
This will be my third year of working on whittling down my WIPs. In 2016 I drew names of projects and then worked on each until finished (completed WIPs = 1) and in 2017 I joined the Year of WIPs Challenge and chose 12 WIPs to focus on over the year (completed WIPs = 3). This year I thought I would join the WIPocalypse. I actually participated in WIPocalypse years ago and was pleasantly surprised when I heard it was still going strong. So, I spent some time at the end of December deciding which WIPs I wanted to focus on for 2018 (I talked about them in my last Flosstube video of the year). So, here they are!
Anniversaries of the Heart by Blackbird Designs

This is the whole piece currently. I am working on the 9th (September) block, Clara Ellen. I set this aside because some of the thread colors on this block are way too light and need to be ripped out and restitched in a darker shade.

Halloween Neighborhood

This piece was a round robin originally, but last year I pulled it out and started adding some additional blocks to it. My plan for 2018 is to work on this for #dark13stitching every month on the 13th and to start filling in some of the gaps. I started charting the whole thing out so I can do some planning. Here are the blocks I added last year. The first one was By the Light of the Moon – a freebie from The Primitive Needle with a few alterations.

Halloween Rules by Milady’s Needle. I changed up the configuration on this one too. The tombstone on the left says 2007, the year I started this RR. I’ll put the year it’s finished on the other tombstone. The one at the bottom says E.A. Poe 1849.

This is a portion of a class piece from Brightneedle called Ghoulies and Ghosties. I just can’t get over that witch hat roof.

And finally, I’m in the process of working on what was originally my block at the start of the RR (having to restitch because my first RR was lost). This is the cemetery from Village of Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings. I flipped the design so that the tree is on the right hand side and I’ll be eliminating the black background that is on the original piece.

Green Santa by Birds of a Feather

This poor Santa has been a WIP for a ridiculous amount of time. I picked him back up in November to work on for Santa Sundays #santasundayxs on Instagram. I decided to keep him as a focus piece so that I can hopefully complete him and then move onto one of the other BOAF Santas.
Vierlande Winders’ Keeper by Amy Mitten

This piece is one of my challenge pieces. While the stitching itself shouldn’t be challenging, the finishing will for sure. I started this the year my dad died and haven’t had the heart to pick it back up since then.

His Eye is on the Sparrow by Heartstring Samplery

Sparrow wasn’t on my radar at all until two things happened – I saw that Tracy P had just purchased this and was planning to make it a 2018 piece. I got it out to share a photo of mine and remembered how much I love it. And the second thing was that I’ve been binge-watching Nicole’s videos and am missing my sampler stitching dreadfully. I’m stitching this on 48 count Gander linen with the called for threads.
Mystery 9 (Le Potager du Roi/The King’s Vegetable Garden) by Chatelaine Designs

I had hoped to have M9 done in 2017, but alas that didn’t happen. I have LOTS more to say about this piece, but for the purposes of this post I have completely finished (minus crystals and bugle beads) the top left corner including the beading. Next I’m moving over to the top right corner.
Here’s how the whole thing looks currently.

Model for Cozyegg Designs

In 2018 I hope to finish the model and release my first design – with more to come!
Dutch Beauty by Permin of Copenhagen

Emily and I decided to start Dutch Beauty together in June of 2017 as kind of a last Maynia start. I’m doing my own color conversion with a mix of silks, overdyed cotton, and DMC. Started at the right bottom corner a la Nicole.

I’m so in love with this piece and can’t wait to spend more time with it in 2018. I’m currently working on that big vase of lilies.
And finally, my New Year’s Day re-start.
Ten by Amy Mitten

This was a class I took back in 2010 at the Tudor Rose Sampler Guild. Amy designed this piece for our 10th anniversary. It has been sitting since then with a very small amount stitched because I wanted to tea dye it after seeing Amy’s model. So, the last week of December I ripped out that stitching and tea dyed my fabric and then started it again on New Year’s Day. The reason I chose to make this a focus piece this year is because of all the specialty stitches and because it intimidates me A LOT. So, this is my second challenge piece for 2018.

This is where I’m at after working on it almost a week. And below are the detached buttonhole petals that will get attached to the flower to give it dimension.

So there you have it, my focus WIPs for 2018. As I finish these off (because I’m being optimistic), I may rotate other WIPs into my rotation.
I am grateful for a brand new year.
Beautiful selection of projects! You have some ambitious goals, I’m sure it will be fun to rotate through all of them. The witch hat roof is precious and King’s Vegetable Garden is absolutely gorgeous!
Beautiful selection of projects! You have some ambitious goals, I’m sure it will be fun to rotate through all of them. The witch hat roof is precious and King’s Vegetable Garden is absolutely gorgeous!
Hi Michelle! I’m so sad that your RR got lost…I always wonder what happened to RRs I’ve stitched on, and yours was one of my favorites. 🙁 (I stitched a little pumpkin house with a ghost popping out of it!) I’ll be following along…
Hi Michelle! I’m so sad that your RR got lost…I always wonder what happened to RRs I’ve stitched on, and yours was one of my favorites. 🙁 (I stitched a little pumpkin house with a ghost popping out of it!) I’ll be following along…
Love love love it all. So looking forward to seeing this first Cozyegg Designs. If ever you need a model stitcher, I volunteer as tribute.
Love love love it all. So looking forward to seeing this first Cozyegg Designs. If ever you need a model stitcher, I volunteer as tribute.
You have a lot of really lovely projects. Welcome to WIPocalypse, it’s one of my favorite SALs
You have a lot of really lovely projects. Welcome to WIPocalypse, it’s one of my favorite SALs
A wonderful selection of projects! Good luck with your own design. I’m anxious to see it completed.
A wonderful selection of projects! Good luck with your own design. I’m anxious to see it completed.
love your list of WIPs to work on. Fully understand the project you started the year your Dad died. I have an angel I was working on for my daughter and wanted to finish it before she passed away, but didn’t make it. So it’s been sitting for almost 3 years now untouched. Hard to pull out, harder to work on. But one day it will get finished.
love your list of WIPs to work on. Fully understand the project you started the year your Dad died. I have an angel I was working on for my daughter and wanted to finish it before she passed away, but didn’t make it. So it’s been sitting for almost 3 years now untouched. Hard to pull out, harder to work on. But one day it will get finished.
Great choices for the WIPocalypse! I love the Hallowe’en Neighbourhood, such a clever way to use all those smaller charts and designs.
Great choices for the WIPocalypse! I love the Hallowe’en Neighbourhood, such a clever way to use all those smaller charts and designs.