WIPocalypse January Update

How is it time for our first WIPocalypse update already?!? HOW is it the end of January??!! (this is me agonizing over my lack of progress on WIPocalypse pieces...)

And then I remembered what Newt Scamander said in Fantastic Beasts:

And I thought, let's just look and see what I've done. Lo and behold, it was quite a bit!

The first WIPocalypse project that I worked on in January was BeInkspired by Stitchrovia on Etsy. I'm stitching from the 2017 Summer issue of Cross Stitcher Magazine, but this is now available in Emma Congdon's Etsy shop. I worked on this for six days at the beginning of January and made really good progress. I'm stitching it on (what I think is) a 27 count light blue linen that I bought on the bolt at a thrift store. I dyed it with a bit of Navy Rit and I couldn't be happier. I'm hoping to finish this in February. 

My next two WIPocalypse projects were my #torchtwins Sue and Moe. You can't really tell yet, but these are both Lady of the Flag. Sue is the yellow version. I'm stitching her in all of the called for colors on 16 count Aida Preamble fabric (of which I still cannot remember the origin). And Moe (short for Mother of Exiles) is a Statue of Liberty conversion by my girl Diana over at itiskismet_stitches stitched on the called for 32 count French Lace linen from Wichelt. 

I love them both in different ways and I'm STOKED to be on the second color in each. I'm clearly a color completer when I stitch, as you will see. I like the way the chart goes from "what the HECK is THAT" to "ooooh! I see!!" when you color complete. 

The last WIPocalypse piece that I worked on in January was Halloween Luck by Glendon Place. This is stitched on an 18 count Aida that I randomly found on eBay. Pro tip: There are SO MANY amazing fabrics for not so much money on eBay, like here. It's always worth a look. 

Anyhow, I stitched on the Black cat and on the pumpkins. This allowed me to post in Stitch Maynia's Designer of the Month SAL for January: Glendon Place and Stitch Maynia's Halloween Year Round SAL for January: Pumpkins. Gotta love that double dipping! I really enjoy this piece and I hope to get back to it soon.

Otherwise my January was spent on new starts and ATCs (artist trading cards), which are tiny 2.5" by 3.5" works of art that can be created quickly and traded. 

Now for the official WIPocalypse prompts: 

January 28 (I know, I'm late) What SAL’s are you participating in this year? and If you are participating in the Olympic Stitching Challenge, what challenge are you accepting?  What are your goals?

What SALs am I participating in this year? Well, I was going to participate in the Class Schedule SAL by Armada Designs: 

And I even made a start on it: 

But after seeing January, I just wasn't happy with it. And I thought (after a lot of discussion with dear stitchy friends) why am I stitching this if I'm not happy with it? So I gave it up. How cute is that Dobby needleminder though? 

Oh no, you're thinking, are you out of SALs Michelle? Ah. No. 

I still have the By the Bay Needlearts Harbour Haven SAL: 

Have I started this? Nope. Waiting on fabric. But I'm collecting the HECK out of the charts!! Funnily enough, that's my only monthly SAL this year. And it's 650-ish stitches by 84-is stitches, so I think that will be PLENTY.

For the Olympics challenge, we have the option to do a Rotation Relay, where we work on as many projects during the Olympics as possible; an Endurance Race, where we try to stay monogamous during the Olympic games; and the third is Celebrate the Nations, where we stitch in the colors of the Olympic Rings or of our country's flag. 

I'm feeling very monogamous lately, so I'm going to go with the Endurance Race. Which project I'll be working on remains to be seen. ;-) 

Happy WIPocalypse!