I have two mega projects in my current WIP Pile. Both are among my “bucket list” stitching. One is And They Sinned by Exemplar Dames. The other is my only current in-progress Chatelaine, Deep Blue Sea – which was originally named “Mystery XV” when it was the yearly month-to-month release back in 2012.
Anyone who has been doing the WIPocalypse since… oh… 2014(?) has seen this piece on my blog. My central medallion WIP of it is the slightly blurred background for the SAL’s button on my page. I post it with every check-in post.
Deep Blue Sea is one of those pieces that I was sooooo energized to start. Halfway through the release, though – I got pregnant. The momentum just shut down on this piece with Max’s birth. And it just hasn’t moved much in the better part of five years since I put the starfish in. I still absolutely love the piece. But my goodness, I struggle with it. The fabric color I chose probably does have a lot to do with it, even though I have no regrets about that choice – it’s going to look so stunning when I finally, finally finish it. So here’s where I’m starting for February…
I think right now I just really need to push to get out of the center medallion work. It’s so finicky, and I just feel like I’m in this tight space and not really moving at all – even though I’ve put a lot of intricate work in there. I’m technically only on Part 3! Once I finish part 4, then I get to start moving on those big sweeping sections that define the rest of the “fishbowl.” I just don’t dare jump ahead because the counting is so intense on this one. Although honestly – once I get all four of those straight sections of stitches like you see here on the top? I could probably develop the bowl from there for a while and take a break from this. We’ll see how I’m feeling on it.
I just need to find that happy place, you know? Once I get into a zone with a piece, it’s wonderful. I hope I get back to that at some point with Deep Blue Sea. I was in heaven working all that blue on the center. I know I can find it again at some point. I’m just in a grind spot.
I have all of the beads purchased, aside from the pearls. So once I eventually get around to the beading, I’m ready to go. I know there have been a lot of issues with Swarovski in the crafting market. So happy I purchased my stuff years ago for my kit!
Goals on this is just to continue with the coral in section 3. I don’t have any strong hopes for 2022 on this piece, but if I can finish Section 3 by the end of the year, it will be a great accomplishment that I can check off!