Since there are 6 WIPGO projects for July with #13 called (the traditional Bingo “free space”), I have extra entries. This is the last feature for July.
There is no finished sample for this piece – Denim Band Sampler was a mystery weekly release sampler from 2022 in 30 parts, starting in January and ending in August. I was great for the first six weeks, keeping on time… moving right along. And then something happened, either illness or work related, and I fell off the wagon. I’m on week… 7… I think… at the moment.
Denim Band Sampler by iStitch Designs as of July 1, 2023 – stitched 2 over 2 on 28 count banding with random blue chosen floss.
I am doing my sampler in a big mix of floss from Mo’s Sale on Facebook and HandDyedbyRolanda on Etsy. I have no specifics about what floss is going where. I just start the next band with what feels right at the time, and how I personally interpret the pattern in each band. It’s charted as just block stitches with no recommended color. My only goal was to introduce blues that fall on the “denim” spectrum. So that gives me a lot of flexibility to stitch.
iStitch has put out a yearly themed band sampler for the past several years. I’ve watched my stitching friend, Becky, finish all of them so far. My friend Amy has also finished one. They’re not complicated bands, and approximately 30-40 stitches in height is added on every week. This is one of two iStitch band samplers I joined. The other one, the Jade Band Sampler, will be coming up later this year in WIPGO. I decided not to join the 2023 one, even though it’s quite pretty, since I had two of them on the go. I can always go back and purchase one of the others if I feel the need to do another. I think two will likely be my limit, though.
Since I’m stitching this over two, the final piece will be exceptionally long – the banding is 2 meters in length! For now, the planned finishing is to gently wrap it around an antique wooden factory bobbin and place it under hurricane glass to show off some of the stitching. BUT… if we’re ever in a house that has a high enough wall (up stairs, for example), I might finish it as a bellpull for length. The Jade one will be of similar length. They could be striking pieces on a long wall!
I plan on putting a bit more effort into this one next year, since I Love New England is the current “must get done” focus. Between Jade and Denim, I should get at least one of them done next year.
Last year I joined the Tudor Rose Sampler Guild(abbreviated TRSG going forward) to participate in an online class for Amy Mitten’s Mute But Not Silent project. The class was great – a blend of new-to-me stitches (cut work!!!) and some history about Dutch samplers. I’d also been curious about joining a formal stitching guild, but have felt the EGA to be a bit too intimidating and not quite cross-stitch friendly, so it was nice to discover a group that is supportive of cross stitch and a variety of different styles. I’ve enjoyed putting names to faces with some stitchers who I’ve seen in Facebook groups over the years, too! The group is local to the Dallas, TX area, but for now they are meeting virtually. Until it goes back to in-person meetings and isn’t accessible, it’s a great opportunity for me to learn, branch out, and get a sense of how a guild membership can work (and as they’ve been doing this for over 20 years – it’s going quite well!)
One of the things that TRSG does every year is a project called M.A.G.I.C. – My Annual Good Intentions Contract. MAGIC goals are ones stitchers choose themselves for projects that they’ve already started that they intend to finish – either in stitching or to be fully finished (FFO’ed) if stitching is already complete. There’s a form on the membership website to enter in your pieces (due by February 1st), and a couple progress check-ins will be done during meetings through the year. Totally fun, just to keep folks motivated. 🙂
So I’ve entered my M.A.G.I.C. list for the year onto the website. Now I just need to get these suckers done this year! My list is as follows:
Witches Wheel (Glendon Place) – The stitching on this is done, but I have all of the beading to do. Ideally I’d also like to get this framed so I can enter it into this year’s Big E fair.
Jade Band Sampler (iStitch Designs) – I am currently on week 11 of 30 on this sampler. If I just stick with this, I should be able to complete this easily in 2022.
The Castle (Teresa Wentzler) – I completed the stitching on this way back in 2005. It’s never been framed, and that needs to be rectified. So this is a FFO goal.
You Were Hatched (Teresa Wentzler) – I have the Celtic braid corners to complete on this ornament before FFOing this in time to hang on my tree next Christmas. I’d had this stalled for a while because there was a time that I was going to create this into Max’s birth sampler… but then I went another direction. So ornament it will be!
Mirabilia Round Robin (Mirabilia – customized) – Completed back in 2011!!! Not framed!!! What’s wrong with me?!? So yes – big FFO goal for the year. This needs to go on my wall. Soon.
A Stitch for Sweet Freedom (Lindy Stitches) – This cute little piece is one I started last January for Inauguration Day. I’d like to have it completed by the end of this year.
Apache Wedding Blessing (Kooler Designs) – Crosses are done, but I completely burned on the backstitching on this. The friend it was intended for will celebrate her 20th anniversary in a couple years, and I’d like to have this done for then.
Bird & Berry Box (Barbara Jackson) – This project was via a class I took through Celebrations in 2020. The class was short and I didn’t really get to work on it much, but I’d like to get all of the smalls stitched and assembled this year.
Winter Welcome (Park Hopper Bart) – I received this pattern in the recent Nice Box from Black Needle Society, and it’s so stinkin’ cute!! Not large at all, and it’s a design that should also be easy to frame. So my goal is to get this both stitched and FFO’d.
Christmas Pin Pillow (Kathy Barrick) – This is another project I received fully kitted in the Nice Box. I started this on New Year’s Eve, and would like to complete it this year. My goal is to only finish the stitching for now – if I can FFO it, great. I’m not sure yet how I will finish it (kinda need to get a sense of the finished size first).
Flying Lesson (Silver Creek Samplers) – Silver Creek is quickly becoming one of my “whimsy pattern” favorites. I received this project in the Black Needle Society’s Trick or Treat Box in October. My goal is to stitch it. Unsure for finishing quite yet.
I Love USA (Mani di Donna) – In 2020, Celebration of Needlework was held remotely, like so many other things. I supported the retreat by paying for my membership and my normal classes, even though I’d be sitting at home in front of my computer. Mani di Donna’s project was one of the eight via the Round Robin class on Friday evening – an event I enjoy participating in every year. It’s a small fob and flosswinder set. My goal is to do both the stitching and finishing for this.
Temperature Tree 2022 (Stitchin’ Mommy) – My intention had been to complete this tree in 2021, but I wasn’t able to get things done… so it’s becoming a 2022 temperature tracker instead! Fully stitched. I’ll FFO it in 2023.
It’s a lot of things to try to finish, but I’m optimistic. Many of these projects are either small, or just need final framing. In true “me” fashion, I made it official by creating a planner checklist page for myself. Now that it’s in writing, it’s an official goal! 🙂
Last year I stumbled upon an interesting stitch-a-long called WIPGO, which was themed as a year-long Bingo game. It was created by Jessie Marie on her FlossTube, “Jessie Marie Does Stuff.” Draw a 5×5 Bingo board, number the squares right to left, 1-25. Leave the center square (#13) as a free space, and then fill the rest of the squares with goals. The goals are entirely up to the stitcher, but reasonable goals are strongly encouraged. The goals don’t have to all be different pieces, nor do they have to be just cross-stitch. As Jessie has said, “Your board, your rules.”
On approximately the 27th day of the month, Jessie draws two numbers (three, if #13 is called), and those are the “focus” squares for the following month. The goals don’t have to be finished in that specific month, but it’s a guide to help you to choose what to focus on. Every month on the second full weekend is “WIPGO Weekend,” an optional incentive focus on your WIPGO pieces. Conveniently – that’s this weekend! (and it’s a long one!)
Last year I tried a goal of 1,000 stitches for each project on my board – which actually worked well until I got to the month where I had my current Jeanette Douglas piece, “Love to Stitch” box, and all of the specialty stitches that made counting a little tricky. I fell off my rhythm, and the rest of the year kinda fell apart.
I’ve decided to try a new goal format for 2022 because I really like how this SAL is set up. Each WIP has its own goal for the month, and I think I’ve made them varied enough to be challenging but reasonable and interesting so that I don’t feel like I’m forced to just count stitches.
Here’s my board for 2022:
Numbers 2 and 19 were called for January – so I outlined them and color-coded the month on the right (since I’m keeping my sheet as a hard-copy chart in my planner). When I finish the goals for each project, I’ll color the entire square in to show that it’s done for the year.
Here’s where I started for January on the two called pieces:
Jade Band Sampler is by Carol at iStitch Designs. Every year for the past several years, Carol has designed a band sampler themed to a color. There have been approximately a half-dozen of these so far. They are released in small sections averaging 30-40 stitches high every week for approximately 30 weeks of the year, and are suitable for stitching either over one or over two.
I am currently on week 10 of 30, and am stitching mine over two threads on 28 ct banding. It’s going to be LONG when it’s done – nearly 2 meters in length. For now, I’m planning to finish it as a scroll under hurricane lamp glass. I eventually hope to have a house where I can hang it (and the Denim sampler for 2022) on a long wall. 🙂
My goal on this piece for WIPGO is to finish 4 weeks of the SAL, so to finish through week 15 (I’m not counting week 10 as one of those weeks since it was already started). I would like to fully complete the sampler this year, however. My WIPGO goal is just the “reasonable” one for the year!
Mute But Not Silent by Amy Mitten Designs was an online class I took in September 2021 via the Tudor Sampler Guild. I loved the style of the class – the sampler is a Dutch-influenced new design using motifs to tell a mystery story. The story was divided into three parts and read during the class, and each of the motifs represented something within the story – and also part of life in the Netherlands during the historical period in which the story takes place. I thought it was a very fun way to teach a sampler and embroidery history class!
This was a kitted project for the class, with 32 ct. Zweigart linen (ecru/ivory – not specified) and Amy Mitten’s hand dyed silks from her brand, Fibers to Dye For. They’re all named after phrases from murder mysteries!!
We were asked to baste the fabric prior to the class, which is why you see purple lines. I almost never do any gridding, but there is a bit of skipping around if the piece is stitched according to the story. I’m working the first motif, representing the father and sailor of the story, right now. My goal for this WIP is to finish Part One of the class. It’s an ambitious goal, but I do have all year to do it.
I’m making good progress this weekend on Jade Band, but need to get going on Mute to make progress before the end of Monday. I’m hoping to complete that first motif by tomorrow night.
Off to get a little done before bed. Happy stitching all!
