Updates of current WIPs, new start bugs and 14 days challenge (lots of pics, be aware lol)

Hi folks

Where have my January gone?  I still cannot believe today is the last day of January. How time flies! Looking back at my stitching this month, I have a few things to confess. And I thought you guys might interested in listening to how naughty I am. Yes, I'm not a discipline stitcher! I just know that!

Remember in my last post, I was talking about my two ultimate goals: finish what I haven't accomplish in last year's goal and one finish-one new start rule. Lemme tell ya, it's not as easy as it said.

On January 2, I hit the first finish of the year/first goal which is to finish Autumn Fairy by Love Thy Thread. So here she is:

I cannot tell you how excited I am. And as a crazy woman, I ran off to pick my reward. Yup, what else? A new start! I was lucky enough to be RAk'd by a stitching fellow on FB on my birthday last year a chart called "A Journey Home" by Kai (HAED). In case you want to see how it looks:

I and her made a decision to leave the background off and only stitch the black shadows, the moon and some moutain details. Yes, make use of hand dyed fabric. Here is my wee start, first row of 10x10 across the chart:

I put it down to rotate my giant wips and haven't pull it out then. My first WIP of January is "Dead Hearts" by Color Cascade Designs. Here is Before-After pic (2 pages done)

I then continue my journey with one of my late new start last year, Messing About by Chris Dunn (Paine Free Crafts Designs), I have page 2 and 3 done.

Then I move on to stitch a Sampler called Rose by Northern Expression Needleworks. There are many lovely charts on her Etsy store so make sure you check them out here. She used silks in most of her model chart, in this case she used Dinky Dyes. I don't have them in hands so I dyed my own cotton flosses to interpret my feeling for it ^_^
Here is her model chart:

Here is my interpretation with my flosses:

I thought I should finish it but my bug left me behind with bunches of frogs. As a result, I had to put it away and started something smaller to gain back my spirit. I chose "Endearing Love" from T.A. Smith Designs for the upcoming Valentines. Please check her out as well, she is a new designer with lovely samplers. Many options to personalize your project! Again, I didn't follow the floss guide instruction, I believe it called for Dinky Dyes, I switched to my own silks from Valentines Collection.
Here is her model stitching:

Here is my interpretation: stitched over 2 full cross on 32 count hand dyed fabric by Silkweaver "Autumn Sunrise". Yup it's a new start, I broke the rule but I finished it lmao

After finishing this piece, I suddenly feel lost. I thought I could have some kind of spirit to make progress on previous WIPS but I was so wrong. It took me 3-4 days of thinking, frustrating, and squeezing my brain to figure out what I want to stitch. Those days were painful. I felt guilty and frustrated for not being able to have any stitching done. But at the same time, none wips make me want to pick up. For a moment, I thought oh maybe that's it, I have stitching depression/withdrawals. Maybe I won't stitch again!

So on a snowy stormy Saturday, I decided to pack up all my stitching projects. Yup, you hear me correctly, I was that close lmao! While gathering all the wips I have to put them in the drawer, I found my long lost wips of "Ryo" by Haruyo Morita and "Impossibilium" by Aimee Steward (both charted by HAED). They were used to remain as UFOs.... A lightning strikes through my brain, my eyes suddenly become as bright as light bulbs and flames and smokes come out of my ears. I looked exactly like having an electric shock ROFL!

I picked up Ryo. And I realized that the very last time I touched it was back to 2013! I remember putting away all of the threads and used up for other projects. So I spent a day sorting the threads on pako again, put her on the frame and stitch away. After 2-3 days, I have another page done on her, it's pretty much just a background page, nothing confetti, so it was easy stitching. My aim this year, again, is to finish the first row, so if I can stick to it, I think I can do it.
Here how she should look like:

Here is my current progress: Page 1&2 done

After Ryo, I picked up "Impossibilium" (Finished designs is 400 x 721). Again, it's an UFO, I once mentioned that I didnt like the fabric I chose, which was 32 count linen, that's why I put it away.
Here is how it should look like:

Here is first few rows I stitched last year on 32 count:

I tried to continue stitching on the same fabric but the holes are too small and with even tent stitching, it's way too bulky and gave me a hard time pulling needle (size 28 petite) through. So after many thoughts, I decided to cut everything off (1600 stitches done on it). It's a hard decision but I know I couldn't continue stitching like that, it will take forever and I will not be happy. Yup, chop chop. And Start all over again. My favorite fabric to stitch is 28 count lugana. However, at the moment I decided to start all over, I didnt want to spend time griding the fabric. So I decided to use 25 count Magic guide (yup lazy woman!). Here how it looks! Tell me what ya think?

I love the result on it personally. Partially because of the nightmare 32 count gave me. Having said that, it really gives me a boost and my new start itch on 25 count magic guide. So I ran to the craft room, pulled out all my stash and picking up my favs and start cut fabrics... I know, my hubby said I looked like a hungry wolf! And yup, now I confess it, many new starts to come ROFL! At least my stitching bug is back! On a side note, all of the charts I picked are Giant BAPs...I think I'm crazy. But it makes me happy! Boo all the guilty feelings! It's the hobby after all and hobby supposed to make you happy and less stressful. So ya...who care >_> (well sometimes I do but come on lol)

HAED also offered 50% winter stash enhancement sale, so...in my roll of craziness, I bought quite a few.

To the end of my earth

Yexian Festival Nights (Mun Law)

Last Leaves

Spring and Autumn Dreams (Joanna Brombley)

Magic Musical Box (Walls)

Resting Fawn (Bromley)

Moonlit Awakening (Walls)

Some places for me

Long Fellow House

Only after I bought, I then realized they are all BAPs >_< I need nine lives more! Then then...to add in my guiltiness, I bought 2 minis, in a hope that i can finish at least one HAED this year.

Mini Rose Trellis Inn (Spangler)

Mini It's good to be green (Spangler)

So I decided, once i finish the first page of Impossibilium and another page of Ryo, I will declare 14 days challenge. And my aim is to stick to Mini "It's good to be green". There are 6 full pages and 3 partial pages in this chart. Call me crazy but let's see how far I can accomplish!

I also bought a few charts from Eclectic Bloke Designs by lovely Neil Bray. He is such a brilliant man! Check him out! He told us he lost his battles with cancer but it doesn't stop him from charting and carry on his dream. I love him for that.

Alien Detectives (Aly Fell)

The Morrigan (Ally Fell)

And I was RAk'd by one and only Alicia Crafty Princess:

Absinthe Fairy (Fell)

Overall, I had quite a crazy January with different emotions for my stitching. And I feel such a relief typing all these crazy things out here to share with you all.

Tell me what you think!

xoxo