March WIPocalypse.... Hopefully the World Makes it Through April

So, this post is late. And generally, when I procrastinate my check-in it's because.... I didn't meet the goal! Now, I understand that the goal of WIPocalypse is to work on and finish as many of our WIPs as possible for 2018 and that can't all be done in one month. But do you know how many WIPocalypse projects I worked on in March?

Zero.

None.

Not one.

Everything I worked on in March was a new start. But you know what? It's my BIRTHDAY MONTH! (that totally works as an excuse for anything, right?)

So, no progress on any WIPocalypse projects. And because I can't make a blog post without a picture and because I don't want to do another post for March Finishes, I'm just going to combine them. (yay!)

So, instead of working on WIPocalypse projects in March, here's what I did instead:

1. I started The Master and the Macabre by the Cricket Collection for the #EAPMacabre SAL in the FB group, Bewitched Stitches:

I'm stitching mine on 16 ct Aida in Enchanted Glen from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie using exactly NONE of the called for colors: 

2. For my birthday, I encouraged the cross stitch world to start Garden of Eerie from Plum Street Samplers: 

I stitched mine in exactly ALL of the called for DMC on a piece of 16 count Aida that I'm referring to as an "oopsie dye". It had been intended for Prairie Moon Merry X-Mas and was all kinds of wrong. But, being a bit of a pack rat, I saved it. And look how perfectly it fit Garden of Eerie: 

3. Then! For Andrea in CO's birthday on March 21, we started Frida by Barbara Ana Designs from the Spring 2018 issue of Punch Needle & Primitive Stitcher Magazine: 

I stitched mine in mosly all of the called for DMC, just subbing out colors here and there that I couldn't readily lay my hands on (ie, they're kitted up in something else). The only change that I intentionally made was Frida's skin. It was charted in 822 and I used 738. She's stitched on 14 count Aida that I dyed: 

I'm super excited about the FFO! She's mounted on a padded board and trimmed with tiny pom poms and attached to a Jose Cuervo Tequila and shot glass holder. PERFECT RIGHT?!!?

4. Slightly anti-climactically, I stitched my March ATC for #crossstitchatcs, the theme was Alphabet Soup and we were to stitch our partner's first initial. It's stitched on 22-count Hardanger in Mo's Sale Han: 

So, ZERO WIPocalypse pieces, but lots of good stuff nonetheless! 

And the March Question of the month: What newer designers and product creators out there have you discovered and recommend?

Well. Let me make you a list!

• Do you subscribe to X-Stitch Magazine? You need to. 
• Are you a member of the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss of the month club? You probably should be!
• Have you checked out our very own Gulf Coast Stitcher? She has gone into business!! Get your charts from https://www.gulfcoaststitches.com/ for the BEST customer service around.
• She's not new, but she's my obsesssion: Theresa Venette of Shakespeare's Peddler. I want to stitch everything she designs. Every. Thing. EVERYTHING! 

Flosstube #49: Less Organized, More Enthusiastic

Flosstube #49 Show Notes

FFOs:
none

WIPs:

• Quotes to Live By from Stitchrovia, stitching 2/1 on 16 count Aida in all of the called for DMC flosses: 
  

• Midwest Cross Stitch Retreat Haunted House Freebie, chart is from Les Grilles de Maryse blog. Michelle and Joan kitted it up for us with DMC and Michelle dyed the fabric herself. I'm stitching it 1/2: 
  

• The Master and the Macabre by the Cricket Collection, stitched on 16 count Aida in Enchanted Glen from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie in almost none of the called for colors. (my conversion so far is below the picture)
  
• DMC 166 = Ship's Manor Button Eyes
• DMC 310 = Gentle Art Black Crow
• DMC 327 = Colour & Cotton Amethyst
• DMC 597 = Ship's Manor Calypso
• DMC 646 = DMC 645
• DMC 647 = DMC 646
• DMC 730 = Colour & Cotton Dried Sage
• DMC 733 = Cottage Garden Threads Sweet Gum
• DMC 815 = DMC 777
• DMC 817 = Gentle Arts Buckeye Scarlet
• DMC 829 = ???
• DMC 830 = ???
• DMC 832 = Ship's Manor Ancient
• DMC 834 = some kind of gold metallic
• DMC 844 = Victorian Motto Olde Salem Spell
• DMC 926 = DMC 926
• DMC 927 = DMC 927
• DMC 3787 = Colour & Cotton Inkwell
• DMC 3811 = Ship's Manor June Thread of the Month
• DMC 3865 = Gentle Arts Oatmeal
• Silk'n Colors Acorn Woods = (I may actually buy this one)
• Silk'n Colors Obsidion = ???
• Silk'n Colors Desert Moss = Mo's Sale Luke
• Silk'n ColorsAged Plum = Gentle Art Grape Arbor
• Silk'n Colors Snow Drift = Threadworx 11231Santa's Beard
• Silk'n Colors Greystone = Mo's Sale Utah

Purchases:

• Punch Needle & Primitive Stitcher, Spring 2018. I have the digital subscription. It's now the SECOND best magazine I've seen
  

• Han & Leia chart from Tilton Crafts: 
  

• Acorns & Threads purchase: Thursday was our monthly first Thursday meetup. So I picked up the third installment of the By the Bay Needleart Harbor Haven SAL along with the fabric for the piece: 36 count Weeks Dye Works linen in Sea Foam. STUNNING. I also got a small cut of WDW Straw and a DMC Variegated floss for a very special project. 
  

Happy Mail:

• A perfect thank you postcard from Abby--TopKnot Stitcher, along with some donut stickies that will be gracing a #SprinkleStitchyKindess parcel near you.
• Issue #2 of X-Stitch Magazine: This is my new obsession. It's extremely well written and thoughtful. There are SO many charts and even more amazing articles that show us new and exciting facets of the stitching world and make me super excited to be part of it! 
  
• This didn't come in the mail, but I received a very special birthday gift from Lori (Texstylust Textile Style Lust) and Lisa (Kindred Stitcher) during our meetup at Acorns & Threads: 
  

It's a Milennium Falcon project bag!!! And a Han Solo card!!! Both made by Miss Lori. <3 I couldn't thank them enough! 

Flosstube shout outs: 

• Zoe G: https://goo.gl/QthCkN  She's back! She's just as awesome as ever and NOW Zoe is teaching us how to simplify our lives. She's filming her usual Flosstubes and she's started a new Live Simply series. Check her out.
• Mr. X-Stitch: https://goo.gl/4H5nMw My current cross stitch celeb obsession. Jamie is cool and smart and he really digs cross stitch!
• Kinder Ramblings: https://goo.gl/iTePWa She's a stitcher and a kindergarden teacher; she's adorable and so are her projects. 

Books:

• A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin: 
• My Goodreads Review: Well, I asked for more John Snow and more Daenerys and look what I got. FANTASTIC. More Dragons, more Dawnish, more Circe's downfall. And the ending, oh the ending. Look out because NOBODY is safe, not even good, sane people. Can I say that I want more Bran and Catelyn in the next book? I do. More Sansa too! More Starks.

Outside Links: 

• Lokai: https://lokai.com/
• Donate for my walk to end Alzheimer's: https://goo.gl/heZpsx
• NAMI: https://www.nami.org/
• Les Grilles de Maryse Halloween Freebie: https://goo.gl/8Qr8Cj
• Bewitched Stitches on FB: https://goo.gl/97wBkT
• Tilton Crafts: http://tiltoncrafts.com/
• Dyeing to Stitch: http://dyeing2stitch.com/
• Mr. X Stitch: https://www.mrxstitch.com/

Flosstubers mentioned:

• Amy, x_Amytiville_x: https://goo.gl/m7aM1V
• Mauoi Jen, Darkside Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PcPbgQ
• Marissa, MKissaCreations: https://goo.gl/796Nak
• McKenna, Stitching in Sequins: https://goo.gl/9d3EKy
• Caroline, Off the Grid Needlearts: https://goo.gl/wyyYJu
• Drew & Phil, Weasley Studios: https://goo.gl/75YfTR
• Danielle, Stitcherista: https://goo.gl/sGMthg
• Helga, QallieQ Stitcher: https://goo.gl/YZ4J8p
• Mindi, MintyStitcher: https://goo.gl/dLVjoP
• Michelle, Mich Stitch: https://goo.gl/QT1MwE
• The Joan & Kelly Show: https://goo.gl/ecSgRi
• Lisa, KindredStitcher: https://goo.gl/H5QbgK
• Lynda Jo, PrettySouthern: https://goo.gl/5iSNdP
• Lori, Texstylust: https://goo.gl/YsvBXF
• Michelle, Romantic Tangle: https://goo.gl/agqxdm
• Audrey, StitchyWitch42: https://goo.gl/6i4bUR
• Yvonne, Night Owl Stitcher: https://goo.gl/VydgRc
• Abby, TopKnotStitcher: https://goo.gl/zE8UM1

3k links: 

• Delicious Threads Needleminders: https://goo.gl/GnJiRu
• Heather, the Imperfectly Perfect Stitcher Needleminders: https://goo.gl/yBJ2LR
• Etsy, MadForMinders: https://goo.gl/PXm8VG
• Mr. X-Stitch: https://www.mrxstitch.com/
• Caroline, Evertote on Etsy: https://goo.gl/rpcQt6