A new year, a new WIPocalypse

 A new year with all its possibilities and a new WIPocalypse with all its possibilities.  Before I get into the WIPocalypse posting, a catch-up on what I've been doing the last week or so.

I have my first finish for 2021!!  This is Temperature Tree by Stitchin' Mommy on Etsy:

This is done on 18-count Light Oatmeal Fiddlers - the color is blown out for some reason - with the called for DMCs.  I'm planning to do one for 2021, but need to get floss for the trunk.  I used 3882 for this one, but you can't get it anymore and I don't have two skeins of any browns in my stash (??? how did that happen) so a quick pick-up order to Michaels when I have some more things to get.  

I mentioned in my last post that I was going to start Heirloom Christmas Sampler by The Victoria Sampler. 

 I started at the center top and as you can see from the cover photo, that means The Tree!

I'm stitching this on 28-count Platinum Cashel in the Victorian Rose (roses and teals) colorway.  I bought the silk and beads accessory pack so it's the called for fibers. I could not get the perle accessory pack so will be using DMC perle #8 in white.  Other than being backstitch, once I got past the top five or so branches the stitching was rather enjoyable.  There are more presents and some backstitching to do to finish this band but that should go fairly quickly.

My New Year's Eve start was Amy Cann 1831 from Hands Across the Sea Samplers.  

This is so not my normal style (although I'm not sure what my normal style really is), but the color palette caught my eye and there are no people (people on samplers are a real turn-off for me).   I'm stitching her on 40-count Vanilla Latte from Fabrics by Stephanie with the called for NPIs.  I had planned to stop stitching at midnight but I had a rhythm going on the border and when I finally stopped stitching it was 1:45 AM, so first stitches of 2021.  I didn't finish the border but decided I would on New Year's day.  I had a major PHEW!! moment when the ends matched up:

And here's the closed border:

The actual fabric color is closer to what is showing in the model picture.  The called for fabric is Vintage Strawflower from Lakeside Linens which has a pinkish tint on my monitor and my fabric definitely leans cream/tan.

After I finished the border, I put Virginia - A Cumberland County Inspiration by Heart's Ease Examplar Workes on the frame: 

Despite having a person on it, EVERYTHING about this sampler appeals to me.  I'm stitching her on 40-count Biscotti from Colour and Cotton (the called for is Vintage Meadow Rue from Lakeside Linens) with (mostly) the DMC conversion.  I say "mostly" because there were several colors that converted to the same DMC.  As I wanted the more subtle color shading, I bought the NPIs for them.  There was another hold-my-breath moment on this:

but it matched up and I got all three layers done and a little bit of the dogwood branch.  I normally start in the upper left corner and while I'm usually very confident in my counting/measuring, I wanted to make sure it fit my fabric.  I bought a fat half but the edges are a bit wonky so I didn't want to just measure in 2" and start - so I started at the top middle.  There is a main vine that defines the entire border, but I'm afraid if I stitch it first I'll get discouraged seeing how big it is (441x535) and how little I have done.   

Well, so far, this has been as long as a normal blog post and I still need to do my WIPocalypse introduction.  

was started 10 years ago by Melissa at Measi's Musings.  If you click on the icon above, it should take you to the 2021 page and from there you can get to her blog (or check her out on FlossTube).  The idea was to stitch all those WIPs before the world ended - little did we know it wouldn't be in 2011....  Well, the world didn't end and my WIPs weren't finished and I just added another six, so another year of WIPocalypse works just perfectly for me.  The idea is to put some time into those pieces that aren't so bright, shiny and new (darn those designers - they do seem to be upping their games) and then post on the last Sunday - or there 'bouts - of each month.  No weekly or monthly challenges, no time requirements, no tracking, just stitching or knitting or crochet or whatever your crafts are.  And, if you're at a loss for words, Melissa gives us writing ques each month.  This is our introductory post, so it's to introduce ourselves and our 2021 plans, so....

I'm Susan, I live in northern, central Virginia - almost exactly halfway between Richmond and Fredericksburg.  I am a writer/editor for the US Department of Agriculture and usually work in Washington, DC although I have been blissfully working from home since March.  I share the house with The Hubs and three cats.  I am a solitary stitcher more by of circumstance (When I'm in the office, I have a rather long commute 2-1/2 hours each way - that doesn't leave any time for outside activities during the week and pushes all the stuff that normally gets done during the week into the weekend) than choice.  I have been doing some form of needlework since I was 4 or 5 - anyone remember stitching cards?  My mom taught me to do stamped cross stitch (I did a set of tea towels for my Grandmother when I was in 1st grade) and then embroidery.  I remember the phone call 35 or so years ago when Mom said she'd picked up a kit and had I ever tried counted cross stitch?  Thanks Mom...:-)  I have tried lots of other crafts over the years, yarn is trying to take over right now, I taught myself to crochet two years ago and dusted off my near non-existent knitting skills the beginning of 2020, but there is always a cross stitch piece on the frame (I am a scroll rod/frame stitcher - I have a Needlework System 4 stand that I absolutely love).  I suspect crochet and knitting will become commute crafts once I'm back in the office - right now they are sharing the time with my cross stitch.  As you can see above, I tend to stitch BAPs (if you're new those are big a$$ed projects) so don't have a lot of finishes in any given year.  I put together my 2021 stitching plan a few weeks ago - you can see it up in the WIPocalypse Projects and 2021 Stitching Plan tab at the top of the page AND THEN!! Wednesday, I got a text from my niece saying their adding a little to the family in August!!  Yep, Grady's going to be a big brother.  Such great news and so excited.  So, my stitching plans are changing or they will once we find out what this little is as I'll need to get a Christmas stocking stitched.  

If you read through all of this - thank you.  My normal posts aren't this long, although I don't think I've done a normal post in several years.  Hope to see you all in the WIPocalypse check-ins and looking forward to seeing all your progress this year.