WIPocalypse August! And July... and... June...

On the upside, I'm blogging SO MUCH lately! On the downside, I've missed TWO MONTHS of WIPocalypse blogging. Ugh.

Luckily for all of us (all of us?) Measi keeps an amazingly beautiful and organized blog that allows me to catch up! (TOTAL sucking up right there!)

Without further ado (sucking up), let's get to it:

Two months ago in a galaxy far, far away....

June:

Measi gives us a topic for each month, and this month's topic is: tell us what you think the ideal stitching retreat would include.

Well. That's a loaded question since StitchCon was in June.

My ideal retreat is probably 30-50 people large. It should include stitching, my besties, good food, a smalls exhange, door prizes, maybe a guest designer? I love, love, love an all-inclusive location like the conference center where Michelle R holds her Midwest Retreats, especially for out of towners who don't have a rental car. Then again, it was REALLY nice to walk from the StitchCon hotel to a bar in town. It was only about a mile and the weather was SO nice.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but let's just look at my finishes: 

That's Brenda Gervais' Stars & Stripes, stitched for the Midwest Cross Stitchers' swap; In Lieu of Flowers by Prairie Moon, stitched for ME; a hama bead pattern turned ATC for #crossstitchatcs on Instagram; Ginger Gerald Designs Windmill, used for the smalls exchange at StitchCon; and a little goat for a card on the FB Cross Stitch Card and ATC group

July:

Again, we'll start with the monthly topic: half year review: how are you doing on your goals so far this year. 

Well... I'm stitching a lot. Like, a LOT a lot. TONS. and I'm finishing. All the things. But none of the WIPocalypse things. Mostly this is because I keep starting things.

So. How am I doing with my 2018 goals? Just fine, thank you. ;-) I'm not too worried or bent out of shape about whether I finish my WIPocalypse or Year of WIPs pieces. I want to focus on them but I also want to start all the things. so it appears we are at an impasse.

But, like I said, I did FINISH things in July, so here they are: 

These are the borders for the TinyModernist #HauntedMansionSAL; there is the Martha Agnes Sampler Roll and inside pocket from Stacy Nash; Starry, Starry Night from Bent Creek; the start of my #CountryStitchersRR with a motif from Blackbird Designs Garden Quaker; my modified project from Midwest Cross Stitchers Retreat 2017; and that atc again (CLEARLY a June finish!)

August:

Look! We're all caught up!!

Let's get into it--the question of the month: which is more satisfying to you--the process of stitching or finishing things? 

Well! Melissa is a GENIUS! Because could there even BE a more appropriate question for #ArbitraryAugust?!?  The short (and cheating) answer is that I love BOTH. I waffle between "I'm just happy to be here; hope I can keep stitching" (I'd love my life to be a little more like Bull Durham)

And MUST FINISH ALL THE THINGS!! So I think that the real answer is I like to stitch and I like ot be stitching. Whether I'm chugging along or finishing all the things, I'm happy. 

Speaking of finishing all the things!! I finished a Year of WIPs piece in August. I dont' think it's a WIPocalypse piece.... but it's a finish! This is Here Lie My Needles from Shakespeare's Peddler: 

And I am ABSOLUTELY in love with it. This is my favourite thing that I've finished this year. It's on a weird uphosterly fabric that is very much like a 14/16 count uneven Aida and was pretty beautiful to stitch on. I have an idea to frame it, I just need to find a large enough frame. 

I also had a couple of non-Year of WIPocalypse charts this month: 

This is October 31 from Kathy Barrick. And I love it. It's stitched 1/2 on 40 count linen with all of the called for DMCs except for the basket which was stitched with Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Americana Bronze. 

On the SAME DAY I finished two tiny Prairie Schooler bees: 

These will be finished into a small ornament for a dear dear friend, despite the black one being a teensy bit wabi sabi. ;-) I kinda wish I were keeping them, but they were about 90 minutes each in stitching time, so I could just whip up a few more! 

Thank you for catching up with me! I love, love, love these blog posts and can't wait to read everyone else's!! 

Flosstube #64 Show Notes

Happy Tuesday, June 19 everyone!! TWO DAYS TILL STITCH CON!!! Here's a closer view (complete with links!) of what I talked about this week:

First of all, I want to take a second to thank you all for hitting our goal for Alzheimer's fundraising AGAIN!!

Since we keep pushing up and over the goals I set, and we still have the live sale to contend with, I'm going to up my goal a LOT. I'm shooting for us to raise $4000 for Alzheimer's research by the middle of October! Can we do it? I think we can!! Click on the picture above to donate or for more information. 

Best New Thing: 

• Barbie's Vlog on YouTube!! 
  
  
  
  
  

My mug: 

• It's the Maryland You Are Here Mug: 
  
  
  

Updates:

• Ginger Gerald's Confessions of a Flosstuber is late this week! But he's editing and it will be up tonight. With ME!!! I'm going to watch it again because we filmed it a while ago! (click on the picture to be taken to Gerald's playlist): 
  

• Toasty TARDIS from Mandarink's Designs on Etsy. Kalu (@kalukitas.02 on Instagram) found the chart for us!! (click on the picture to go directly to the listing)
  

FFOs: (previous FFOs were featured because they were for swaps and the recipients have received)

• May Butterfly Biscornu from Tiny Modernist on Etsy: (click on picture to buy)
  

• And an adaptation of Fancey Blackett By the Light of the Moon for Dixiesamplar Exchange Group's Very Merry Unbirthday Pynkeep: 
  

Finishes: 

• In Lieu of Flowers from Priaire Moon:
  

  
  
  
I'm stitching mine on 32 count Stitches and Spice Linen that came with the chart when I purchased it at Stitchers' Paradise in Las Vegas  last year. I started it after my Flosstube last week, and here is the finish:




My conversion is listed in the show notes for Stitch With Me #27. 

WIPs (Works in Progress)

• The first one is a goat card for the Facebook Cross Stitch Card and ATC SAL group. I'm stitching a motif from Donna Kooler's 555 Cross Stitch Motifs book: (click on the pic for my Amazon Affiliate link)
  

I chose an adorable little goat:

And he's almost done!

• And this one is exactly where it was last week, Stitchrovia's Mind SAL, aka, Quotes to Live By: (click on the pic to buy)
  

See? totally the same: 

I'm stitching this with all of the called for colors on a piece of 16 count Aida that I tea dyed.

Purchases: 

• Robert Capes' Creative Needlepoint book: (click on the pic to buy, Amazon Affiliate Link)
  

• S. Ward kit from Theresa at KittenStitcher.com
  

It's sold out but Theresa did order supplies for 100 more kits. This time kits will be available in Linen or Aida. Just message Theresa through her site (link above), through her Instagram, @kittenstitcher, or  go watch her YouTube videos at KittenStitcher and get her email address. 

• My copy of X-Stitch Magazine came this morning!!! (click on the picture to get yours!)
  

And for a GREAT flip through, see Danielle, Stitcherista's video!

My favourite design in here? The one I stitched of course!!

It's by The Hawthorn Tree, whom you should DEFINITELY check out. They have an Etsy store and a Folksy store.  But again, watch out for your credit card!!

Happy Mail/Gifts: 

• My card from Denise for Cross Stitch Card and ATC SAL on Facebook:
  

Thanks Denise!!

• ALL the charts for the Alzheimer's Sale!! Yay!! Thank you Kelly and Tamara!

Thrift Store Finds: 

• So many Save the Stitches' this week! First up is a cute little framed piece that I don't know the name of but KNOW I've seen before: 
  

• Second is what I think is probably a Prairie Schooler? Or a piece of a Prairie Schooler? It definitely has that look: 
  

• Then I found ANOTHER pair of scroll rods! And the piece on these is just about finished. If anyone can tell me what this is, I'd be SUPER happy to find the chart and finish it: 
  

• Last but not least, the piece de resistance, Pinky and Blue Boy!!! 
  
  
  
  

Flosstube Shoutouts: 

• Aaron, Marilyn's Boy
• Linda Spalding

Books: 

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (click on the pic to purchase from Amazon)

Two stars; here is my Goodreads review: 

I so wanted to enjoy this book. The premise is amazing: the zookeeper and his wife at the Warsaw zoo use their zoo to save as many people as possible during the bombing, takeover, occupation, and liberation of Warsaw during WWII. I dont' know if it was the narrator (I listened via audiobook) or the story itself, but I just didn't care. I'm going to find other books on this theme, because I want to find a great story. If you're also looking for a great story, skip this one.

Outside Links:

• Mandarink's Designs on Etsy
• Cross Stitch Card and ATC group on Facebook
• Jen's Stitching Niche, Etsy
• The Cottage Needle, Etsy
• Joydiri Designs
• The IPS Needleminders on Etsy 
• Acorns & Threads
• Gulf Coast Stitches

Flosstubers Mentioned

• Jessie Marie, Jessie Marie Does Stuff
• Angel, Girl with a Needle
• Sam, Sammy J Stitches
• Kerry, Kerry In Stitches
• Jamie Chalmers, Mr. X Stitch
• Amber & Melissa, In Stitches with Melissa and Amber
• Michelle, Mich Stitch
• Annie & Hanane, Stitchin Misfits
• Gerald, Ginger Gerald Stitcher
• Theresa, KittenStitcher
• Gary & Christine, Fiber Talk
• Drew & Phil, Weasley Studios
• Diana, itiskismet stitches
• Jennifer Upton

And, TWO. DAYS. 

Stitch With Me #27 Show Notes

Happy Father's Day! Here are a couple of pics of my dad and I (because you were probably wondering):

This was WAY more than 6 years ago.... I think it was more like 15 years ago.... Our first trip to In-N-Out. 

This may have been 6 years ago, because it was pre-Rose. Maybe even 7 years ago. It's at Pearl Harbor.

Anyway, this week I worked on In Lieu of Flowers from Prairie Moon. Definitely OOP and HTF and NFAA (not fair at all):

Here is where it was when we started the video: 

I'm stitching this 1/2 on 32 count Stitches and Spice linen that came with it when I bought it at Stitchers' Paradise in Las Vegas with a surprising number of the called for flosses. See below for my stitch from stash conversion.

At the end of the video: 

I'm totally in love with this and I can't wait to have it finished!! 

Here is my conversion: 

• WDW Snowflake --> TW 011231
• WDW Island Breeze --> SM Calypso
• WDW Envy --> C&C Evergreen
• WDW Kris' Bon Bon --> WDW Chestnut
• WDW Juniper --> same
• WDW Kentucky Bluegrass --> same
• WDW Sweet Potato --> WDW Chrysanthemum
• WDW Chesapeake --> DMC 500
• WDW Tigers Eye --> VMSS Americana Bronze
• WDW Mascara --> same
• WDW Turquoise --> same
• WDW Curry --> same
• WDW Honeysuckle --> SM Between the Shadows
• WDW Pumpkin --> same

WDW = Weeks Dye Works

TW = ThreadWorks

SM = Ship's Manor

C&C = Colour & Cotton

VMSS = Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

What I'm planning to take to StitchCon: 

• Stacey Nash Primitives: Martha Agnes 
  

I have fabric picked out for this one. It's a bit darker than the picture so I may invert the colors. 0_0 

• Birds to the Boughs from Lindy Stitches (Stephanie): 
  

I have my fabric for this one narrowed down to two choices, so I'll floss toss this week and decide. 

• One current WIP, probably Quotes to Live By: 
  

Do you want to stitch Toasty Tardis?

Click on the picture above for a direct link to the listing. Or you can check out the entire store, Mandarink's Designs. Be careful though, you're going to need it ALL!! 

Have you seen Theresa's (KittenSticher, Shakespeare's Peddler) new EXCLUSIVE design? 

Now you want it too, right? It comes with the Pashmina from Gloriana AND that handmade strawberry!! "but it's out of stock!" I hear you saying. Never fear. You can message Theresa through her website, www.kittenstitcher.com, or message her on Instagram (@kittenstitcher) and let her know you want to put your name on a list--she reordered enough to kit up 100!! No deposit required, just tell her Bendy sent you. ;-)

So, I'm thinking about stitching Fraktur Friends from Shakespeare's Peddler: (click on the picture to buy from Jen's Stitching Niche on Etsy)

Linda Spalding suggested stitching this on navy blue linen and that's absolutely GENIUS!! Because Leslie from Under the Sea Fabrics will be at Stitch Con as a vendor I'm SURE I can score the chart from Keepsakes and then fabric from Leslie. 

Flosstube Mentions:

• Diana, itiskismet stitches
• Steph & Pam, Just Keep Stitchin
• Drew, Weasley Studios
• Michelle Ruedy, Farm Girl
• Kelly & Joan, The Joan & Kelly Show
• Lynda Jo, Pretty Southern
• Theresa, KittenStitcher
• Mindi, MintyStitcher
• McKenna, Stitching in Sequins
• Jan Hicks, Jan Hicks Creates
• Linda Spalding
• Michelle, Mich Stitch
• Holly & Anita
• Gerald, Ginger Gerald Stitcher

Outside links:

• Acorns & Threads
• Eliza Bell Cox 1832 SAL
• Donate to my Alzheimer's Walk
• StitchCon
• Midwest Cross Stitchers
• Under the Sea Fabrics

In case anyone ever wonders, here is my glamorous Stitch With Me set up: 

See you Tuesday!!