2016 in review ...

Dear all,

2016 is almost over ... and despite attempting I find myself failing again and again.

Out of my New Year resolutions for the year I managed 6 out of 10. Two of my significant fails include to blog more frequently and to qualify as a chartered accountant.

As you know the blogging has become more scarce ... and I have also recently failed my final exam. It has been a huge disappointment. 14 exams passed over the last few years and the last, 15th, that would bring me within reach of qualifying ... I panicked.

But lets concentrate on the positive and that is 2017 brings another chance at achieving the unachievable and 10 new goals to work towards. Lets say to qualify is on the list again, as well as to blog more frequently. So far I have 9 goals, and only need to come up with one more ... there is still time until the clock strikes midnight, right? If you have any ideas do let me know.

Onto the lack of stitching achievements. Out of 16 goals I sort of achieved 3 and a bit.

Harmony by Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe. 

My goal was to complete this. And I have. This was one of my earlier finishes (while still motivated by 2015 failures):

December 2015

January 2016

Alice and Dodo by Tanya Bond 

This was a new start and the Goal was to stitch 1 out of 25 pages. 

October 2016

Iris by John Clayton 

December 2015

December 2016

So now onto partial meeting of targets ...

Christmas Candle - HAED

Goal was to finish the top row, i.e a page and a partial. Unfortunately I decided to use this project to participate in a challenge and needed a new page. But this means 5/36 done.

December 2015

August 2016

August 2016

Peace (Little Sheep Virtue) by Little House Needleworks

Well completing all 12 sheep did not go down so well ... but the 6th one is now done.

August 2016

And a not related finish to my Wipocalypse goals ...

A finish of 'Take Shelter together!' - Rainy Day Kitty by Durene Jones the World of Cross Stitching magazine (issue 240).

March 2016

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

Samuel Beckett

Until next year,

Lija

Harmony now finished ... or the first Wipocalypse check in ...

Dear all

I cannot believe that January is now over ... and that I have survived it.

During the month I had little time for stitching, so I picked a project with one colour to concentrate on ... one that had not much left to do. Guess what ... with how tired I was I had to unpick twice!

And here is the finish:

Harmony by Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe:

Complete - January 2016

Stitched in 1840 Red Violet as dyed by Nancy of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.

I think in January we were meant to introduce ourselves and our projects. I think I have done the latter in December or rather early January and my projects can be found on my Wipocalypse tab.

And I have some exciting news on the personal front ... some of you might remember I was sitting some exams in December ... well I passed them. And I think this means I am now a semi-qualified chartered accountant! There are still 3 more to go, plus some e-assessments before I become fully qualified, so maybe I should not yet get overexcited.

Until soon,

Welcome to 2016 ...

Hello all and welcome to 2016 ...

... I can't believe I haven't posted since October. I do need to be better this year (blogging is one of my 10 New Year resolutions), so here we go off to a flying start with a sum up of a year and setting up goals for the year ahead.

I have only completed 3 of my goals in 2015 ... so hopefully 2016 will be better.

1) Christmas Candle - HAED

Before:

December 2014

After:

December 2015

The goal was to complete the last two pages of the top row, which as you can see I have not managed.

The plan for 2016 is therefore the same goal as last time ... complete the two top pages. 

2) Ember II by Maia. Complete this project ... COMPLETE!!!

Before:

May 2014

After:

April 2015

3) Yiota's Xstitch: Fields of Poppies. Complete one page ... COMPLETE!!!

Before:

January 2014

After:

April 2015

Seven more pages to go ... so I think I will set myself a target to stitch another one.

4) Literate Dragon HAED. Complete the bottom left page... COMPLETE!!!

Before:

April 2014

After:

December 2015

Guess what I think I will go for the top right this year ... that way we might finish this by 2017!

5) QS Poisonous Beauties (complete page 1) - not stitched. Ditto for 2016.

6) Harmony by Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe (goal complete) ... some progress made here, but not quite enough.

Before:

November 2014

After:

December 2015

Lets get this one complete in 2016!!!

7) Venice by Michael Powell (goal: complete the first triptych) ... again progress was made

Before:

December 2014

After:

December 2015

Ditto for 2016.

8) Spring bouquet by Margaret Sherry (goal: complete). Very small progress:

Before:

After:

Ditto for 2016.

9) I feel a bit light headed by Judy Rossouw (goal complete)... no stitching

10) unassigned as Xmas chums was scrapped.

11)  'Tending the Flock' (goal: complete 2 colours) ... no joy ...

12) Making Lickle Wishes (goal: 1 colour) ... ditto ...

13) Cabin Fever by Dimensions (goal complete the cabin) ... I think I stitched about 2 crosses before giving up.

14) John Clayton - Venice (goal complete) ... this is becoming slightly monotonous.

15) 'Picture of elegance' (goal complete) ... ditto

16) Good Heavens by Margaret Sherry (goal complete) ... finally I have some progress to share (and see how good my new camera is ... the fabric actually appears blue):

Before:

December 2013

After:

December 2015

I then scheduled some starts ... but what I started and what were schedule are slightly different.

Starts:

17) Iris by John Clayton (Connections)

December 2015

18) Autumn Glory by Snowflower Diaries

December 2015

19) Twilight & Magic by Suzanne Gyseman HAED 

December 2015

20) Sheep SAL (LHN designs) So far in this SAL I should have had 6 sheep ... instead I am slightly shy of 6 ...

But I have Gratitude complete!!!

December 2015

I will try to get Faith done shortly so that I am officially caught up...

December 2015

Now I feel fully ready for 2016! With 10 New Year resolutions set and stitching plans made I just now need extra hours in a day. (To see my 2016 stitchy goals check out the wipocalypse tab)

Till soon,

Sheep #1.12 and #1.13, Stitch from Stash - November, and another great giveaway by Nancy ...

Dear all,

Sorry for being off the grid for a bit. I had a craft fair last weekend. It went okay. Made some sales ... spent about 3 times what we made. It was nice, though I am starting to notice that more and more the sellers are quite depressed and upset. Surely that shouldn't happen. But hey ho, with people not buying, and it being your livelihood I am not surprised. I guess I am lucky that I did not pick art or craft as my job. There are those lucky few ... but in most cases you need a cool head for business that would outshine the love of your craft.

Anyhow ... I will need to post two weeks worth of stitching (again ... sigh).

Okay 1,200 stitches:

And 1,300 stitches:

I have a feeling it will be finished soon.

Stitch from stash update ... I think this is about 2 days late.

This is going to be trying as I have not properly counted ...  £/$ 45.03 was the carry forward at the close of September ... I spent a total of £2 in October on charts from a charity shop. Sorry need to upload some pictures of those. They quite old/vintage looking. And that months allowance gets me to £/$ 68.03 as at the beginning of this month (November) ... and with this months a total of £/ $ 93.03.

What I actually bought this month ... of course more exciting than actually saying how much I am allowed to spend:

£19.48

I can't believe I actually bought it!!! It is 'Miserable Old Twit-Too' by Judy Rossouw. I have been trying to find this pattern/kit for some time ... as you know I am getting quite a collection of charts by this artist. And this definitely a one that I was missing. 

I also bought some charts from Love thy Thread ... only till tomorrow left to buy (I think) or was the latest email saying Friday. I think it is tomorrow. My purchases (some will be exempt as per official exemption in the email ... on account of shop closure).

Winter Geisha £6.00

Scaredy Cat £2.40

Alley by the Lake - exempt

Quiet Town - exempt

3 Little Witches - exempt

Autumn Leaves - exempt

I had some issues with Autumn Leaves as I was unable to download it ... I have emailed and got the chart in an email (only issue it is black and white) ... I hope I get it in colour instead ... I don't see myself stitching many many many pages just in black. 

So that makes it £/$ 65.15 allowed for a carry over. 

And a giveaway by Nancy next week ... I am cutting it short (I blame the lack of posting!!!).

Click here for the 3rd Day of Christmas giveaway of hand dyed threads ... Entry by 3rd of December!!!

And I will leave you with another Christmassy item just added to my easy shop ...

Ain't he a cute little fella ... available to buy HERE.

Till soon,

A random assemble of facts ... Wipocalypse - November, the sheep #1.10 and #1.11, giveaways and Christmas cards

Hello all,

Thank you for all your good wishes. I have finally got internet sorted and life moves on. I am truly a digital age girl ... no internet and functioning becomes difficult ... bank account ends up going overdrawn and charges pile (phew did not happen this time round), another knitting pattern sells on ebay and I have no clue I need to post! If you like knitting and looking for patterns. I have a 'few' listed HERE (big thank you to my sister who helped me list them all). I have it set up that postage discounts apply automatically to UK buyers, for international I can do manually (but I think ebay only lets this happen for auction style listings). So let me know if you are interested in that.


Wipocalypse ... I have missed a month again with this whole lack of internet.

'Harmony' by the amazing Nancy of the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe has loads of progress on it: 

This is due to all that travelling I done in the last few months. It is hard to keep changing colours when you are on the train, hence this is a perfect project. Also Nancy is having a few giveaways ... so exciting ... it is the famous Christmas countdown she did the previous year. Look below for more info.

More stitching was done on 'Venice' by Michael Powell:

Well this is a little of an understatement as I am about a page and a half done and this is just slightly an old photo of progress you haven't seen. I have been working mostly on this so another update later on ... and then I have diverted to a different project. But next time.

My sheep progress is as follows:

1000 stitches

1000 stitches

And the next 100 stitches ... I need to really stop skipping weekends or I will get confused in photos by this rate.

1100 stitches

1100 stitches

I think it is really coming along.

Remember I said I was having a giveaway. Well not that many people entered so I have two winners. Snoopy and Sarah. Congratulations girls! 

The system is a little bit stuck, and it says the order is being processed so hopefully it will be with you soon.

And to leave it on a positive note. The above mentioned Nancy's giveaway ...

The 1st Day of Christmas giveaway over at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

 And the 1st prize is hand dyed fabric.

And speaking of Christmas ... there are some handmade Christmas cards by me over at my Etsy shop. There is even hand drawn/painted detail on some.

Click HERE.

Till soon,