Another new start

 That's 4 finishes this year and 6 starts. This was not quite what I had in mind when I decided to do WIPGO 2021

Stitched on 32ct Antique Ivory Belfast Linen using Carrie's Creations threads in Raspberry and Navy.

280 stitches and about 3% complete.

Fourth finish of 2021

 Two days stitching in one post, this time my own design that I imaginatively called Tulips. This is stitched in random overdyed threads I had in my stash. Yesterday I did 374 stitches and today 323 to finish this piece. This also completes WIPGO goal #4

That tree grew quickly

 727 stitches today on Companions by Teresa Wentzler, mostly on the tree between Father Christmas and the horse. This piece is now 41% complete so I'm hoping to reach my first WIPGO goal of February tomorrow.

Stitching update on 6th February

 

347 stitches on Companions to bring my progress to 32.5% and well on my way to meet the WIPGO goal of 42% on this project and completing Square #20

Delayed January round up

 I had a great stitching month and got lots done, here are the before and after shots of each project I stitched on and some stats (because i like spreadsheets)

First up was my New Year, New Start - Pandemic by Long Dog. I Stitched 1157 stitches on January 1st and then put this one away until my decision wheel picks it again. I'm stitching it on 34ct Natural linen from Weddigen using Sulky 12wt cotton in colour 4007 Red Brick. I am thinking about stitching the animals in black but haven't yet decided.

Next up was WIPGO project #18 Companions by Teresa Wentzler. My goal was to add 20% progress to this project. It's stitched on 28ct white Jobelan using the called for DMC threads. There are a lot of blends and fractionals so it's quite slow going. I stitched 4968 stitches on this project and went from 2% to 28% complete. 

The next project I picked up was the 2017 Linen & Threads Mystery Sampler because it was the 4th Anniversary of starting it. This one is stitched on 36ct Graziano Linen using DMC 310 - the first picture is the closest representation to the actual fabric colour, it's a very bright red. I stitched 223 stitches and finished the March section.

Next up was a collection of public domain borders from Europe which i stitched on fabric from my stash using random threads. I stitched 3754 stitches and this was my first finish of 2021. This was WIPGO square #6 so I met both my goals in the first month of WIPGO.

For Dark 13 Stitching I worked on Recipe for a Magical Night by Alessandra Adelaide. This is from the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Halloween edition. I stitched only 283 stitches on this piece. I'm stitching this on 28ct white Jobelan using all the called for DMC colours.

Next up was a Gecko Rouge design for an anatomical heart, I worked 918 stitches on this piece. I added the lightest shade of red as this was designed to be stitched on white fabric and those parts left blank and I'm using a natural shade.

I picked up Steotch 2019, which is on a 28ct opalescent evenweave. I stitched 867 stitches on this piece and managed to get parts 4 & 5 finished, and started part 6.

Next up was a full coverage piece from a Leonid Afremov artwork. I'm stitching this on 20ct evenweave in Gelb (Gold) from Weddigen, full cross over 1 using 1 strand of DMC. I gridded using Sulky Sliver and this is my first go at the "extreme cross country" style of stitching where you complete one colour at a time. I completed 536 stitches.

Merry 25 Stitching was an old freebie collaboration from Just Nan, Charland Designs and Shepherd's Bush Printworks from 1999. This was a new start as the only other Christmas design I had was Companions and I had already stitched on it for 12 days in January. I stitched 450 stitches on this piece.

And here's what the finished design should look like

Next was the piece that became my second finish of 2021. It's my own design, stitched on 28ct light green linen. I used House of Embroidery thread in Moss and an Anchor variegated for the peacock tails. I stitched 529 stitches on this one to complete it.

Third finish of 2021 was Autumn Song from Blackbird Designs, stitched on 30ct Korty's Blend from R & R Reproductions using mostly the called for threads. I switched out Weeks Dye Works Swamp Water for Classic Colorworks Coffee as I didn't want a green-black bird. 578 stitches saw this one to completion.

Final project of the month was Deer Forest from Owl Forest Embroidery, worked using their threads from the kit on a Zweigart natural linen. I only worked 78 stitches on this piece.

I stitched for 28 days in January, I only missed the 6tth, 30th and 31st. My stitch count for the month was 14341, averaging over 500 stitches a day so it was a fabulous stitching month. I worked on 10 WIPs, started 2 new projects and finished 3. I completed both WIPGO goals for the month.

Third finish of 2021

 435 stitches on Autumn Song by Blackbird Designs this evening and I have a finish! Square #22 on my WIPGO is complete.

Second Finish of 2021

This is my own design and I finished it tonight after starting it in 2019.

I ran out of the House of Embroidery thread I was using so stitched the peacock tails in a variegated thread.

This is square #9 on my WIPGO board crossed off.

 

First Finish of 2021

 

I put the final 164 stitches in this one today to finish the light blue motif on the right. It took me 1 hour and 26 minutes of the #24HOCS Marathon.

This completes WIPGO square #6

On to Project 2

Tomorrow should bring a finish

 

It should be my first finish of 2021 and it will complete WIPGO square #6 with plenty of time to spare for the month. Today i managed 536 stitches to get this one to 97% complete. I was hoping to get it finished tonight but I have to sleep!

There's just one motif to go in the space on the right-hand side.

Bordering on Completion

 

482 stitches on this piece today, some of it whilst watching the Inauguration of Joe Biden. Last time I was watching events at the Capitol I was unable to stitch at all as the attempted coup/insurrection occurred.

This one is now 88% complete so I think I have 2 more days work on it, but we shall see.

80% complete!

Stitched a huge 657 stitches today and got this one to 80% complete. My WIPGO goal to finish this piece is looking very achievable in the next 3-4 days now.

 

Bordering on insanity

Progress update on this folk motif sampler. Another 603 stitches and it's now 69% complete. With 1868 stitches and 12 stitching days left this month it's looking like I might meet my WIPGO goal and cross off square #6

I've now stitched the large corner motif to its furthest point so my goal is to finish that today. 

Not yet bored of borders

 

603 stitches and this one is now 58% complete. It's going to be tight to get my WIPGO goal done this month but I'll do my best. 

Second day of stitching on this piece this year, and onwards to my second WIPGO goal

498 Stitches on this project tonight, which is now 48% complete and on the way to the WIPGO goal of a finish. 

Only one more day left in the Stitchathon in Cross Stitch Crazy. I'm hoping to get this one to 60% complete if possible.

 

WIPGO goal #18 complete

 

Companions by Teresa Wentzler is now 24% complete. My WIPGO goal was to add 20% of progress and I started this year at 2%

To day I filled in some gaps, finished his boots and the snow under him and some backstitch on Father Christmas. 

It appears going outside is bad for me...

 As I've done nothing but cough since I came home. I've had a non-Covid cough (3 negative tests) for over 10 weeks now but it's worse today than the past couple of weeks - that means I need to do an e-consult with the doctor again, and it would be good to find out if there was anything on my x-ray I had taken just before Christmas.

Today's stitching was more work on Companions by Teresa Wentzler, another 482 stitches and it's now 18% complete so only 4% short of my WIPGO goal for Square 18. I did some snow, dried grass, the darkest colour on his boots and a bit of filling in gaps on his cape. Tomorrow I plan to finish the snow and boots and work some more on his cape. 

Stitching Update 12th January

 

Today I managed 409 stitches on Companions by Teresa Wentzler. It's now 17% complete, three-quarters of the way to my WIPGO goal this month for square #18. 

January 11th Stitching Update

398 Stitches on Teresa Wentzler's Companion. Mostly mauve on the cape, some gold on the bottom of the cape and the backstitch around the tassle on his hat.

 

First WIPGO Weekend Success!

 My WIPGO Weekend goals were 200 stitches on my European Border Sampler which is WIPGO square #6 and 500 stitches on Companions which is WIPGO square #18

Here's the starting point on the sampler:

Here's where I got to - 241 stitches:

Here's the starting point on Companions:

Here's where I got to - 531 stitches:

Stitching update 9th January - Wipgo Weekend on Companions

 

I worked on this one on Saturday towards my WIPGO Weekend goal of 500 stitches. I managed 361 on top of 42 the previous day so only 97 stitches to my goal. It may still be possible to hit my target.