January WIPocalypse

It's the last Sunday of the month. This means it's time for a WIPocalypse update. The idea of this blog SAL is to finish all our WIPs before the end of the world. I started the year with a list of 71 WIPs in my two totes. My goal is to finish as many as I can.

I like to use this SAL as an excuse to keep track of what I work on each day. I make a note of the project in a weekly planner. Then I can look back and see what I've been working on since the last update. So let's get to it. Let's see what I've been working on since the beginning of the year...

Dragon Eye -- 3 Days. This was my New Year New Start. I have 1,000 stitches in now...

Nautical Year -- 3 Days. Started and finished the January piece...

4 Seasons Winter -- 2 Days. Started this Erica Michaels tiny silk gauze piece...

Lizzie Kate Flip-Its Stamp -- 4 Days. Started and finished the January piece...

Wish Upon a Starfish -- 1 Day. Got another day into this one. Here is where I an now...

Sea Turtle Mill Hill -- 1 Day. Got this one finished up after one more day of work...

Cabin Fever Mill Hill -- 2 Days. Put 2 more days of work into this one. Here it was before ...

Here it is now...

Salt Water Taffy -- 4 Days. Brought back out this old WIP. Here it was before...

Here it is now after the January IHSW...

Beer Dragon -- 3 Days. Here this one was before...

I had just finished page 1. I got 600 new stitched added in the 3 days...

Dream of the Sea Set -- 3 Days. This set begged to be back out too. I finished up the pin cushion with 1 more day of work. The other 2 days I was able to start and finish up the spool piece. Here are the two pieces...

I will talk more about these on my Monday update so pop back tomorrow for that if interested.

Like I've said many times I love the winter months. Lazy stitching filled days. I haven't missed 1 day of stitching since the beginning of the year. I've had so much fun working on so many different pieces. It's been wonderful. My needles are just flying.

Measi also gives us questions each check in. The question this time is: January 27 – What SAL’s are you participating in this year? I've already talked about this. Pop over to this post to see more. I also have them added to my side bar. I feel very motivated so far this year and I'm having a lot of fun with my love of cross stitching. I sure hope this motivation sticks around.

So what have you been working on?

January Smalls SAL

Today is the last Friday of the month. Wow already?? This means it's the first check in for the new Smalls SAL that Mary is hosting at her blog now. Stop over here to see what people have stitched up this month.

I have joined in 3 times before and this is my 4th year. I like to use this SAL as an excuse to stitch up monthly small pieces to add to my shelf unit for a monthly seasonal display. This year I have picked out 2 sets a Nautical set for my mom and a Lizzie Kate set for me.

I finished up both of the January pieces...

This month I also finished up a small Sea Turtle Mill Hill kit...

So I think he deserves a mention too. Have you done any small stitching this month?

Sea Turtle and January Gifted Gorgeousness

Guess what...

Sea Turtle Mill Hill Kit

Spring Collection 2016 MH18-1611

Using Kit Materials

Stitched on Perforated Paper

Finished as Magnet

Started Jun 22, 2017 for Longest Day SAL with Jo. Took 2 Days.

I put some thin cardboard on the back to strengthen the piece and attached the magnet that came with the kit...

So this is another finish and another finished finish and another line marked off my YOW list. This time from my YOW Extreme Challenge. Do I need to tell you again...I love the winter months and all the extra stitching time!!! I'm going to stick with the Mill Hill theme for now and gave Jeremiah a choice between the other Mill Hill kits on my YOW lists. He picked out Cabin Fever which we want to display in our cabin. Here is where I was with it last time this is Day 2 on this one...

Here is what it look like again...

Also today is the 15th so it's time for Jo's fabulous Gifted Gorgeousness SAL. For this SAL we post about things we have received as a gift or are stitching as a gift for others. I always have a easy time for this one because so many of my projects were gifts from my family since they support my habit addiction haha. So let's see what I've stitched as a gift since January began. I did this one for my mother...

She loves all things nautical and when I found this nautical yearly set I knew she had to have them. I'm hoping to stitch them each month this year. It's from the book Sand, Sea & Cross Stitch. Hard part is waiting till February to start the next one.

Progress and New Going Ons

It's finally my lazy time and boy I've been stitching up a storm. Monday and Tuesday Dragon Eye came back on my QSnaps and I added 800 more stitches. Now I have 1,000 in...

Hubby and I thought it looks like the Cheshire Cat smile showing up haha. Yesterday I got started on the January Lizzie Kate Stamp...

I'm using 14ct oatmeal Aida for the Lizzie Kate Stamps that I got at a flea market with my mom. There was a lady from a nursing home selling all her cross stitch things. I got a table full of Aida and Mill Hill kit for $100 and should have been $300 plus easy. This oatmeal aida was a 2 yard piece. Love the way it's turning out so far.

I also wanted to tell you about a new SAL that I just heard about. The lovely Rachel over at Ten Hour Stitcher is going to host a new FF(Fully Finished) SAL. The idea is to finish some of those pieces we have hiding in a drawer. According to my side bar I have 53 things I want to finish!!! So pop over to Rachel's blog to find out more about that. It's supposed to start February 10th and then run the 10th of every month after that.

Also I received an email from Amanda from Cross Stitch Angel about a mini SAL to stitch up the Mill Hill Sea Turtle. We are going to start working on it Monday together though miles and miles apart. If we don't finish it Monday we will hopefully finish it Tuesday. So I'm looking forward to that. Here is where I am with that one right now...

I started this one for Jo's Longest Day SAL in 2017. I only have the 1 day of progress on it so far. So about time to finish it off. Plus it's on my Extreme Challenge 1 list. So we'll see how that goes starting Monday.

Have a great rest of your week and weekend. We might get snow this weekend and I can't wait. I love snow! Stay warm and safe.

Longest Day SAL

Yesterday I joined Jo in a fun SAL called the Longest Day SAL to celebrate the longest day of the year with the arrival of Summer. She worked on beautiful WIPs. I thought that would be fun. Then I noticed a stack of things I wanted to start. What better excuse to start them then a fun SAL. So I decided to do new starts and spend an hour on each one before starting the next one. I warned my family. I warned my couch. I was totally lazy haha. So let's see what my day looked like...

9am -- Here we go. 1st Start...

Refuse to Sink

Hands on Design - To the Beach #9

Starting Point - Bottom Left

10am -- 2nd Start

Flock Together

Hands on Design - To the Beach #3

Starting Point - Left Side 

11am -- 3rd Start (with break to take dog out...Izzy didn't get the memo about not needing me haha)

On Beach Time

Hands on Design - To the Beach #5

Starting Point - Bottom Left

12pm -- Lunch Break

1pm -- 4th Start

Stars in the Sky

Hands on Design - To the Beach #6

Starting Point - Top Left

2pm -- 5th Start

Grab Life

Hands on Design - To the Beach #8

Starting Point - Top Left

3pm -- 6th Start

Oh Whale

Hands on Design - To the Beach #1

Starting Point - Bottom Left

4pm -- 7th Start

Mill Hill Kit -- Snowy Owl Snowman by Jim Shore

Starting Point - Center. I don't know why Mill Hill kits I've noticed take a lot longer. Weird.

 

5pm -- Dinner Break

6pm -- 8th Start

Mill Hill Kit -- Best Friend Santa by Jim Shore

Starting Point - Center

7pm -- 9th Start

2013 PALs Limited Edition Hands on Design 

(Last one of the set of 4 so far. I finished the other 3 already.)

Starting Point - Bottom Left of Top Panel

8pm -- 10th Start

Mill Hill Kit -- Sea Turtle

Starting Point - Center

9pm -- 11th Start

Mill Hill Kit -- Evergreen Snowman by Jim Shore

Starting Point - Center. Ice cream called my name and I only got a half hour on this one haha.

So 11 new starts. I really enjoyed my day. I have to admit it was really hard to stop at the hour mark. I really wanted to keep working on each one. I was already told (by mom haha) that Flock Together must be worked on and finished soon. She really likes that one. I also know there are a few of the To the Beach pieces I don't own. Need to fix that of course. Thanks Jo for the fun reason to be completely lazy and get a ton of stitching worked into one day.