January 2013 Progress Report

So, how did I get on with working on my stitching goals last month?  Not quite as well as I'd hoped as I had wanted to finish both the rabbit and the peacock feather and neither are anything like complete yet.=(  Still, I did work on both and the sampler as well.

Embroidery

Finish any current WIPs

* 'Sunshine and Flowers' sampler  about 40% complete from 35% at the beginning of the month  That's OK as this is a big project and, whilst I would have like to have got further along with it, here are beginning and end of the month progress photos to compare:

* Stumpwork rabbit  about 45% complete Again, progressed from about 35% complete and here are the comparison pictures:

* Peacock feather  about 50% done only did one piece of thread on this, not worth photo recapping!!

The next section has been changed a little from the original.  I've added 2 more kits that didn't sell on e-bay sales (hardly surprising as the photos on the kits are AWFUL!), but that I think I'll do after all and changed the overall goal to 8 in the year instead of so many from this section and so many from that.  Less bitty and more room for choice this way.

New projects - aim to complete at least 8 of the following throughout the year

Kits in stock: 

* 'The Farewell' blackwork
* 'The Embroideress' blackwork
* Ribbon embroidery
* Coleshill stumpwork butterfly
* Anchor stumpwork face card
* DMC stumpwork butterfly

* DMC stumpwork dragonfly
* Pearsall's stumpwork poppy

* Liina tablemat
* Design Perfection Red Admiral
* Crown cross stitch (Sir's 14th anniv card??)
* Shoe cross stitch/craft card

Book/magazine projects:

* Tudor Lady cross stitch
* Medieval Lady cross stitch
* Helen M Stevens' butterflies piece (cushion for Lindleys)
* Goldwork insects from the Hazel Everett book

Own Ideas:

* Work from the C&G Level 1 Hand Embroidery syllabus

* " Goldwork syllabus (perhaps with insects as above)

* " Stumpwork syllabus

* TAST design challenges

I'm not starting any of these until at least one WIP is finished!

Sewing I also haven't done any of, but I did delete one project I thought it unlikely I'd get to.

Sewing

* Trial some fancy purses
* Find a use for old bedding - even if I don't do it yet!!
* Camera Case
* Try some dolls house textiles
* Mending and altering

Knitting

* Salmon pink baby jumper  59% complete  from only 5% complete on 1 Jan when I'd just done the back rib and a tiny bit of pattern.  I was delighted to find another ball of the yarn the other day, so I can get on with this one and have a finish that I'm proud of instead of just 'it's OK, I suppose!'

* Chunky jumper for me
* Learn cabling
I'm having some trouble with the other two as the chunky pattern I bought doesn't seem to be for chunky wool at all, but for super chunky, although the needles specified don't match for either weight of yarn.  A bit confusing and also disappointing as I had a specific chunky yarn in mind.  I don't feel experienced enough to adapt the pattern yet.  I haven't had the nerve to start in on the cabling book I borrowed from the library either!  I used to think knitting was such a simple thing...

General

* Be Creative Every Day (challenge page here)  31/365 so far so good!
* Join in 'Art Every Day Month' challenge in November - work the 8 techniques book

Goals for February

* Finish the rabbit

* Finish the feather

* Finish the peach baby knit

* Try some of the cabling pattern samples in the book

* Try some miniature bedding ideas now I've got some fabrics for them

* Get to '50% complete' level on sampler

* Make a start on one or two projects from the embroidery list - when first two on this list are done!

* Continue CED challenge

* Report back on 1 March and continue to post regularly in the meantime - 12 posts in January, which isn't half bad!

What have you done this last month??

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2013