March History in Stitches

This month's theme for my focus piece was History in Stitches. I chose to start a new piece--Athena by Mirabilia.  Greek mythology is a part of classical history, which was my minor in college, so I thought it fit very well.  Plus, it's a new Mirabilia start!  Win-win situation here...

Athena by Mirabilia (new start)

Next month's theme is April Architecture.

March WIPocalypse Check-In

Topic: What stitch blogs, groups, or flosstubes do you follow and why?
I try to keep up with all the stitch blogs of WIPocalypse participants that post each month.  I like to see what y'all are up to even if it's not an official check-in post.  I especially love seeing your other hobbies and critters that pop up on posts.  I also learn about challenges and SALs that are going on elsewhere since I don't have a Facebook account.

Since I'm not on Facebook, I don't follow any Facebook groups.  I unofficially follow Stitch Maynia through posts WIPocalypse members make and through Flosstube videos.  But that's the most I do there.  Not looking to change this anytime soon.  For some reason, I just haven't bought into Facebook.  Sorry, not sorry.

I do follow a few Flosstube Channels.  Otherwise, I just watch what Youtube recommends to me in the way of stitching videos.  I follow MsOhSewCrafty (Stephanie), SewScrapMuse (Paula), and Fireflies and Cats in the Garden (Noni) from the WIPocalypse blogs.  I love their blog posts so I want to support their Flosstube channels as well.  I also follow The Stash Queen (Katy) and Jessie Marie Does Stuff (Jessie Marie) because their stitching styles and interests are similar to mine.  I also have similar reading tastes to Jessie so I like seeing her book updates, too.  And finally, I follow Three Owl Threads (Trisha) because she just cracks me up.  If I'm missing any other WIPocalypse members who have Flosstube channels, please let me know.  I try to keep up, but I'm definitely not successful at that. 

 This month I am stitching on Narrowboat by Carol Thornton, Around the World in 80 Stitches by Papillon Creations, Dickens' Mittens by Cricket Collection, Madonna and Child by Kooler Design Studios, Chinese Dragon by Lesley Teare, and Christmas Tree Sampler by Victoria Sampler.  I am also posting my progress on the Fabulous Women in History SAL by Cloudsfactory. 

Christmas Tree Sampler

Narrowboat

Around the World close up

Around the World full view

Dickens' Mittens (Fezziwig)

Madonna and Child

Chinese Dragon

Fabulous Women in History



February Fandom

This month's theme for my focus piece was February Fandom.  Since I am a huge Disney fan, I chose to work on my Too Much Honey sampler by Bucilla.  I finished backstitching the numbers and icons at the bottom of the sampler, began backstitching the words from the story, began the leaf border at the top, and continued stitching the background of the main picture.  I am very pleased with my progress.

Too Much Honey after

Too Much Honey before

Next month's theme is History in Stitches.

February WIPocalypse Check-In

Topic: What is your favorite stitch other than the standard cross stitch?
You would think because I'm doing the Around the World in 80 Stitches piece by Papillon creations, I'd have a really good answer for this question.  I mean, by the end of the project, I'll have learned over 80 new embroidery stitches.  But, nope.  No good answer here.  The new stitches have been fun to learn, but I'm not running off to add them to my projects.  Nor am I looking to try them again. 

I guess if I have to pick a stitch, it would be the backstitch.  I know lots of people don't enjoy backstitching, but I really do.  I love how it adds to the design and really makes the picture take shape.  I really feel like I'm making progress on a piece when I add backstitching to it.  Yup, I'm a nut.  I own it.

 This month I am stitching on Around the World in 80 Stitches by Papillon Creations, Fabulous Women in History 2017 SAL by Cloudsfactory,  Too Much Honey by Bucilla, Madonna and Child by Kooler Design Studios, Chinese Dragon by Lesley Teare, Christmas Tree Sampler by Victoria Sampler, Dickens' Mittens by Cricket Collection, and Narrowboat by Carol Thornton.

Narrowboat

Christmas Tree Sampler

Dickens' Mittens

Chinese Dragon

Madonna and Child

Around the World in 80 Stitches

Fabulous Women in History

Too Much Honey

10 Hour Rotation Finished!

I finished 10 hours on Sabrina by Mirabilia.  This is such a fun piece to stitch.  I almost didn't want to stop working on it.

Sabrina after

Sabrina before

10 Hour Rotation Finished and a mini finish

I finished my 10 hour rotation on Farm Babies Birth Sampler by Stoney Creek.  It's coming out cuter than I expected.

Farm Babies after

Farm Babies before

I also finished Bob Cratchett's mitten from Dicken's Mittens by the Cricket Collection.

Bob Cratchett

Monthly Focus: January Jardin

I did not participate in Stitch Maynia's New Year, New Start monthly SAL because I don't like starting a new piece until I have finished a piece.  I like to keep my number of WIPs pretty consistent.  I've got a good number that keeps my stitchy bug going.  I don't want to overwhelm it.

So instead, I went with Heather from It's Geek to Me's old monthly theme.  My monthly focus this month was January Jardin.  I needed to stitch a garden/flower piece.  So I chose to work on my Around the World in 80 Stitches by Papillon Creations.  There is a floral motif throughout this design. 

Around the World before

Around the World after

Around the World close up

Next month, I will do Stitch Maynia's February Fandom.  I'm a Disney fan so I will take that route on my monthly focus piece.