Another year, hope springs eternal to finish those WIPs, am I right? I have several specific goals for 2025, and others more general, like to stitch, if not every day, at least every week.
1. Fairy Wind by Joan Elliott was started in August 2023. She’s getting close, after 20 days last year, with the skin to stitch and bits of her bodice, hair, etc. She will need more backstitching, then beads. My plan is to finish her in the first quarter.
2. Father Christmas, also by Joan Elliott, is my second oldest, from November 2023. After 8 days love last year, he’s got a long way to go, but is also a quicker stitch since his color palette is more limited. I’m aiming for a midyear finish.
3. Making a Brew by Durene Jones, is a 3 panel design, and was started February 2024. The small design is finished, the large is almost ready for backstitching, after 9 days attention, so I need to do that, plus start & finish the medium design. I believe a first quarter finish is feasible.
4. Feather Fairy by Mirabilia was a new year start in 2024, with 17 days love. She needs more stitching on her wings, plus all her upper body. I hope to have her done around mid year.
5. Stained Glass Mickey by Neni Designs, another start from January 2024 is 18% complete, after 10 days, per Markup R-XP. I’m aiming for 15k progress this year, which will not be enough to finish, but it would put me a good position for 2026 finish. Full coverage, particularly those charts with crazy confetti, take longer and I’m accepting that, sparing myself the short drive to crazy town with lofty progress goals. 1,250 per month is a reasonable goal, I think. And happily, Daily 30’s new weekly challenges for the year include a full coverage option, so I can focus on that, rather than SALs, like last year.
6. Saint George and Dragon by Vermillion, yet another January 2024 start, is another “progress goal”, 15k again is the goal. After 4 days effort last year, I love this design, but it is rather fiddly with all the color changes and quarter stitches. 15k might be enough to work over to the border, start and finish it, which would be fantastic.
7. Poltergeist Pirates by Glendon Place, started February 2024, is another progress goal, 15k (sensing a theme?). I adore stitching this piece, but it is quite large (300 x 250 stitches). I devoted about 8 days last year, and it’s about 20% finished, I think. Maybe I can finish it this year, we’ll see.
8. Fourth of July by Les Petites Croix de Lucie, started May 2024. And now we move back into my finish goals! This isn’t too large, after 6 days love, and the bottom half is ready for backstitching. It’s a finish goal for February or March.
9. Halloween Train by AuthorEmbroiDesign (etsy) was started May 10, 2024 and I’m aiming for a September or October finish. This piece stitches up pretty quickly, it had only 3 days progress in 2024 and it’s coming along, I’ve got a good start on page 2 of 8.
10. My last WIP-related goal is for ornaments, I have 3 WIPs and I’d like to do another 9, for 12 finishes. The JCS Christmas 2024 issue left me cold, but there’s plenty from the 2023, and older issues, that I’d love to stitch. And I want to do more Halloween ornaments. I don’t really fancy a big Halloween tree, but maybe black garlands for stairway banisters. As for my WIPs, started the last few days in December, clockwise from top is Time for Christmas by Corina Ciocanu, Peace on Earth by Evdokia Nikolaeva, and Christmas Star by Giulia Manfredini. Maybe I can finish these 3 in January. 
11. This goal would be new starts, my one January start will be Winter Bellpull by Stoney Creek, my plan is to work on this for the Calendar SAL with Semisane Stitchers on FB, with a goal of 2k/month, or a block every 2 months, which will enable a December finish. It’s time to finish the seasonal bellpull series!
Plus, there are some others I’d like to start and finish, others maybe not, but this depends on reaching the goals as set out above, finishing certain projects and maintaining good progress on others. Here are some possibilities, clockwise from top left, Yes Virginia by Bygone Stitches, Fairy Idyll by Mirabilia, Home for the Holidays by Stitchworks, Santa of the Forest by Lavender & Lace, Belinda Botonica by Bella Filipina, Blue Christmas Angel by Joan Elliott, and Glory to the Newborn King by Stoney Creek. Photo credits to respective designers.
12. Framing, as always, I have plenty of frames stashed and I really need to increase my output, maybe I can do 1 per month, that would be fantastic.
And now for my January goals:
•3k or finish: Fairy Wind, Father Christmas, Making a Brew, Ornie TBD
•2k: Feather Fairy, Winter Bellpull
•1.25k: Halloween Train, Fourth of July, Mickey Stained Glass, Poltergeist Pirates, St. George & Dragon
Happy Stitching
OhSewCrafty Blog 
Leave a comment