2023 Stitching Goals

As in most years, I’m striving to stitch from stash as much as possible. Threads are the normal exception, as well as my auto-ship for Just Nan new releases and anything in danger of going out of print.

    Arezzo by Nora Corbett — Complete stitching.

    Complete stitching on at least 4 Just Nan designs.
    – Gingerbread Peace Mouse and tin
    – Candy Corn Ghost Mouse
    – Crystal Snowlady Mouse
    – Frosty Chillingsworth Mouse
    – Blitzen Glistens
    – Winter Mouse Scissor Roll
    – Twilight Pearls Leaf Ball

    Complete stitching on at least 2 Mill Hill kits.

    Pick 1 long-standing WIP and make significant progress on it.

    Knock out some other small WIPs, if possible, like:
    – Daydreams Petite in Glass – Crystal Creation
    – Hermanson Hardanger – Russian Inspired Ornament #2
    – Leisure Arts – R is for Reading Vinyl Bookmark

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    2022 Handmade Book Finishes

    1. Olive Dragon Brocade fabric journal with 8×8 lined signatures – Commission
    2. Leaves fabric journal with 8×6 lined signatures – Gift for my dad
    3. Pale teal mosaic tile paper journal with 8×6 lined signatures – Gift for Christina
    4. Sweethearts box mini book
    5. Cadbury Creme Eggs box mini book
    6. Ethiopia coptic stitch fabric journal with window displaying hardanger piece
    7. Dos-a-dos tacket journal
    8. Sweethearts box mini book #2
    9. SweetTarts box mini book
    10. Lark’s head journal
    11. Lark’s head journal #2
    12. 5 x Washi tape journals
    13. Opalescent blue paper journal with custom gratitude signatures – Gift for Brittney
    14. Opalescent bright green paper journal with 8×6 lined signatures – Gift for Karyn
    15. Black and white brocade fabric journal with 8×6 lined signatures – Commission
    16. Purple floral paper journal with custom gratitude signatures – Gift for me
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    2022 Crochet Finishes

    1. Bjorn the Narwhal by The Woobles – Finished on August 17th
    2. Baby Jellyfish by All From Jade – Finished on August ??
    3. Sweet Suzy Washcloth by Sweet Bee Crochet – Finished on August 23rd
    4. Sunrise Coaster by Toni Lipsey, TL Yarn Crafts – Finished on September 9th
    5. Clyde the Octopus by OnAWhimCrochet (Etsy) – Finished on September 18th
    6. Crochet Octopus by Crochet Jewel – Finished on October 18th
    7. 1 hat, 2 flying discs and 4 scarves by Operation Gratitude – Finished by October 21st
    8. The Twisted Witch Hat by Crochetverse – Finished on October 27th
    9. Wally the Koala (grey) by The Woobles – Finished on November 17th
    10. Wally the Koala (green) by The Woobles – Finished on November 18th
    11. 8 x Sunrise Coaster by Toni Lipsey, TL Yarn Crafts – Finished by the end of the year
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    2022 Stitching Finishes

    1. Blackwork Hamsa Design by Unknown – Completed stitching on January 28th
    2. Free Dutch Tile by Peppermint Purple – Completed stitching on January 30th
    3. Biscornu SAL #1 by Mint Cranberry – Completed stitching on February 24th
    4. Biscornu SAL #2 by Mint Cranberry – Completed stitching on February 27th
    5. 2021 Hybrid Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple – Completed stitching on March 6th
    6. Biscornu SAL #3 by Mint Cranberry – Completed stitching on March 27th
    7. Kitty by Milana – Completed stitching on April 5th
    8. The Nightmare Before Christmas minis by Disney (#1-3) – Completed stitching on April 9th
    9. The Nightmare Before Christmas minis by Disney (#4) – Completed stitching on April 21st
    10. To My Lovely Mum by Durene Jones – Completed stitching on May 1st
    11. Plumed Peacock Mouse and tin from the Mouse on a Tin series by Just Nan – Completed stitching on May 8th
    12. Antique Chic by Cheryl McKinnon – Completed stitching on May 29th
    13. Bes-tea by Durene Jones – Completed stitching on June 11th
    14. Butterfly Ornament by Durene Jones – Completed stitching on June 25th
    15. 3D Hardanger Pattern – Pincushion ottoman by Iryna Naniashvili – Completed stitching on July 2nd
    16. Nessie Believe by OpheliasCreationsCA (on Etsy) – Completed stitching on July 5th
    17. A Very Covid Christmas 2020 Ornament Snowman by Beverly Ellis – Completed stitching on July 9th
    18. Spooky Cage from the Autumn Harvest Collection by Mill Hill – Completed stitching on August 9th
    19. Bird Ornament by Durene Jones – Completed stitching on August 28th
    20. Glory Bee Mouse and tin from the Mouse on a Tin series by Just Nan – Completed stitching on September 18th
    21. 3 x Mt Rushmore Bound by ?? – Completed stitching on November 26th
    22. 2 x Cryptid Christmas Ornament #5: Release the Christmas Lights by Lola Crow Cross Stitch – Completed stitching on December 18th
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    2022 Stitching FFOs

    1. 5 x Strawberry Emery by Janie Hubble Designs – FFO’d on January 23rd
    2. Biscornu SAL #1 by Mint Cranberry – FFO’d on February 24th
    3. Biscornu SAL #2 by Mint Cranberry – FFO’d on February 27th
    4. Biscornu SAL #3 by Mint Cranberry – FFO’d on March 27th
    5. Christmas 2021 Vaccine Ornament by Beverly Ellis – FFO’d on May 3rd
    6. Plumed Peacock Mouse and tin from the Mouse on a Tin series by Just Nan – FFO’d on May 8th
    7. Gingerbread Santa Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on May 15th
    8. Gingerbread Mrs. Santa Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on May 15th
    9. Gingerbread Angel Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on May 15th
    10. Gingerbread Jingle Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on May 15th
    11. Antique Chic by Cheryl McKinnon – FFO’d on May 29th
    12. Bes-tea by Durene Jones – FFO’d on June ??
    13. Butterfly Ornament by Durene Jones – FFO’d on June 25th
    14. 3D Hardanger Pattern – Pincushion ottoman by Iryna Naniashvili – FFO’d on July 2nd
    15. Dove from the Tiny Treasured Diamonds Collection by Mill Hill – FFO’d on August 9th
    16. Minerva’s Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 9th
    17. Romeo the Groom Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 9th
    18. Juliet the Bride Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 9th
    19. Hazel FunWitch Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 10th
    20. Witchy’s Sister Mouse by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 10th
    21. Nessie Believe by OpheliasCreationsCA (on Etsy) – FFO’d on August 10th
    22. A Very Covid Christmas 2020 Ornament Snowman by Beverly Ellis – FFO’d on August 10th
    23. Cardinal Tweet by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 10th
    24. Bluebird Tweet by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 13th
    25. Rosebud Tweet by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 13th
    26. Lorelei Lamb by Just Nan – FFO’d on August 13th
    27. Bird Ornament by Durene Jones – FFO’d on August 30th
    28. Glory Bee Mouse and tin from the Mouse on a Tin series by Just Nan – FFO’d on September 18th
    29. 2 x Mt Rushmore Bound by ?? – FFO’d on December 31st
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    Annual Goal Updates

    It looks like I’m overdue on a few annual goal updates. I didn’t even bother to make stitching goals for 2021, but here are the updates for 2020 and 2022:

    2020 Stitching Goals

    As usual, this year’s goal is to stitch from stash, with minimal outlay for new designs and DMC that needs to be replenished, with the exception of Just Nan releases and any Mirabilia/Nora Corbett designs that may be discontinued that I don’t already have. Otherwise, I want to avoid buying fabric, specialty fibers and embellishments, where possible.

    Water Wonderland by Joan Elliott — Complete stitching and present to recipient.
    Success! Completed, framed and presented to my mom for her 70th birthday.

    Bonsai and Buddha by Dimensions — Make significant progress on stitching.
    ** Failure. Didn’t touch it.

    Fairy Moon by Mirabilia — Make some progress on stitching. (Another long-standing WIP.)
    ** Failure. Didn’t touch it.

    Arezzo by Nora Corbett — Make some progress on stitching.
    ** Partial success? Touched it once.

    Complete stitching on at least 6 Just Nan designs in my stash. This should help me to work through my extensive Just Nan stash.
    ** Partial Success – Four designs completed **
    – Gingerbread Angel Mouse
    – Gingerbread Jingle Mouse
    – Gingerbread Mrs. Santa Mouse
    – Gingerbread Santa Mouse

    Knock out some other WIPs, if possible, like:
    – Daydreams Petite in Glass – Crystal Creation
    – Hermanson Hardanger – Russian Inspired Ornament #2
    ** Failure. Didn’t touch either or any other WIPs


    2022 Stitching Goals

    Let’s face it, the main goal is 2022 is to survive our third year in a pandemic. Period.

    Beyond that, I’ll set some guidelines to refer to if I’m looking for a new project. Let’s keep it simple:

    Complete stitching on 4 Just Nan designs.
    ** Success! Completed stitching on 4 designs (Plumed Peacock Mouse and Glory Bee Mouse), and also FFO’d:
    – Plumed Peacock Mouse and tin
    – Gingerbread Santa Mouse
    – Gingerbread Mrs. Santa Mouse
    – Gingerbread Angel Mouse
    – Gingerbread Jingle Mouse
    – Minerva’s Mouse
    – Romeo the Groom Mouse
    – Juliet the Bride Mouse
    – Hazel FunWitch Mouse
    – Witchy’s Sister Mouse
    – Cardinal Tweet
    – Bluebird Tweet
    – Rosebud Tweet
    – Lorelei Lamb
    – Glory Bee Mouse and tin

    Complete stitching on 4 Mill Hill kits.
    ** Partial failure. Completed Spooky Cage from the Autumn Harvest Collection; also FFO’d Dove from the Tiny Treasured Diamond Collection.

    Complete stitching on 2 long-standing WIPs.
    ** Complete failure. Didn’t touch any long-standing WIPs

    Teresa Wentzler – Sun Dragon (Turquoise) — Send to Jill Rensel, along with his purple brother, for framing
    ** Sent in June 2022; still with Amber **

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    2022 Stitching Goals

    Let’s face it, the main goal is 2022 is to survive our third year in a pandemic. Period.

    Beyond that, I’ll set some guidelines to refer to if I’m looking for a new project. Let’s keep it simple:

    • Complete stitching on 4 Just Nan designs.
    • Complete stitching on 4 Mill Hill kits.
    • Complete stitching on 2 long-standing WIPs.
    • Teresa Wentzler – Sun Dragon (Turquoise) — Send to Jill Rensel, along with his purple brother, for framing
    Posted in Stitching | Comments Off on 2022 Stitching Goals

    Where Have Two Years Gone?

    It truly was a moment of pure astonishment when I went to my blog yesterday and discovered that the last time I posted was exactly two years ago to the day. I think 2020 and 2021 were the years the Earth stood still.

    Major milestones for 2020:

    • February/March – Flew to the east coast to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday
    • March –
      • Our last dog, Abby, died a couple of days after we returned from the east coast.
      • Days later, we went into lockdown.
      • A week later, Terry’s paternal grandmother passed away (not COVID-19 related).
    • July – Terry’s dad suddenly and unexpectedly passed away (also not COVID-19 related).
    • August – Started the cleanup and disposition of Dad’s estate.
    • September – Left The Walt Disney Company and started a new job at Discovery Communications.

    2021 was a little calmer, but still pretty chaotic:

    • March – Finally sold Dad’s house in Maine and finished closing out the estate.
    • March/April – Started dealing with some health issues with my mom.
    • June – Mom moved into an assisted living facility.
    • November – Left Discovery Communications and started a new job at Momentive AI (formerly SurveyMonkey).

    All of this time, we have stayed in relative lockdown, seeing friends rarely, going out only to pick up orders or attend necessary appointments required to stay healthy. Terry still has to handle some work in person infrequently, so he has the most exposure to actual humans at this point.

    I’ve found that one of the kindest things one can do for oneself in times of stress like this is to not set goals, so I have not set any specific goals of any sort for myself for two years. I think surviving counts as a significant win, at this point.

    I completed an edit pass during NaNoWriMo 2020, but ended up abandoning another edit pass during NaNoWriMo 2021 after the first week. And I’m okay with that. Maybe. In early July 2021, I took a 5-day class on how to create a fabric journal. And proceed to dive in head-first into the world of handmade books.

    In the meantime, I’m still crafting.

    2020 Crafting Accomplishments:

    • Stitched 10 bookmarks based on various weeks from the 2020 Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple
    • Completed 24 cross stitch pieces:
      1. Gingerbread Angel Mouse by Just Nan
      2. Gingerbread Jingle Mouse by Just Nan
      3. Valentine Snowglobe by Victoria Sampler
      4. Water Wonderland by Joan Elliott
      5. Santa Claus from the Charmed Santa Face collection by Mill Hill
      6. Midnight Meow by Nora Corbett
      7. March Scissors Fob by Cherished Stitches
      8. Gingerbread Mrs. Santa Mouse by Just Nan
      9. Gingerbread Santa Mouse by Just Nan
      10. Blackwork Firefly by LooseThreadStitchery
      11. Glorious Morning by Linen Flowers Designs
      12. Oi Spaceman Blackwork by Highland Murr Stitches
      13. (secret project) by Peppermint Purple
      14. Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. by Beta Stitches on Etsy
      15. Stay Home and Stitch, a free design by Linda Stolz for Erica Michaels Designs
      16. 2020 Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple – an abbreviated version stitched on banding
      17. Taboo Kitty from the Autumn Harvest collection by Mill Hill
      18. Evergreen Sleigh from the Charmed Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
      19. 2020 Hindsight by Jenna Magee (proof of concept)
      20. 2020 Hindsight by Jenna Magee
      21. The Child by Highland Murr Stitches
      22. The Child with Frog by Highland Murr Stitches – 1
      23. The Child with Frog by Highland Murr Stitches – 2
      24. The Child with Frog by Highland Murr Stitches – 3

    2021 Crafting Accomplishments:

    • Took 18 pieces on which I had previously finished the stitching and sewed, framed, or otherwise put them into their final form.
    • Sewed at least 10 project bags.
    • Created over 24 journals, including 13 commissioned books.
    • Completed 20 cross stitch pieces:
      1. The Cat by Minasyan Yana
      2. Patchwork Stars Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
      3. Heart Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
      4. Here Comes Treble by Ink Circles
      5. Stitch with a Little Heart by Crossing Curiosity
      6. Bargello Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
      7. Failte (Welcome) by A. Fox Originals
      8. Portrait of Antique Vines by Mirabilia
      9. Free Dutch Tile by Peppermint Purple
      10. Snowman Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
      11. Single motif from Nine Lives by Ink Circles – 1
      12. Single motif from Nine Lives by Ink Circles – 2
      13. To the Beach & Back by Needle Bling Designs
      14. Tree Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
      15. Dove from the Tiny Treasured Diamonds collection by Mill Hill
      16. 2020 Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple
      17. Autumn Key from the Antique Keys Trilogy by Mill Hill
      18. Christmas 2021 Vaccine by Beverly Ellis
      19. “Fluffy Joy” from Firebird
      20. Mermaid Heart by Just Nan

    While life has not even remotely begun to get back to normal (what even is “normal” anymore?), I may be ready to set some goals for myself for this year. Soft, squishy goals.

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    2020 Stitching Goals

    As usual, this year’s goal is to stitch from stash, with minimal outlay for new designs and DMC that needs to be replenished, with the exception of Just Nan releases and any Mirabilia/Nora Corbett designs that may be discontinued that I don’t already have. Otherwise, I want to avoid buying fabric, specialty fibers and embellishments, where possible.

    ———————

    Water Wonderland by Joan Elliott — Complete stitching and present to recipient.
    Success! Completed, framed and presented to my mom for her 70th birthday.

    Bonsai and Buddha by Dimensions — Make significant progress on stitching.
    ** Failure. Didn’t touch it.

    Fairy Moon by Mirabilia — Make some progress on stitching. (Another long-standing WIP.)
    ** Failure. Didn’t touch it.

    Arezzo by Nora Corbett — Make some progress on stitching.
    ** Partial success? Touched it once.

    Complete stitching on at least 6 Just Nan designs in my stash. This should help me to work through my extensive Just Nan stash.
    ** Partial Success – Four designs completed **
    – Gingerbread Angel Mouse
    – Gingerbread Jingle Mouse
    – Gingerbread Mrs. Santa Mouse
    – Gingerbread Santa Mouse

    Knock out some other WIPs, if possible, like:
    – Daydreams Petite in Glass – Crystal Creation
    – Hermanson Hardanger – Russian Inspired Ornament #2
    ** Failure. Didn’t touch either or any other WIPs

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    2019 Stitching Finishes

    I did pretty well last year, all things considered. No big finishes, but that’s fairly standard at this point.

    1. Yellow Penguin by Casey Buonaugurio Designs – Finished January 13, 2019
    2. Evergreen (2015 Ornament) by Tor Rhuann Designs – Finished January 21, 2019
    3. Meow Blocks by Lizzie*Kate – Finished February 16, 2019
    4. Star Reindeer by Sharon Bennett of Daffy Cat Designs – Finished February 23, 2019
    5. Snowflake Reindeer by Sharon Bennett of Daffy Cat Designs – Finished March 23, 2019
    6. Lights Reindeer by Sharon Bennett of Daffy Cat Designs – Finished August 18, 2019
    7. Minerva Mouse by Just Nan – Finished August 19, 2019
    8. Romeo the Groom Mouse by Just Nan – Finished August 31, 2019
    9. Witchy’s Sister Mouse by Just Nan – Finished September 8, 2019
    10. Hazel Fun Witch Mouse by Just Nan – Finished September 8, 2019
    11. Black Dagger Brotherhood Hardanger Bookmark (Wrath) by Jenna Magee – Finished October 29, 2019
    12. Truly Endless Knot II by Ink Circles – Finished December 1, 2019
    13. Silver & Gold (Silver Front) by Blackwork Journey – Finished December 7, 2019
    14. Silver & Gold (Silver Back) by Blackwork Journey – Finished December 7, 2019
    15. Silver & Gold (Gold Front) by Blackwork Journey – Finished December 7, 2019
    16. Silver & Gold (Gold Back) by Blackwork Journey – Finished December 9, 2019
    17. BB-8 Snowman by RainbowStitchCross – Finished December 22, 2019
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