WIPacolypse - June 2020

The last Sunday of the month is the posting date for  the WIPacolypse SAL where we post what we're doing to finish all of our WIPs by the end of the world.  This SAL is hosted by Measi at Measi's Musings   Click on the link for more information.

In my introduction post, I set some goals for this year.

1) Stitch Deer Scene from Dimensions - No progress

2) Finish Let's Learn from Out Cat - Finished in February

3) Finish Big Trees - No progress

4) Finish Advent Animals by Brooke's Books - No progress

5) Finish Tinkerbell - No progress

6) Finish Leslie Teare's 2019 Owl SAL - Finished August in February, September is almost finished

7) Complete the Peppermint Purple Year Long SAL on Facebook.  So far, so good - Weeks 23 through 26 completed this month.

8) Complete the 2020 Stitcher's Challenge on Q4OC (Quilts for Older Children and Adults). -  Finished the Royals in May and I'm working on Picachu.

9) Stitch 12 Furry Tales Female Mice to be sent to WOCS for a quilt.  January through May were stitched previously.  June was stitched this month.

10) (Added in June) Finish as many Mill Hill kits started for Stitch Maynia as possible, working on them for at least 30 minutes per day - Two have been completed and one is close to a finish.

American Star

Egg-ceptional

11) (Added in June, but should have been on the original list) Stitch and finish Ronald McDonald House SAL which needs to be completed by the end of the year.

Question of the Month: Half-year recap: How are you doing with your goals so far this year?

I'm not doing as well as I'd expected and/or hoped, so there are a couple that probably won't be completed.  But I have completed one goal, made progress on a couple of others and have kept up with those being worked on monthly.

Weekly Update - 6/25/2020

We've reached the halfway point in the Peppermint Purple SAL so she gave us an easy one so people could spend some extra time catching up if they wanted.  Week 26 was done in DMC 52 and only took 32 minutes to stitch.

Picachu
This is also coming along nicely and should be finished next week sometime.  I must admit the yellow isn't my favorite color so I'll be glad when I'm done, but the chart was assigned to me so I didn't really have a choice.

As of 6/19/2020 after 10 hours and 55 minutes

As of 6/25/2020 after 14 hours and 8 minutes

Smalls SAL - June 2020

The last Friday of the month is when we post the small projects we've stitched during the month.  The SAL is hosted by Mary at Mary's Thread.  Thank you Mary for continuing to host this SAL.  You can click the link for more information and/or to see what small projects others are stitching.

I worked on quite a few small projects this month including the last three Mill Hill starts for Stitch Maynia.

Reindeer Games

Watermelon

Seagull

I also had several finishes.

Bride Mouse

Holly Jolly Peppermint Wreath

Peppermint Pal

American Star

Egg-ceptional

I'm currently working on two more: Pizza Slice and the September Owl, but I'll wait and show those next month.

BTW, I figured out how to add a caption.  Click on the picture and a menu will appear.  Hover your cursor over the icon on the far right and the words "Toggle Caption" will appear.  Click the icon and you get the prompt to add the caption.

Weekly Update - 6/19/2020

My weekly update is a little late this week, because my internet was out completely.  It had been partially out for almost two weeks and I could access some things, but not others.  Then on Thursday, it went out completely.  After hours on the phone, it finally came back late yesterday.

Peppermint Purple

Week 25 was stitched with DMC 75 and took one hour and 45 minutes.  I had trouble wrapping my head around this one, but it finally started making sense when I decided to work vertically instead of horizontally.

Picachu of

I'm using the new Blogger and haven't figured out how to add a caption yet.  (Any help would be appreciated.)  This is Picachu as of 6/10/2020 after 5 hours 13 minutes of stitching.

And here he is as of 6/19/2020 after 10 hours and 55 minutes of stitching time.  Yes, he got a little more time this week than usual, because I really wanted to finish his body.

Happy Dance - Egg-ceptional

Started: 5/13/2020

Finished: 6/19/2020

Stitching Time: 8 hours 37 minutes

Egg-ceptional is part of the most recent Spring Bouquet Collection and is one of my favorites. 

It is stitched mostly as charted with the provided materials.  The only exception is that I only use two strands of floss for the cross stitch.  The frog visited several times while I worked on it, but it's still one of my favorites.

I will trim it, add the charm and provided magnet to the back and it will join the others on my refrigerator and will probably stay there year round.

If anyone would like my leftovers, please leave a comment.  If not, I will take them to our local thrift store with my next donation.

Next Up: Pizza Slice

Happy Dance - Holly Jolly Peppermint Wreath

Started: 6/11/2020

Finished: 6/15/2020

Stitching Time: 7 hours 13 minutes

Holly Jolly Peppermint Wreath was designed by Cynthia Young (Luhu Stitches) and can be found in the 2019 JCS Ornament Issue.  

It's stitched on 14-count light green Aida as charted.  I changed the colors in the bow from 741-744 to 208-211, because yellow/orange isn't my favorite color.

This is my June ornament for the JCS SAL on Facebook, but it's not the ornament chosen by the group.  

Next Up: September Owl

Gifted Gorgeousness - June 2020

On the fifteenth of each month, we're supposed to post items that relate to gifts, either some part of the item was received as a gift or the item is being given as a gift.  This is another brainchild of the fabulous Jo at Serendipitous Stitching   You can click the link to get more information and/or to see what others are posting.

Several of my Maynia stitches will be gifts when finished:

Fishing Vest

Proud Penguin

Holiday Panda

American Star was also a start during Maynia and was finished in June and given to Kyleigh.

I finished The Royals for Q4OC which is a triple gift, because the fabric was won in a contest, the pattern was provided by the group and the finish will be going back to the group.

I also completed both the May and June Furry Tales mice for WOCS.

Cinco de Mayo Mouse

Bride Mouse

I also stitched Derpy Hooves for a friend's granddaughter's birthday.  This is a double gift because my friend gave me the chart.

Finally, Picachu will be going to Q4OC when finished and is a double gift because I used the last piece of Aida that I'd won in the earlier contest.

Fully Finished Gallery - June, 2020

The Fully Finished Gallery SAL was created by Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher to encourage us to fully finish our projects instead of just storing them in a drawer or box never to be seen again.  Click on the link to see more details and what other stitchers have posted.  Thank you Rachel for encouraging us to finish our unfinished projects.

Unlike that last couple of months when I didn't do any finishing, this month I do have finishes -- lots of them!

My Pad
I added a light blue backing and glued the provided magnet on the back.  It now resides on my refrigerator.  BTW, I decided not to add the charm after all.

Father Christmas

Since I finally got the beads I needed, I made a hanger and added dark green felt to the back.  He's now in my drawer of finished Christmas ornaments to go on my tree this Christmas.

 Derpy Hooves

I backed it with light purple felt and added a hanger made of light yellow beads.  It has already been received by the recipient.

 

Three Kings
I stitched this one back in 2018 and finally decided it was time to fully finish it.  I backed it with red felt and added a hanger of gold beads.  I was going to use dark blue felt, but I didn't have any and I think it looks better this way anyway. 

Angel with Dove
This is another one that I stitched in 2018 and finally got around to finishing.  I backed it with light blue felt to bring out the blue in her robe and added a gold beaded chain.

Tree Shopping
This was stitched in 2019.   I backed it in dark green felt and added a red bead hanger.  I wanted to use red felt, but I didn't have enough left so I decided to use dark green instead.  The red beads are some that my husband found at a neighbor's garage sale.  He bought them for Kyleigh, but I appropriated them.

All American Santa 
I stitched him in 2019 and he's finished with a red felt backing (I found another sheet of red felt) and a red bead hanger.  Again, the beads came from the batch my husband got from a garage sale.

Church in the Snow
This one was also stitched in 2018. I added a light blue felt backing and a gold beaded hanger.

Title Unknown
This is a really old project that I finished long before I started blogging in 2008 so I don't know it's name.  It was from a group that I'd made into magnets and the rest have been displayed on my refrigerator for years.  I don't know how I missed this one.   I found it when looking for something to send a friend for her birthday.    I backed it in red felt and added a magnet and it's been received by my friend.

Red Christmas
This was stitched earlier this year and I held off finishing it because it was to be diamond shaped rather than square shaped and I couldn't figure out how to do it.  I finally decided to finish it as a  square, but as I was doing so, I figured out that all I had to do was attach the hanger to a corner instead of a side..  Duh!

I attached it to a piece of the same fabric used on the front with a running stitch and fringed the edges.  The hanger is some red ribbon I had in my stash.  It, along with all the other ornaments are in my drawer waiting for Christmas.

American Star
This came with a pin back, but I rarely wear pins so I didn't want it.  I asked Kyleigh if she wanted it.  She didn't want a pin, but said she'd like a magnet instead so that's what I did.   This is backed with white felt and a magnet was glued on the back. 

Santa
I don't remember making this one so I think it was a gift from one of my sisters.  It may or may not have had a hanger on it originally, but when I found it in my "to be finished" drawer, it did not.  I backed it with dark green felt and added a gold beaded hanger.

American Pie
I stitched this back in 2017, but never finished it.  I backed it in red felt and added a magnet to the back.  It's now displayed on my refrigerator.

And that's all for this month.  I doubt if next month will be as good, but I'm hoping for at least a couple of finishes.

Happy Dance - Bride Mouse

Started: 6/5/2020

Finished: 6/11/2020

Stitching Time: 7 hours 12 minutes

This is another Furry Tales Mouse designed by Lucie Heaton and found in World of Cross Stitching #280.  It's stitched as charted on white 14-count Aida with the called for DMC.

The Bride Mouse is the June mouse for my year long stitch of monthly themed Furry Tales and will be sent to WOCS (World of Charity Stitching) to be made into a quilt.

Next Up: Holly Jolly Peppermint Wreath

Weekly Update - 6/10/2020

Peppermint Purple SAL
This is Week 24 which is stitched in DMC Variations 4180 and took 38 minutes to stitch..  It's done with mostly Syrna Crosses. 

That completes another row and we're almost halfway there.

Picachu

As of 6/3/2020 - after 2 hours 33 minutes

As of 6/10/2020 - after 5 hours 13 minutes