is hosted by Melissa at Measi's Musings and is a low stress SAL designed to help work through the stack of WIPs that seem to plague many stitchers. I have been participating in this SAL since 2012 and it has really helped me focus on not just my WIPs but my stash in general. This month's topic is to introduce ourselves, what projects we're working on and any goals we have. A good part of me is listed up there in the "about me" block. I do live in central Virginia - if you are familiar with the area I am almost exactly half-way between Richmond and Fredericksburg - and work in Washington, DC. Because of that commute (which takes about 2-1/2 hours between driving, walking, waiting and train riding), I don't have a lot of stitching time during the week - I used to stitch on the train, but it has gotten too crowded to do it comfortably. My schedule is changing a bit this year as I will be working from home three days a pay period (covers two weeks) and have every other Friday off, so I am hoping that once I get settled into it, my stitching time will increase. I am fortunate that I have almost the entire weekend for stitching during the winter - it's just The Hubs and me so I don't have to worry about ferrying children hither, tither and yon, a regular feeding schedule or a lot of housework (although we do seem to have an awful lot of dirty dishes for just two people). We do have a boat that lives in Virginia Beach, so summer weekends are not as available but I deal with it okay. I have been stitching for as long as I can remember. I started with lacing cards and worked into surface embroidery, candlewicking and crewel. I dipped into needlepoint for a while but one evening my mother asked if I had ever tried counted cross stitch. As I hadn't and she said I should - well that was the start of all this craziness. I have a habit of picking BAP or HAP (big a$$ projects and hug a$$ projects respectively) and don't stitch as fast as I think I do, hence the 27 WIPs and 5 project rotation (although some of that is attributable to stitcher's ADD). I also do a lot of reading (my Kindle is my best friend), paper crafting and have just started back into knitting and quilting - because I didn't have enough to fill my time.I currently have eight pieces on my WIPocalypse list, they are all listed with current photos in the WIPocalypse &YOTA project list and 2015 stitching plans tab up top. I would like to finish or make significant progress on all of them. I think I will be able to finish: Santa's Magic, Secret Victorian Garden, Holly and Hearts Sampler, Spring in the Air, Christmas Presence and Santa and the Mouse. Finishing Elegant Doily is a possibility this year but not one that I am making any bets on and Shakespearean Fantasy will be a finish in 2025 or so.
As it has worked for me in the past, I will continue with my rotation, although I may go OAAT (one at a time) as I get close enough to a finish that I don't want to stop stitching a piece. So, the plan for 2015 is:
Rotation:
One week, Saturday through Friday, for each piece. The HAEDs will be stitched on my compressed Fridays rotating amongst themselves. Sunday mornings will be reserved for smalls or ornament stitching.
Upon completion:
- Secret Victorian Garden will be replaced with a randomly drawn Chatelaine WIP
- Holly and Hearts will be replaced with Ink Circles' 99 (I promised DNephew)
- Santa's Magic will be replaced by Lavender & Lace's Santa of the Forest and then Mirabilia's Winter White Santa (I am not sure if this slot will become a random Christmas one or disappear)
- Spring in the Air will be replaced with a randomly drawn Just Nan
- Elegant Doily will be replaced with a randomly drawn WIP
- There is no replacement plan for the HAEDs. As Santa and the Mouse and Christmas Presence are finished their time will be devoted to Shakespearean Fantasy.
8 comments:
It was so nice to learn a little more about you Susan. Your goals sound great. I'm a Whatever kind of stitcher.
Linda
These are great projects. Like me you prefer the really big projects to stitch. I will also start some new ones this year. Good luck with your rotation.
Excellent choices. I love your elegant doily and Secret Victorian Garden. Can't wait to see more of them this year :)
Wow, that is a lot of big projects. Look forward to seeing your progress.
CJ
I love your WIPs and I'm really looking forward to seeing some of them finished. You're doing really well with sticking to your rotation :)
I'm terrified of HAEDs, because I'm so bad with my rotation and I'm pretty sure that I'll never finish them (heck, I can't seem to get my TWs finished either!).
Since I live in Durham and my sister lives in Gaithersburg (she's also a fed-employee, though works in the boonies), I routinely do the NC-MD/DC drive, so I will virtually wave to you when I do the drive through. Incidentally, I lived in Midlothian for just under a year (my father is still there, though we're pretty much estranged) when I was a kid.
It is nice to know a bit more about you ;)
I love your list! Really looking forward to seeing how they turn out.
That's a long commute! Mine used to be one hour there and one hour back. Long enough to stitch and chat.
You have some great WIPS on your list, I shall look forward to seeing them grow this year.
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