WIPoclaypse January Introduction...

I am excited to join in with the 2014 WIPocalypse that Measi is hosting at Measi's Musings. I last did WIPocalypse in 2012 and it motivated me to finish a large sampler. 

Measi wants us to introduce ourselves also. I guess most of my readers know me and my style but if you don't here is a little detail. I am mid-40s and live on an island, Tasmania in Australia. I am married to David, a newly qualified obstetrician and gynaecologist about to start private private in 2 weeks. So exciting and scary but yes, this means he is moving back home permanently with us (he has been working and living 4 hours away from us over the last 12 months). I am also a doctor who works part-time in general practice seeing a wide range of patients. My favourite thing about GPLand is following a patient through a pregnancy, then meeting their new addition and watching the baby grow and thrive over time. 

To balance my work life I have a creative side. I have been cross stitching since I was twelve. It was something I always went back to as I found it relaxing and easy to do in the evenings. I have become much more serious about it since 2009 when I joined Blog Land. I found bloggers who cross stitch were so friendly and inspiring that my craft/quilting blog has become pretty much all about CROSS STITCH!

Back to WIPoclaypse now.  Here are the projects I want to work on and hopefully finish. during 2014.  I will post progress at every full moon.  I have two largish projects that are my WIPocalypse stitches.  I only have two as I know that plenty of stitching time is needed on both of them this year in order to finish them. Cross stitch is slower than it looks (in my experience). I probably only get to stitch for 1-2 hours per day.

Project 1

Promises Kept by Dimensions The Gold Collection.  

For those of you interested in buying the kit you can purchase it here. 

I have been stitching this Noah's Ark project since 2009 when a friend gave it to me. She had stitched half of the ark and lost interest. I think she started the project in 2000 so it is an oldie but a goodie. I have picked it up from time to time until more recently when I have been working on it more regularly. 

Finally I am working on the lower half of the ark.  The project looks deceivingly close to a finish but alas it has a vine border with lots of little animals surrounding it. There is a lot of mixing of colours too which makes this project slower.  Admittedly, when I stitched the giraffe this week I totally eliminated a mixing colour.  I couldn't find the second colour to blend with the yellow as it wasn't labelled well, so I just used the yellow as a double strand. 

Before photo:

After photo:

Project 2

Cut Thru' Castle Bothy Threads

I started the Cut Thru' Castle mid-2013.  In January, I have almost finished stitching the fourth room which is the Royal Bathroom and the Dragon's Lair.  There is just a little man climbing a ladder to stitch on the right of the sampler to finish off before I move stitching the 5th page.  There are 9 pages in total so I am almost halfway there.  Over January I have done more backstitching in the King's Chamber.

Before photo:

After photos:

 You need a medal if you have read all of this post!  Happy WIPocalypsing…

                                                                 Jan x

2014 Cross Stitching Goals...

Happy 2014!!! I am inspired to join a few SALs to help me push ahead with my projects. I had few finishes in 2013, partly because my projects are mostly BAPs and partly time-related. I am sure that with the progress I have made during 2013, I will have quite a few finishes during 2014.

2014 WIPocalypse

My name is now on the 2014 WIPocalypse sign-up list run by Measi's Musings. I was part of this in 2012 which helped me finish my Marjolein Bastin Four Seasons sampler.

Here are the two WIPocalypse projects I will work on during 2014:

1. Bothy Threads "Cut Thru' Castle"

Stitched on 16ct Zweigart AIDA

2.  Dimensions The Gold Collection "Promises Kept"

2014 Turtle Trot

This is my first attempt at doing the Turtle Trot. I have to choose 10 projects to work on and document progress monthly for 2014.  I have 10 unfinished or kitted up cross stitches (and thankfully no more) that deserve to be in this SAL.

1. Carriage House Samplings "Shores of Hawk Run Hollow"

2. Historical Sampler Company "I Love London"

3. Shepherd's Bush 2007 stocking

4. Anett Eriksson "Chateau" cushion cover (new start)

5. Bucilla Gallery of Stitches "Christmas House"

6. Designers Forum "Holland Park" Needlepoint Rug

7.  The Prairie Schooler alphabet series

L is for Leaves

8. Country House Needleworks "Santa's House" from Santa's Village series (new start)

9. Bucilla Heirloom Collection "Touch of Gold"

10.  The Prairie Schooler "Pumpkin Patch"(new start)

My aim from January 1st to January 10th is to stitch on one of the Turtle Trot projects each day.  

Wow what a big post! I have never done one so picture heavy.

May 2014 be full of lots of stitching time for you…

                                                                            Jan x

June WIPocalypse update...

It's time for the June WIPocalypse check in!!! I am thrilled to be able to show you...wait for it.......

a pumpkin.

This pumpkin is one in a bowl of pumpkins near the lower border of the English garden sampler designed by Marjolein Bastin. I feel I am progressing much faster having finished the squirrel.

Happy WIPocalypse!!!

Thank you for wandering through my veggie patch...

                                                                               Jan x

It's "Super Moon" Wipocalypse Time...

Did you have the buzz talk about the "Super Moon" last weekend? Maybe this phenomena only happened in Australia. I had never heard this term before and suddenly I heard this term used the media 20 times in the one day! Well I wish this Super Moon had had some gravitational effect on my quickness with this squirrel picture, but alas it hasn't. It's just plodding along. The scrubbing brush is slowly appearing...I want to start on the pumpkins already! Yes I am being impatient.

Well I have come to a realisation.  I don't like stitching my HAED ("LOVE"by Marta Dahlig). Here are some reasons:
* it is really hard to get neat stitches 2 over 1 on 25 count (I am a perfectionist)
* my DMC thread gets very worn and breaks
* I cannot stitch it sitting on the sofa
* it is really hard to end the thread into the back of the tiny, tiny stitches

I think I will not continue it...convince me otherwise HAED lovers or offer any suggestions to get me back on track. I have done about 1/2 of the first page.

On a brighter note I have bought some patterns I have admired for a while -The Prairie Schooler Alphabet and have joined a blog site, The Prairie Schooler ABC Stitching Bee with fellow stitchers. I think I will stitch some of the letters individually especially the "L" featuring a deer - I am so into deers at the moment like the rest of the world. I also think I need to stitch a mermaid so "M" is on my list too. I don't have all of the letters but I am sure I will accumulate them over time.

Thank you for dropping on by and sitting in my garden...

                                                     Jan x

I'm late, I'm late for a very important WIPocalypse update...

The full moon has come and gone before I have even posted my third WIPocalypse update. Slack, I know, but I have been fighting for time at the laptop.  We have just had a Long Weekend in Tasmania which means that with everyone at home I have to wrestle the computer from the laptop hoggers to even check my emails.

Progress has been mediocre on the Marjolein Bastin design...

and the attic room in The Christmas House...

I am working out the colours for the Christmas House myself using DMC threads. I think I will have to lighten the darkest green in the dress.

Happy Jan here! I have won my first blog award. Thanks Ally from Everyday Miracles. Check out Ally's talented photography skills.

Some background: Liebster is a German word, meaning favourite, dearest or beloved and the Liebster is awarded by bloggers to other, newer bloggers, who have fewer than 200 followers, to spread the word and help the new(er)bies gain wider recognition. The award comes with four conditions that each recipient must satisfy when accepting:

1. Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.
4. Share 5 random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.

My five blogs I bestow the Liebster award are:
1. Sarah from If Only I had Chocolate
2. Kaye from Kitten Stitching
3. Krista from Just Stitching Along
4. Linda from Stitchin' with my Furbabies
5. Melissa from Melissa's Stitching Room

5 random facts about myself:

1. I have a very good memory so don't tell me a story if you don't want me to remember it. One of my first memories is seeing my baby sister, Leanne, for the first time behind the glass at the maternity hospital. I was only 20 months old.
2. I don't like ice cream very much (or lollies) but a.d.o.r.e chocolate
3. I have learnt  Highland and Irish dancing
4. I don't like my hands getting dirty but pardoxically love gardening (hence, I wear gloves)
5. I am a great navigator. I have an internal GPS. Who says women can't read maps?

Thanks for making daisy chains in my garden...

                                                                     Jan x

WIPocalypse time...

My kids were suitably loopy yesterday. A sure sign it was a full moon. A full moon I say? Yes, time for ....drum roll....the WIPocalypse update number 2!!! You can compare my progress with the last WIPocalypse update here.

My laptop and I are not friends this week so I have only one stitching project update today.  I'm hoping we'll repair our relationship over week and I can get back to normal blogging next week (rather than having to take photos on my iPhone, posting to FB then uploading onto my son's computer). And yes, it is sad but true that my 11yo son's computer is better than mine! How did that happen?

The Marjolein Bastin English garden sampler has progressed alot since the last full moon with the addition of the holly basket and finches. Next up I am working on the lower border. This sampler has kept me interested the whole way through. I can't wait to start stitching the next picture; a pile of pumpkins just in time for Autumn in Australia (and picking my real pumpkins in my veggie patch).

I have a dedicated page to the projects on my WIPocalypse list which I am keeping updated as new projects jump the queue.

Thanks for walking through my garden...

                                                                           Jan x     

threadgarden WIPocalypse: the first update

I have just returned from a family beach holiday staying in shack (an Aussie term for a holiday house) at a seaside village called Orford in Tasmania. The shack was straight out of an Enid Blyton novel - well-loved furniture, wooden kitchen cupboards, handmade quilts and linoleum floors.  It's smell transported me back to Grandma's home long gone now. It demanded RELAXATION so I didn't resist. Don't you just love Summer holidays?

Stitching was part of my holiday plan so I am delighted to report that I have "WIPocalypsed" my Marjolein Bastin English Garden sampler during the break away. I only have about 1/4 left.  Phew!Check out this WIPocalypse link here if you don't know what I am talking about.  This SAL has become HUGE! I am excited to be taking part in it.

Well I have another project to add to my WIPocalypse list. I received a surprise in the post all the way from the UK to little old Tasmania. It is the Christmas House pattern by Bucilla. Jo from Serendipitous Stitching so generously sent me the pattern when I admired a photo of her completed project on her Advent Calendar post.  I have to start on it soon as it seems it will become a travelling pattern and move from me to Kaye (*waving madly*).

Thanks for stopping by my garden...

                                     Jan x