Wipocalypse - September 2014 report...

Oh dear ... almost October post time (2 days time!). So what I will do is post only one update for now (a photo I took before moving at the end of August ... that way it is fair and all the progress that belongs to October will be hopefully up soon.

Christmas Candle (HAED):

July 2014

September 2014

 I have essentially worked on filling in more hair.  And you can see most of it done here:

September 2014 closeup

Unfortunately I had to leave this wip behind up North due to its size. I will try to work on it the next time I visit, but not much progress will be done on this one for some time.

Till soon,

P.S. Who is your favourite person to stitch for, or do you prefer to keep your stitching yourself? I tend to mostly stitch for me or rather my box of finishes, but I do also stitch for mum (remember the Fizzy Moon bears, and attempt at Sara Moon for 2 birthdays ago that is still in progress), and also for selling (remember the gingerbread man?). 

Click HERE to see it on Etsy

Isn't he cute ... all ready for Christmas. Albeit it was last year that I stitched him (but a little too late for Christmas). There are some biscornus also available.  And just one more picture down the memory lane of my favourites (with the Snowflower Diaries design on that sold last October):

Wipocalypse and TUSAL update - July 2014 (two months worth)

Hello all,

I have internet again! Feels very strange to be able to access emails and other necessities of life in a few moments. I am going to move South in September, so desperately trying to find a place to live. It is harder than I originally thought. Oh well, persevere, persevere, persevere.

This is belated (nothing new). So hopefully I can get all the late July posts out of the way and move on to the promised giveaway. But before I can do that I do need to look at my stash again, just to see what I no longer need.

First up is TUSAL ... with the baby orchid. Remember I have mentioned that one of my orchids had a baby (or keiki as they are known), well this young plant that has been potted on its own for only 5 months has now flowered!

Wipocalypse:

Christmas Candle (HAED)

May 2014

July 2014

Almost there. A bit more on the hair and leaves and a page finish is slowly coming along.

QS Poisonous Beauties:

May 2014

July 2014

Cabin Fever

September 2012

July 2014

There is not much progress on this one, but some progress is better than none, and after almost two years of no stitching this is now hopefully turning into a wip.

I have a few starts as well:

MSherry SAL update:

'Spring bouquet' by Margaret Sherry from CrossStitch Crazy issue 174 (March 2013):

July 2014

I feel a bit light headed by Judy Rossouw (Anchor kit)

July 2014

A close up if you can't see what I have stitched

Brollies (Heritage Crafts):

July 2014

Venice Palazzo by Michael Powell:

July 2014

and thats how huge the entire design is!

I know my starts are a little pathetic, but hey ho maybe they will grow by the next update.

Till soon,

P.S. in view of Wipocalypse question (always forget them). I haven't started any Christmas stitching. Not sure when (or even if) I will get around to that.

Is it really Wipocalypse time again? - post #5 - a month later I manage to finish this post

Is it really that time again? It seems I have posted my progress only yesterday.

Oh well the blogging feed says what it says so be it. [please note I wrote this bit a long while ago, its seems it along with photos has been in drafts forever]

Let start with a biggie ... I have a finish wooohooo (I was going to share it in a separate post in advance, but the time has run out it seems).


I recently had this finishing mode. Where I had one finish after another. This, the Snowflower Diaries' one, I also completed my input on the latest doll in progress. Hair sewn, and body stuffed. She is looking gorgeous. Then I picked up my knitting (a project being stored for a year or two). It is a jumper that I almost finished and only had half the sleeves to go. It has a mildly complicated pattern so once you put it down picking up and figuring out what line of pattern you are on amidst what to increase what to decrease. Anyhow it isn't done yet, but getting close. I am now beginning slowly to decrease the sleeves, just above the armpits essentially. The confusing part is that I think the pattern is telling me to decrease too slowly, and judging by my tension I will have a rather long shoulder. I need to find my original tension sample. I have decreased the amount of stitches according to this, but as most of pattern tells you how much to knit in length rather than rows I don't remember paying too much attention to that.

Christmas Candle

you saw this progress a few days ago in the Tuesday post:

April 2014

May 2014

But I am actively stitching on this project at the moment. Getting through all that confetti hair. It isn't too bad to be honest I imagine the golden leaves to the right will be a lot harder if the first leaf that I had on page #1 is anything to judge by. Threading just for one stitch! common this is just plain cruel. I think I'll leave for last that way I can start gridding next page and move on the threads to next page.

Ember II

After a large input in April, May saw little stitching:

April 2014

May 2014

I have finished the first flower and started working on the next one.

QS Poisonous Beauties

April 2014

May 2014

Since the photo has been taken back in May, there is actually a little bit more stitched on this one.

And for the big finale ...

Lean on Me:

April 2014

May 2014

It is finished!!! Mind this was meant to be mentioned in the promised 'finishing mode' post, but that was back when I was ahead. And now I am a little more that behind.

Anyhow till soon. There is still TUSAL update from last month to go ... and almost time to begin afresh with this month's updates.

P.S. The questions of the month were: what designs or themes do you really wish you could find? What do you think is missing among stitching designs?

Well to answer I'd have to say I wish I could find Judy Rossouw work easier. They either cost a fortune and then a fortune in postage, or just nowhere. 

I wish I could buy kits for cards. The sort with pre-printed card blank. I am including 2 examples. One was a free kit with World of Cross Stitching. And the other I have created myself around the design. There is only a few I came across in this style.

TUSAL #4 & Wipocalypse #4 ... some progress and new starts

Hello all,

and here is finally me with a stitchy update. I finished work early this afternoon and came home with a full intention if sitting down and posting. Instead as it was nice weather I have repotted three orchids. I have separated mum and baby (one of my orchids had a baby, or keiki), last time I potted them together, but I thought maybe they want their own pots. I could have left them for longer before repotting but the mum had two new roots one of which was growing straight into the cable tie support. I also finally braved cutting off flowers from the third and repotting it (it got left out last time). Since one of my others is in bloom (3 huge purple flowers) I am not as upset with the repotted one. I recently bought a sixth orchid to my collection cheaply thinking I could save it. But I do not know. It is very different to my others and I found 4 spiders on it so far. So at the moment it is in quarantine in the bathtub. I will try repotting it the next time.

orchid that lost its flowers and a biscornu (I might have forgot to share this finish with you)

But I promised cross stitch, so ...

Tusal:

2014 and 4th lot

2014 so far

I definitely need a bigger jar. Though I must admit some of the threads were not from stitching but the sort of my thread shopping from a charity shop (I mentioned it a while back) ... so finally got to it. But more on it in the next Stitch from Stash update.

Wipocalypse:

Christmas Candle:

March 2014

April 2014

Alright this actually looks like no progress whatsoever hmmm. I promise you I did do a few night of stitching on it.

QS Literate Dragon:

March 2014

April 2014

Slightly more progress than on the previous piece. Need to get this one out again soon. I have missed it.

Lean on Me:

March 2014

April 2014

A bit more backstitching done.

Okay now onto real progress. I have started two new projects. The kit was from stash, and the HAED was started using stashed threads and chart, fabric bought last month, and the frame my mum got me for Christmas.

So the new starts are:

QS Poisonous Beauties by Jasmine Becket-Griffith (9 pages)

April 2014

and

Ember II by Maia

April 2014

One flower is almost fully stitched.

closeup

That's all for now. I need a small finish for next week's update ... and I am at a loss. I have completed the kit my sister gifted to me on Christmas ... but as I stitched the grass in columns of 6 crosses using hand dyed floss ... it looks slightly wrong. So I do not know whether I should unpick and start that area again.

Till soon,

P.S. Almost forgot to answer ... how do I keep my stash organised? [edited to include photos]

in the cupboard on the right ...

1 shelf full of progress in individual folders/pockets (and a box of winded thread)

1 shelf full of stashed kits, free kits from magazine in the purple box, and bits and bobs including needles in the yellow one

In the centre set of drawers:

1 drawer of fabric and hand dyed floss

a bit ruffled

Then ...

1 drawer (this one in my desk) of current haeds as in box of winded threads and printed charts

the bottom box with umbrellas has buttons, needles, etc, transparent box on top has all my finishes, and behind the picture ...

2 boxes with a total of 4 drawers full of dmc threads

1 cardboard box of anchor threads under bed (top one)

2 frames next to drawers with stitching

and under drawers 5 bags of threads and some fabric ... you can see one of the bags here

and 3 boxes of cross stitch magazines:

the one in the centre ... the rest is some of the knitting ones ... I have more of those

half the box on the bottom

Mind, there is also a binder with magazines, which I forgot to photograph.