OhSewCrafty Blog

As my I knocked out most everything at the end of December, January will be a crazy start-fest!  My category based rotation works well for me, I like the variety and the number, so I will continue with that stratagem, though I will changing up my tactics a little, more about that below.  So my categories are:

1. Mirabilia / Lavendar & Lace: Feather Fairy on French Vanilla Swirl Belfast by Silkweaver, as a gift, was started January 3.  If and when Feather Fairy gets finished, I’m considering Fairy Idyll and/or Secret Santa.
2. Joan Elliott/ Bella Filipina: Fairy Wind is on the go, started August 2023.  I hope to finish it by July or so, and start something new, perhaps Greta Goldbroom or Amphrite.
3. Fall/ Halloween: Making a Brew by Doreen Jones was my new year, new start. Another planned start is Poltergeist Pirates by Glendon PLace and on Bang!!! hand painted linen by Crossed Wing Collection, specifically made for this chart. I “must” start Poltergeist Pirates since I declared it as a D30 yearly project.  I didn’t think that one through properly!  Oh well, after I have earned my first”bookmark” (15x400stitches), I  will switch out Poltergeist Pirates for Fairy Wind or something.  The 3 projects I declared are Father Christmas, Poltergeist Pirates, and St.George & Dragon.
4. Christmas: Father Christmas by Joan Elliott is on the go, a recent start on Jay Belfast (Picture this Plus).  A possible new start could be Girl with Candle by Petite Croix de Lucie (on Herald Cashel from Picture this Plus).
5. History / Literature: I’m kind of excited, kind of trepidatious about my plan to start St. George and the Dragon by Vermillion.  Yes, it’s finally time to stitch the companion to Maiden & Unicorn, on 36 count even weave.  (not the ideal fabric for this chart full of fractionals, but I stitched Maiden on 36 count linen, so I must use 36 count again.  Hopefully the even weave will be a little easier than the linen, which was not the nicest. This is one of my 3 projects for the Daily30 yearly challenge,so I do expect to work on it regularly.
     
6. Flora / Fauna: This category is empty since finishing Autumn bellpull.   To finish the series, I would need the Stoney Creek Winter Bellpull, but maybe I need a break from those bell pulls, they are huge and a little fussy.  Another possibility would be Winter Robin, Autumn Wren, & Summer Chaffinch, all by Lesley Teare, I’ve done the Spring version and these 3 need to be stitched!
7. Sampler: When Black Cats Prowl / Happy Haunting (as it was titled in the magazine) by Maria Diaz on Ale Cashel (Picture this Plus) is a band sampler and a recent start. Another possibility would be Newborn King by Stoney Creek.
8. Wildcard: Another empty category since finishing Christmas Calendar. But I’m planning to start a large-ish full coverage design (9 pages), Mickey Stained Glass by Neni Designs (etsy).  

9. Extra: Ornaments / Smalls: I adore the Just Cross Stitch 2023 Ornaments issue, so the “problem” will be narrowing it down to 12, I plan to stitch one, most months, for the JCS SAL (FB).  I really will try to simmer down my ornament stitching this year.  I’m hoping for 16 ornament finishes (half as much as last year!).  Having started the year with 3 wips, that would leave me 13 to start. 

Now, for tactics.  Last year year, I worked on almost everything, all the time.  I would choose focus pieces and aim for 2 or 3 k, (in a a month), with smaller goals on the others.  That was fine, but I still ended with finishing most of my big projects in the last two months of the year.  And it got to be a slog, rotating from backstitch and beading, to more of the same.  So next year, my plan is to identify 3-4 pieces each month to really focus on (4k-5k goal each), other wips will get a much smaller effort, like 1 k, or nothing at all (for that month).  So far I’ve identified certain wips to focus on for each quarter.  I hope this will enable me to stagger my finishes more, we shall see.  

As for the challenges and stitch alongs, I love the JCS Ornament SAL, as mentioned above, and will continue with that.  The Daily 30 group challenges (on FB) are so fun, and I love that group.  Fandom Stitching Challenges is also interesting and next year is a Disney theme, so Mickey Stained Glass will receive attention, regularly.  Another I joined recently is WIP Warriors, I’m opting for the 24 in 24 challenge, I don’t have 24 at present, but I may get up to that number with new starts (unlikely, but anything’s possible).  So if I do, I’ll be capped at 24 wips, and no new starts allowed unless I get a finish. Magical Stitches & Reading has caught my interest again, since this year seems to be fantasy theme (January’s book is Tithe by Holly Black), which floats my boat more than the cozy mysteries of last year.

Overall, I’m aiming for:

8 med/large finishes, non specified (Fairy Wind, Feather Fairy, Mickey Stained Glass, seasonal birds, new starts)

4 med/large finishes, Halloween (Happy Haunting, Making a Brew, Poltergeist Pirates, new start)

2 med/large finishes, Christmas (Father Christmas, new start)

16 ornament finishes

This is a lot fewer than last year, but there are some BAPS in there, so these goals are on the lofty side.  Wish me luck!