Gifted Gorgeousness SAL - January

The GG SAL also continues in 2018 and once again I will do my best to post every month =) This SAL is (still) hosted by Jo from Serendipitous Stitching (fun fact: Serendipitous is a word I always have to look up, I just can't remember how to spell it). I will put up the link to the link-up here ever month, so you can join the ride or look at the other stitchers progress. Since I am usually quite late for the SAL, there is plenty to see there when I post about it. For example, if you follow this months link-up, you can already find a bunch of entries ;-)

Anyway, for those who don't know about this SAL: Its about sharing your work on projects that were a gift to you (the pattern was a gift, the fabric was a gift, you use gifted threads or so, the whole kit was a gift and so on) or that are meant to be a gift for someone.

My first project I share here is my Map of Middle Earth, the pattern was gifted to me several years ago. I fear I don't remember by whom, but it was part of those Haed Appreciation events on Facebook several years ago. Since I love Lord of the Rings, this was a perfect gift for me and I am working on this since August 2014 now (didn't know it was so long...).

Here is what the design is going to look like:

And here is my starting point for 2018, 43.000 stitches in:

And here is my current progress, 44.000 stitches:

The plan is to add at least 1.000 stitches per month, it doesn't sound like much, but I think it will add up. I did 11.000 stitches last year, so this should be an improvement and to me it sound much more doable to go for 1.000 stitches every month than to go for 2.000 every other month ^^

Then I am also stitching a Christmas stocking for my fiance , which didn't get any love since last month (mostly due to a pair of socks I had to knit for Christmas, which I finished late on the 23rd and gave away early on the 24th - I wrapped it up that morning and didn't get a chance to take a picture - and after that I had just so many other projects). But I hope to share something for next month.

Here is what it should look like - Candy Cane Santa Stocking by Dimensions Gold:

And here is where I currently am:

For those who don't know: My fiance is actually called Alexander, so the picture of the stocking if very accurate ;-) The next goal is to fill in that window section and then move to the section with the rest of the tree =) 

The next project I want to share for this SAL is another gift for my fiance, since he really loves wolves (me too). It's another Dimensions design called "Wolf Kiss":

And here is my starting point for this one:

The pattern has two pages and the line you see indicates how far the first page goes (just did a few stitches on the second page when I had a bit of thread left over). I would be super happy if I could finish that first page this year =).

Which brings us to the new starts for this year.

First is not a real new start, it's a restart. Stupid me managed to start in the wrong direction and so the fabric was to short. I didn't have a heart to restart last year, but I will do so this year! Another wolf design called "In the Moonlight" by Tilton Crafts:

The fabric is already cut and surged, I just need to reprint the first page. I did 3500 stitches last year before I noticed my mistake, so the goal is to catch up to those 3500 and add a few more to it.

The second one is a kit I got for my birthday in 2015 (gift from my fiance). I always said "ok I will stitch this once I am done with wolf kiss" but by now I still not done with wolf kiss and I feel sort of guilty for not starting this, since this is such a beautiful design.

It is a kit by Eva Rosenstand, I am not sure it has a name. I think the kits only have numbers and no names, which is weird (I have a couple of her designs). The thing with Eva Rosenstand is, that the pictures on her kits really don't so the design justice. You look at the picture and you go like "nah, it's okay" and then you look at the price (they are fairly expensive, her kits are easily above 60 Euro (a Dimensions Gold of equal size but in full coverage is mostly about 45 Euro)) and you go like "ok, for this amount of money, I expect something better". I came to really stitch one of her designs by chance, I was looking for a gift and found a small kit featuring a robin, it was on sale and not expensive. you may remember it:

And here is what it looked like when I did it:

I am no expert when it comes to taking pictures, it still look way better in real life, it's really really pretty, the threads the fabric are of high quality, you can feel it and you can see it (in real life), but my crappy picture still looks better than the one on the kit... I think it's a shame...  

Anyway, where I am heading is that I am really looking forward to stitching the owl, my robin sort of prepared me, that it will look amazing. I am sort of excited about the outcome for this one ;-) 

The list might grow - actually, it's my birthday today (another fun fact) and I got a voucher for stitchy stuff from my fiance and my mil (I already call her that, I don't always want to add the "to be") and we will make a trip to a craft shop soon =) so there would be more things to qualify for this SAL!

Big question is: I plan on stitching a ring cushion for our wedding, would this qualify as a gift? I mean it's a cushion for my fiance and me, so it's half a gift :D 

Well, those are my plans for 2018 so far, I am looking forward to a wonderful stitchy year and hope the same for all of you =)

Happy stitching =)

WIPocalypse Kickoff 2018

Hey everyone,
I hope you all made a great start for 2018 and I hope that this year will be full of love, laughter, health and stitchiness for all of us =)

The WIPocalypse - the great quest to finish our projects before the end of our days - continues also in 2018. It is hosted by Measi from Measis Musings and you can find the monthly link-up here.

This post is the kickoff post, where we are to introduce ourselves, projects and goals. After this, the posting will move to the last Sunday of the month (so the next one is on the 27th), instead of moving with the full moon date. I actually like this new schedule, I tend to loose track of the full moon date and the last Sunday is easy to remember und plan. So I hope to be more in time for the posting this month (better not make a goal out of it - I'm sure I'm going to fail sooner or later).

Anyway, I'm going to start with a few words about myself. My name is Johanna and I'm 26 years old (turning 27 this month). I live with my fiance in Kamen, Germany. I am working at the university in Bochum and I am doing my phd in mathematics there. I spent most of my free time stitching, but I also enjoy reading (I go to work by train and spent the time reading). Since I can't read while I stitch, I also listen to audiobooks. I am mostly interested in (high) fantasy and crime novels, but I am always open for new books and I basically read everything ;-)

I did a recap for 2017 in my previous post, therefore I am not going to show pictures of all my projects in this one. I am going to focus on my goals for this year and I think I will also add a new page for WIPocalypse 2018 (if I don't forget about it).

So the first goal I have is one for my focus piece, Kreimhilds Revenge by Howard David Johnson. Actually, there are several smaller goals.
Here is where I will start, at 129 170 stitches:

The first goal is to finish the fourth row of pages. The second one is to hit 150 000 stitches and the third one will be to reach 155 600 stitches (Kreimhild has a total 255 600 stitches, so it will be the 100k-left-to-stitch-mark). I guess I will be happy if I meet goals one and two, but the third one would be great =)

The next goal is for my Supersized Iris Keeper by Josephine Wall. I am currently at 20 080 stitches and there are 4 080 stitches left to finish the first row of pages. I really want to do that. Here is where I currently am:

Next up is my QS Trapped by Melanie Delon:

The first row is not done and that's what I want to do in 2018. It's a half page and a partial page to do, it adds up to 5 200 stitches.

The next goal is for my Gecko Rouge project Sloth by Eya Claire Floyd. The first goal is to finish the first quarter of the design - that's 3560 stitches and should not be to hard to meet. The second one is finishing the top half of the designs - 9 523 stitches. I'm not sure if this will work out, but I will do my best =) here is where I am starting:

Next up are a few projects I want to finish this year:

Hydrangeas by Mill Hill - I already did a few more stitches on it. here is the starting point for 2018:

And I added a few green stitches in the meantime:

Cliffside Beacon by Dimensions Gold petite. I am more than halfway done with this and I think a finish for this one is realistic.

Embroidered Morning by Dimensions - I found it in my cupboard, lol. I absolutely forgot about this WIP! Here is where I am and what it is going to look like:

Since this is not a full coverage, I hope to be able to whip this off the list by 2019. After all, it is really pretty.

I think those are enough specific goals for this year ;-) I have a bunch of other projects, where I just want to spent some time stitching them (so every projects gets a few stitches done). The projects on which I am going to show my progress for WIPocalypse are the following:

Aurora Cabin (Dimensions Gold)
Crossing the Stream (Golden Kite)
Danielle by Sarah Butcher (Haed)
Das Rheingold by Kinuko Craft (Haed)
Miss Christmas Eve (Nora Corbett)
Paris Market (Dimensions Gold)
QS Paddys Luck by Joanna Bromley (Haed)
Starlight by David Hoffrichter (Haed)
Supersized Ride of the Yokai by Ruth Thompson (Haed)
The Eternal Promise by Matt Stewart (Haed)
The Potting Shed by Aimee Stewart (Haed)
Whispers by Melanie Delon (Haed)
Wolf Variant by Bente Schlick (Haed)
Yule Angel by Anne Stokes (Haed)

Which brings us to the plans for 2018! I plan some new starts (not that I need any more projects).
First up is my annual new year start, I started a new Haed on the first of January. It is called "The Silence After" and is by Cris Ortega. I love viking motifs, but they are not that common in case of stitching patterns, so I was extremely happy when this was released last October.
Here is what the pattern is going to look like:

And here is where I am so far - 2 400 of 283 500 stitches:

I am stitching this on 28ct grey Lugana, as you have noticed by now, this is my favorite count ;-)

I must say, that I haven't so carefully planned my new starts this year. I have a few ideas what I want to start, but I didn't fix dates for them.
The first is another Gecko Rouge project: Across Winter Lake by Jo Grundy

I have chosen 25ct Magic Guide for this one, I think I will start this around February because it's a pretty winter design.


I think about starting another Haed, but I am not sure which one.
One would be a Max Color from Heaven and Earth Designs - Birds and Blooms Garden by Aimee Stewart. I think her designs really benefit from the color expanding, they are so full of detail. I'm not sure if I will like so many colors, so I decided to go for a "smaller" design before starting one of her supersized bookshelves (I have the secret garden one). Here is what it should look like:

The second choice might be one Wisdom by Cherie Gerhardt. I love Harry Potter and since I own a bunch of Harry Potter themed needleminders, I feel like I should start a matching project ;-)

I think my house would be Ravenclaw, so this would be the first one for me to start (I own all four designs).
The third choice is another Lord of the Rings/Hobbit shart: Bilbo Baggins by Kate Powell:

I might also start a non-Haed, I have a lot of kits (Dimensions, Marejka, Geckos,..) in my stash and I feel like I should work a bit more on them. But as said above, no concrete plans here, I will keep you up to date =)

The last project I want to show here is no stitching, but stitching related. I finally got around to sewing some covers for my scroll rods. I have done four so far (I need to do one more) and I took a photo of one:

I think the fabric is really pretty, I bought this at Ikea and I am super happy =) I'm not so much into sewing, so I am actually proud that I managed to stick with my sewing machine for a whole day =)

Wow, another super long post, but I think I am done now =) Now I am off to do some stitching on the silence after =)

Happy stitching =)