A-Z of WIPs Challenge 2024 - A and B

Good afternoon!

The A-Z of WIPs Challenge 2024 is a new little SAL being attempted by Serendipitous Jo and myself to stitch our way through our alphabet of WIPs at two/three per month, starting with A and B in January and finishing with Y and Z in December. It's a way of ensuring some of our WIPs receive at least a couple of hours attention this year!

Jo will be using the three days of IHSW for this challenge whereas I'll stitch earlier in the month, for two days on each, but post with Jo after IHSW. Jo's post is here.

So here are my A and B for January:

A is for... Let's Breeze Into Autumn, a 'Words' design by Ursula Michael, stitched on Shades of Autumn aida

Started November 2020 - last worked on April 2023.

On these Words charts, I like to stitch the easy bits first, so that's what I mostly concentrated on over the two days. The main words will probably be stitched last.

Stitching time to date - 11 hours 20 minutes

B is for... Basket Case, a Little Black Cat design by Toni Goffe for Heritage Crafts.

Started May 2020 - last worked on April 2023.

I genuinely can't wait to get to the wicker basket, but first there are hours of blue background to stitch so, once I'd stitched the picture frame, that's what I did. Next time I pick this up, I might fill in the picture.

Stitching time to date - 7 hours 55 minutes

I love how much progress can be made in a few hours, and how that progress is really noticeable. I am not planning on working on either again this year, so back into the WIP box they go.

Next month C and D.

Take care,

Rachel x

Spring Into Summer New Start Binge - #6 Basket Case

Hello all!

So it's now week six of this new start madness Tiff and Annie and I are undertaking to replace what would have been the Tokyo Olympic Stitching Challenge. That challenge was to start 17 new projects during the 17 days of the Olympics but, with the Olympics being postponed, the challenge is to now start 17 projects over the 17 weekends in April to July.

So far it has not been smooth sailing, with colour, frog and fabric issues, but those hitches haven't dented our spirit to carry on.

Last week I mentioned I was torn between a cat or mouse as my next new start. Nobody commented they would like to see the mouse, so the cat it was. Unfortunately, due to the size of the cat compared to the complete picture it will be a long time before the cat (what there is of it!) actually appears, but the thought is there.

This week's start, then, is Basket Case by Heritage Crafts.

It's based on the Little Black Cat artwork of Toni Goffe, some of whose work I have already stitched:

Although it's full coverage I decided to stick with the same fabric I used for Cream, Coffee, Sugar and Tea above. Here's my progress over the weekend. Nothing exciting to see so far but at least there's more than one colour - just!

Basket Case by Heritage Crafts

Stitched on 32ct Light Blue murano evenweave

Stitching time to date - 2 hours 45 minutes

I really really don't want to put this one down, but away it must go if I've got any chance of completing this month's 'compulsory' stitching.

Next week I'll be starting number two in the series featuring a certain bear of very little brain.

Take care,
Rachel x

Little Black Cat Tea - finished; all 4 Little Black Cats framed

Hello all!

Another month and another finish to show you from DSDUCFC 2015. This is finish number 32/59 and the final Little Black Cat to accompany the previously-completed Coffee, Cream and Sugar.

At the end of August I still had the bottom third to stitch:

Which has now been completed to look like this:

Little Black Cat - Tea

Heritage Crafts designed by Toni Goffe

Stitched on 32ct Light Blue Murano evenweave 2 over 2

Stitch count 68 wide by 68 high
Started - 23rd February 2015
Finished - 11th September 2018
Total stitching time - 31 hours 15 minutes

Here are all four Little Black cat pieces together:

But that's not all... they have all been framed too! It took a while to find the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement, but may I introduce....

Cream

Cream and Coffee

Cream, Coffee and Sugar

Cream, Coffee, Sugar and Tea

And in their frame:

The frame is from my usual easyframe.co.uk and is a 13mm black paint frame with a black bottom mount, sun red top mount and acrylic anti-reflective glazing. It wasn't easy choosing mount colours for these designs, as creams and blues also looked very effective, but somehow this combination stood out to me as more fun than the other options. I really really like it.

So that also means four less pieces in my Box of Shame, not that Tea actually made it in there since he was finished, ironed and framed almost immediately!

More finishes and framing still to come in the last few months this year...

Take care,
Rachel x

August Progress on 2015/2016 Challenge Pieces

Hello there!

So we're now 2/3rds of the way through the year and I'm slowly but surely keeping up with making progress on some of the pieces I started for Debbie's Challenges back in 2015 and 2016.

During August I finished Summer from The Four Season (posted previously) and made progress on:

Pretty Little Paris by Satsuma Street
started 19th February 2015; last worked on last month
finished Notre Dame, added the trees on the left and started the bridge
(much better representation of fabric colour)

Little Black Cat - Tea by Heritage Crafts
started 23rd February 2015; last worked on in December 2016
filled in some of the background
(much better representation of fabric colour)

In September I plan to finish Tea, make more progress on Pretty Little Paris and bring the final Lizzie Kate Seasonal Alphabet out of its bag for some much needed attention. Fingers crossed.

Take care,

Rachel x

Sugar - finished

Hello all!

So this is finish number 32 out of 59 from Debbie's Super Duper Ultimate Crazy January February Challenge (DSDUCJFC) 2015. He's the third of the four in this Little Black cat set, being a companion for Coffee and Cream. Only Tea left to finish, which will be later this year.

Last month, he was up to here with only a little more to stitch:

And after that final bit of stitching:

Little Black Cat - Sugar

Heritage Crafts designed by Toni Goffe

Stitched on 32ct Light Blue Murano evenweave 2 over 2

Stitch count 68 wide by 68 high
Started - 16th February 2015
Finished - 12th June 2018
Total stitching time - 29 hours 30 minutes

I have already purchased the multi-aperture frame into which the four pieces are to be displayed, but will only frame them once they are all complete and I can work out which piece looks best in which position; I'd hate to frame the three so far only to find the fourth looks wrong!

In the meantime, I'm not exactly lacking in other WIPs to be getting on with!

Take care,
Rachel x

May Progress on 2015/2016 Challenge Pieces

Hello there!

May has been and gone (I swear each month goes quicker than the last) so it's time for my monthly progress report on outstanding WIPs started back in 2015/2016. Remember that my aim is to finish one and work on two more each month.

I finished the adorable Spotted Owls (posted previously) and made progress on:

Sugar from the Little Black Cat collection by Heritage Crafts

started 16th February 2015; last worked on last month
stitched only the background (mind-numbingly easy but what a difference!)

Summer Alphabet by Lizzie Kate
started 12th January 2016; last worked on February 2016
continued alphabetically

If all goes well in June, Sugar will be finished, Summer Alphabet continued, and a WIP pulled out which I haven't worked on since the day I started it back in Febuary 2015.

Take care,

Rachel x

PS if you're wondering what's happened to Haunted House Bell Pull, I've had no free time to work on it in the last two months. :(  Fingers crossed that will change in June.

April Progress on 2015/2016 Challenge Pieces

Hello there!

April has flown past already so let's see so where the month took me regarding my outstanding WIPs started back in 2015/2016. Remember that my aim is to finish one and work on two more each month.

I successfully finished (and framed) Canal Crossing (posted previously) and made progress on:

Spotted Owls by from the Young'uns collection by Gloria and Pat
started 21st February 2015; last worked on last month
finished the owls, added backstitching to leaves and branch

Sugar from the Little Black Cat collection by Heritage Crafts
started 16th February 2015; last worked on December 2015
finished the cat, most of the sugar and started the background

In May I aim to finish Spotted Owls and make further progress on Sugar and another project from my remaining WIPs.

Take care,

Rachel x

Little Black Cat Cream - finished

Hello all!

So this is finish number 22 out of 59 from Debbie's Super Duper Ultimate Crazy January February Challenge (DSDUCJFC) 2015 and a companion for Coffee which I finished in March

At the end of June I left Cream with only a little left to do:

Five hours later, thanks to there being a couple of good tennis matches on at Wimbledon, he was all finished:

Little Black Cat - Cream

Heritage Crafts designed by Toni Goffe

Stitched on 32ct Light Blue Murano evenweave 2 over 2

Stitch count 68 wide by 68 high
Started - 9th February 2015
Finished - 8th July 2017
Total stitching time - 29 hours

(estimated 31 hours)

The remaining two in the series, Tea and Sugar are not planned for finishing this year but will be completed in 2018. So for the time being Cream becomes an additional piece in my Box of Shame. At least I know it won't stay in there forever though.

Now back to seeing how much more progress I can make on my other pieces. The Red Foxes are calling me!

Take care,
Rachel x

June Progress on 2015/2016 Challenge Pieces

Hello all!

Time for another month-end round up on the progress I've made on my Challenge WIPs. My plan for June was to finish one piece and work on three more. And, true to form, I succeeded yet again!

I finished Gryffindor (posted previously) and worked on:

Cream by Toni Goffe for Heritage Crafts

started 9th February 2015; last stitched on May 2017
continued the background and stitched some of the spilled cream

Red Foxes from the Young-uns Collection by Gloria and Pat
started 14th February 2015; last stitched on May 2017
actually started the first of the red foxes and really did not want to put this one down!

The Lock from the Silhouettes range by Heritage Crafts
started 17th February 2015; not stitched on since then
filled in some of the sky at the top and the lock on the right

So overall another month of keeping to my plans and making good progress.

July plans are to finish Cream and work on three more (again). I really do sound like a broken record but why alter plans that are giving me the monthly finishes and progress I crave?

Take care,

Rachel x

May Progress on 2015/2016 Challenge Pieces

Hello all!

It's the end of the month so time for another update on my Challenge WIPs. My plan for May was to finish one piece and work on three more. And I succeeded. Again!

I finished Dreaming of Dolphins (posted previously) and gave attention to the following three:

Gryffindor by Theworldinstitches (etsy)

started 4th February 2015; last stitched on April 2017

filled in the lion, so just the name banner to do now

Cream by Toni Goffe for Heritage Crafts

started 9th February 2015; last stitched on April 2017
worked my way down, filling in the background and continuing  the cream pot
(and I gave the cat his eyes!!)

Red Foxes from the Young-uns Collection by Gloria and Pat
started 14th February 2015; not stitched on since then
finished the rocks and greenery, although ironically haven't started the red foxes themselves!

Once again I'm happy with my progress for the month, finding that finishing one project and changing the others every week or so is really keeping my interest up. For those of you familiar with the term I suppose it's a bit like Turtle Trot..... but on speed!

In June, keeping to my plan, I aim to finish Gryffindor and work on three more WIPs.

Take care,

Rachel x

April Progress on 2015/2016 Challenge Pieces

Hello all!

It's the end of the month so time for another update on my Challenge WIPs. My plan for April was to finish one piece and work on three more. And I succeeded!

I finished The Milk Train (posted previously) and gave attention to the following three:

Dreaming of Dolphins from Cross Stitch Collection March 2001

started 7th January 2015; last stitched on March 2017

worked on the final dolphin - not much left to go on this now

Gryffindor by Theworldinstitches (etsy)

started 4th February 2015; last stitched on March 2017

continued filling in the background and started the lion

Cream by Heritage Crafts

started 9th February 2015; last stitched on June 2015
started working my way down, filling in the background
(note to self... please give the cat his eyes!!)

In May I aim to finish Dreaming of Dolphins and work on three more WIPs. I may also reach the 10 hour mark on one or both of two new starts, depending on how I divide my time between each project. As always, I have an exciting and variable month of stitching ahead!

Take care,

Rachel x