Turning The Page On 2017

I am so happy that I was able to make all of my goals this year. Although I did not get close to the numbers that I made the last two years, I am still quite pleased with my results. This past year was a very busy one, and as I am no longer working out of the house, I fully suspected that my stitching would slow down a bit. 

I made my unofficial yearly goal with 12 projects stitched. I will be continuing this trend for 2018. I have chosen a Bin O'Shame piece to kick 2018 off with. As of this writing, I have 24 long term UFOs left in said Bin O'Shame. I am wanting to put a serious dent in these in 2018. I have also decided that a page finish for one of my BAPs will count towards the 12 finishes for the year. I have a full half dozen HAEDs started, in addition to Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow to finish. I truly need to put the spurs to those guys! 

At any rate, here is the official 2017 Finish list: 

2017 FINISHES

1. Now I Know My ABC’s (Winter theme) by Blackbird Designs. Finished Friday, January 6, 2017

2. Sew Bands by iStitch Designs. Finished Friday, January 13, 2017

3. Les Grande Pensée excerpt. Finished Friday, January 20, 2017

4.Spring For Rabbits by The Gentle Art Sampler Threads. Finished Sunday, February 12, 2017

5. Teacup Mice by Margaret Sherry. Finished Tuesday, February 14, 2017

6. New Years’ Magic by Brooke’s Books. Finished Thursday, February 23, 2017

7. Les étiquettes des bocaux (Jar Labels) Blue Teacup by Véronique Enginger of Les Brodeuses Parisiennes. Finished Thursday, March 2, 2017

8. Les étiquettes des bocaux (Jar Labels) Yellow Teabag by Véronique Enginger of Les Brodeuses Parisiennes. Finished Friday, March 3, 2017

9. Les étiquettes des bocaux (Jar Labels) Clothespin with Flowers by Véronique Enginger of Les Brodeuses Parisiennes. Finished Friday, March 10, 2017

10. Luck 2017 Flip-It by Lizzie Kate. Finished Sunday, March 12, 2017

11. Now I Know My ABC’s by Blackbird Designs (summer version). Finished Friday, March 17, 2017

12. Basket by Lizzie Kate. Finished Friday, March 24, 2017

13. Love by Lizzie Kate. Finished Sunday, March 26, 2017

14. My Wurk by At The Hop. Finished Thursday, April 6, 2017

15. Buttons and Blooms by Blackbird Designs. Finished Saturday, May 13, 2017

16. Tiny Flag by Shepherd’s Bush. Finished Friday, May 19, 2017

17. Winds of Change by Cross Eyed Cricket. Finished Wednesday, June 21, 2017

18. Summer by The Snowflower Diaries. Finished Friday, June 23, 2017

19. Flags and Friends by Bent Creek. Finished Tuesday, July 11, 2017

20. Strawberries and Cream By Casey Buonaugurio. Finished Sunday July 16, 2017

21. Be Kind and True by Blackbird Designs. Finished Sunday, August 6, 2017

22. Little Sunflower Doodle by SanMan Originals. Finished Wednesday, August 9, 2017

24. All Hallows Eve by Chessie and Me. Finished Monday, September 11, 2017

25. Creepy by SanMan Originals. Finished Tuesday, September 12, 2017

26. 2010 Fright Night Quaker Halloween by SanMan Originals. Finished Sunday, October 15, 2017

27. Boo! by Blackbird Designs. Finished Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

28. Yule by The Primitive Hare. Finished Monday, November 27, 2017

29. Merry One by Plum Street Samplers. Finished Saturday, December 9, 2017

30. Allégresse by Danybrod. Finished Monday, December 25, 2017.

Wishing you guys the happiest of New Years. Happy stitching! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Third Organizational Post For 2015

And possibly final organizational post. 

As I seem to not be feeling well due to various factors (the weather, being female, cursed with hormones) I decided it would be a good time to get organized again and see what was what. Instead of confining myself to just the Bin O'Shame, I have decided to add Leaflet Silo, Kit Mountain and The Library into the mix, because I am seemingly a glutton for punishment. Obvs. (Please bear in mind, that when I took the pictures, these were not taken with any sort of artistic merit in mind. Please also bear in mind that crafting wise, this is my ONLY hobby. I do not sew, nor quilt, scrap, whatever. And this is cultivated over a 20+ year period, so yea, I've got a metric f-ton of stuff). 


In my original post regarding the Bin O'Shame, I began with 89 projects that had been left to sit for whatever reason or another. This year wound up being dedicated to stitching up as many of these as I could before burnout set in. I had an original goal of 25 to start, as I figured that was a goodly sized 'dent' in it. As of today, here is what I have managed to accomplish:

Journey began Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Original Total: 89

Removed 19 for various reasons, leaving 70 as the final total.

As of Friday, September 4, 2015:

35 stitched as of Friday, September 4, 2015

Total Left: 35

Well, that is certainly more than I had bargained for! And hooray for not only making the goal, but going beyond it. As of right now, I do not know if I will stitch anymore from the Bin O'Shame as I am quite burned out on it and none of the projects that are in the  Bin O'Shame are tickling my fancy at the moment. But, hey! Ya neva know! I do know there are a couple of Thanksgiving/Christmas projects in there that could stand some attention. And I may just get frisky and finish those rather than diving into Kit Mountain for those types of projects. 

So, without further ado, here is the before and after Bin O'Shame pictures:

 As of Tuesday, February 24, 2015:

As of Friday, September 4, 2015*:

*Not pictured are three HAED's (QS Maleficent, Treasures SK by Selina Fenech, and Shimmering Night by Ching Chou Kuik). These are packed up for the time being and I will not get to stitch on them any time soon due to time constraints. Although, knowing me, they just might get unpacked and stitched! The one in the bag is Christmas At Hawk Run Hollow, which I have apparently not touched since January of 2014. I should probably get back to that one and at least finish Block Three which has been started already. Still, in all, I made a hell of a lot more progress stitching these than I ever dreamed that I would. Which is a really nice feeling! :)


This then brings us to the 'rest of it'. 'The rest of it' comprising of Kit Mountain, Leaflet Silo and The Library. Kit Mountain is what I refer to as all of the projects that are kitted up and ready to go. It is comprised of the following:

As of Saturday, September 5, 2015:

 116 Projects

Total as of Saturday, October 17, 2015:

113 Projects

Not making any great strides in that area, however, I was concentrating on the Bin O'Shame, so that is no surprise there. This total also includes six HAED's that I will not be getting to any time soon. I find it odd to think that I will probably cull down Kit Mountain at some point, as there are numerous projects that I have no interest in stitching, but the HAED's will probably be stitched at some point. Go figure!

Here is how Kit Mountain is looking as of right now:

These are the HAEDs that await their turn:

In order to work all of these in, I am considering continuing stitching from Bin O'Shame and grabbing a kit out every time I finish something that I stitch from the Bin O'Shame. That way, they both get worked on at the same time. There is also plenty to stitch seasonally, as I am a seasonal type of stitcher for the most part. 

And then, there is Leaflet Silo. This is what I refer to as the bins of leaflets and charts that I have acquired over the years. Some I have purchased from brick and mortar stores, some from online shops, some form eBay and Etsy, and a lot from other stitchers. 

Please note that at this time, I have not taken an inventory of the individual bins or binders to see how many charts there are in each. I am organized, but I am also lazy :P. The contents of the bins are by designer in alpha order. I have a hard time trying to find things when it's done seasonally or by theme. I have found that alphabetical order is what is best for me. 

Here is A-H:

Contents of A-H:

I-Z:

Contents of I-Z:

Last but not least is The Library. The Library consists of the binders that I have created of designs ripped from magazines and charts that I have purchased online, in addition to freebies. It also includes books that I have purchased. For years I had numerous magazines from the US, UK, and France and it just got to be too much. I have broken down the US and UK magazines and have only kept the French magazines and those UK magazines that are rare and hard to find. Right now I have most of the books packed up, but I do have some special ones out in case I get the urge to stitch from them.

The Library- Binder Collection One:

The Library- Binder Collection Two:

The Binder Collection Two contains a binder full of charts and leaflets that are rare and hard to find. I am hoping to stitch out of that binder next year, in addition to stitching from the Bin O'Shame and Kit Mountain. It is a LOT of stuff and a lot to do, but this hobby is just as much about collecting as it is about actually stitching and creating things. 

I have a lot of grand plans for next year's stitching goals and quite honestly, I have no clue if any of them will come to fruition. 2016 should be as interesting a stitching year as 2015 sure as heck has been. 

I had best be off. I think I need a nap after all of this organizing. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

 

A Second Organizational Post

I am not sure about anyone else, however, when I don't feel well and cannot concentrate on stitching, there are times when I clean and organize. This was one of those times. I conducted an inventory on not only the Bin O'Shame as it is now, but those bins that have things kitted up and are waiting to be stitched. I figured that I was due for one in the five months since the first organizational post back in February. 

In that post, I had the following in the Bin O'Shame:

38 in the Small Bin O'Shame 

38 in the large Bin O'Shame 

11 in their own storage bins, 6 of those are Heaven and Earth Designs of various sizes and starts. :)

One queued up in my desk.

One in the Q-Snaps.

Total: 89.

Some of the projects were removed for various reasons such as re-stitching on a different fabric or I had lost the chart (more than likely as not I probably gave it away!). This left a total of about 81 or so projects that needed to be stitched up. I had set a goal for myself to stitch 25 of these projects before the end of the year. I accomplished that goal on Saturday, July 25, 2015 by completing the project that was to have been my father's 51st birthday gift.  Since then, I have completed one more and I am hoping to get to 30 before the end of the year. I have set aside those projects that could conceivably be stitched within the next 154 days. If I do not manage to make that goal, I am ok with that, as I managed to get the original 25 completed. Anything else is icing on the cake. :)

At this moment in time, here is what I have managed to accomplish from Tuesday, February 24, until today, Thursday, July 30, 2015:

As of Tuesday, July 28, 2015:
Original Total: 89
Removed 7 for various reasons, leaving 81 as the final total. 
26 stitched as of Friday, June 26, 2015.
Total Left: 56



Total stitched from both Bin O’Shame and Non Bin O’Shame finishes: 36 as of Saturday, July 25, 2015.

Then, naturally, being the glutton for punishment that I apparently am, I took inventory of the projects that I have kitted up and ready to go. I literally had no clue that is was this bad. I am seriously considering going through them again, and weeding some out. This obsession/hobby/addiction that I have has become totally out of bounds. Case in point: 

24 in small bin #1

17 in small bin #2

13 in small bin #3

31 in large blue bin

Total: 85

HAEDs kitted up and ready to go: 7

Combined total: 92

Combined total with Bin O'Shame projects: 148



*THUD*

I could stop buying things now and would never run out of stuff to stitch. I really should be ashamed of myself, but oddly I am not. I really am hoping to stitch at least a good portion of this mess I have gotten myself in. Next year, I am sincerely hoping to accomplish the following:

1. Pare down the Bin O'Shame projects down even more. Although I am rapidly running out of projects that will be quick to finish up, I would like to see at least 10 more gone from that bin. (I'd be even happier if I could get it down to just the HAEDs I have started!). 

2. Begin wading through the ones that are waiting to be stitched. There is no way on the face of God's green earth I am going to get 148 finished up in even 2 years, but a small dent would be nice. 

3. Stitch the following project from the Holding Pattern Bin:

A. Lady of the Flag by Mirabilia

B. Nautical Map by Maria Diaz

C. Flapper Lady by Joan Elliott

D. Fairy Tale Castle (Neuschwanstein) by Sheila Hudson

E. Any of the Primitive Needle OOP/Rare charts that I have

F. Any of the Prairie Schooler patterns that I have

The next few stitching years should be fairly interesting, to say the least. I know that if I do not get serious with paring down soon, I will *have* to do it within the next couple of years. I'm not getting any younger, and one must be realistic about these things. I will probably wait until I get another urge to paw through stash again. Then I suppose I need to figure out if I am going to sell through my blog or just have contests. So, watch this space! :D

Well, I had best be off. Tons of stuff to do. Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C.