I’m working on now is the top of the box. This stalled because I couldn’t find either small hoops or my stretcher bar pins. I don’t work well in hand, and was finding queen stitches in hand to be pretty brutal. BUT… I’ve since found the pins, so I can get this going again.

There isn’t a whole ton of stitching – I think the time is really going to be spent in the finishing here. But it will be a cute little set that’s the perfect size to keep with me when I’m curled up stitching!

I have this on my goal list to finish by the end of this year. At this point, I don’t think I’ll quite make it with other stuff I want to accomplish… but it will definitely be done within the next few months.

Challenges/Stitch-A-Longs, Stitching, Works in Progress

WIPGO 2023 – Week 33 – Supernatural

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Witchy Stitcher has offered a spooky mystery stitch-a-long for the past few years. Two things are certain with her designs – 1) the individual pieces are going to be reasonably sized sections (except maybe the border), and 2) you need to have a good supply of DMC 310. Preferably via a cone, which she has nicknamed the Cone of Doom.

No really – you need a Cone of Doom. 🙂 I happen to have the larger cone, which had approximately 1.3 miles of DMC black on it when new. I think I’ve maybe used sixty yards of it so far.

Supernatural by Witchy Stitcher. Screenshot from the designer’s website

Supernatural was the 2022 stitch-a-long, a companion piece to Cryptids the year before. I purchased both, but decided to stitch on Supernatural first. I’ll be using the same fabric for both pieces so they’re true companions when framed. I started it on October 10th of last year for the #13StitchesofHalloween SAL.

Supernatural by Witchy Stitcher as of September 1, 2023. Stitched 2×2 on 32 ct Beloved linen from Fortnight Fabrics with charted DMC

As you can see, it’s a dense border. Not difficult to stitch, but I didn’t get too far because I was a bit burnt out on black last autumn after pushing to finish Witches Wheel. Now that I’ve had some time off from solid black, I’m ready to get back to it. 🙂

A couple things I am planning to customize in this piece – I’m going to recolor the Banshee to look like one from World of Warcraft, in homage of my many years of playing the game. I’m also going to recolor the Angel so it looks like a Weeping Angel from Doctor Who. I’m pretty certain that others who have stitched this have already done the same, so hopefully they’ve shared their conversions in the SAL Facebook page. I’ve also seen a conversion for the Changeling baby basket to the Doctor’s crib. Not sure if I’ll do that or not, although the Doctor definitely is a Changeling… of sorts! 🙂

Once I get the left border done, I’ll begin working the individual blocks to ensure I have the width correct. I really don’t want to do that entire border and be off.

No timeline to finish this one. It’ll get done when it gets done!

Challenges/Stitch-A-Longs, Stitching, Works in Progress

WIPGO 2023 – Week 32 – Lavender Potpourri Sachet

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Several years ago there was a lovely shop out in Western Massachusetts called Chris’ Collection. I was only able to visit it in person once – as she was starting to close down. But I enjoyed shopping with her in her pop-up shop at Sticher’s Hideaway several times in Mystic. I purchased this kit during one of my shopping adventures, although uncertain when I actually purchased it.

Lavender Sachet and/or Potpourri Box by Olde Colonial Designs

I know it’s not a clear photo, sorry. The actual photo is only about 2.5 inches square from the kit. It came with everything to make the sachet – fabric, floss, button, finishing ribbon, and the lavender filling. The project bag (and therefore the fabric) smell heavenly when I work on it because I keep everything together in the bag.

If I wanted to finish it as a box top, Olde Colonial sells the boxes separately. I haven’t decided which way I’m going to complete it, but I’m leaning toward the sachet. Acquiring a box if I go that route will not be difficult – Olde Colonial Designs runs the Celebration of Needlework retreat in Nashua, New Hampshire, and always sets up a big booth with all of the drool-worthy (and expensive!!) wooden boxes and frames for finishing.

I started this as part of the 2021 12×12 New Year’s Eve with Just Keep Stitchin’. I barely got anywhere that night, but I have worked on it since then – unlike some projects from that evening!

Lavender Sachet as of August 1, 2023 – stitched 1 thread over 1 or 2 as charted on 32 ct Natural linen from Fabric Flair with charted threads.

The border is over two threads. All of the letters are over one. And the letters are stitched in a couple of different colors, which is why there are some gaps. I was working everything in one color above the central divider line.

It’s a pretty little piece and will move quickly once I get that over-one stitching in for the alphabet. There are some other specialty stitches here and there, but none that I haven’t worked in other projects.

I don’t have a timeline to complete this one, but I imagine it will be a late this year/sometime early next year finish. It all depends on when I finish I Love New England – which will become my big project focus in the very near future.

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