Marching Along

 I am so punny!   LOL.   It has been another good month.  Daylight lasting longer and temps are edging up and I have been able to get my hands in the dirt!  I know yard work is not for everyone but it feeds my soul like stitching feeds so many of us.   I’ve ordered a bunch of bulbs from Breck’s for summer and fall flowers.     I am anxious to get them in the ground and FINISH up my work on the back 40.    I have been bringing home landscaping blocks and stones my son is removing from his yard to finish up my pathway.  

The first weekend of March I was treated to a mini get away at a friend Vicki’s home.  She is a two hour drive so naturally it was an overnight trip.   Her townhome was lovely and we all enjoyed seeing her stitching pieces as well as enjoyed the delicious food and stitching with friends.

My WIPGO goals for March were the best!   I have been lucky with manageable projects being called.   Being my first time doing WIPGO - I think?? - well at least in recent years.   This month, the assignment was to stitch and fully finish two Christmas ornaments and to work 15 days on my hexagon quilt.    I am finding how beneficial it is to be a monogamous stitcher!   Are changes coming to my habits?  

For my first ornament, I used an EGA pattern for this little wreath.   It was stitched  and finished, except for the ribbon trim and twisted cord hanger,  in a day!   My kind of instant gratification.

My second ornament was also just as easy although it took more than one day to stitch.   I am not quite finished but I have until Friday to do so.  This it from Lila's Studio.

As for my hexagon quilt I made even more progress than I had hoped for.   It just took about 18 days of working on it to get the quilt top finished.  As to when I  assemble the ‘quilt sandwich’ and get it going on my machine, well that's a different challenge.     Finishing this up in one month has left me with two blocks now open on my WIPGO board as I had working the Hexagon quilt on the board three times.

Beginning of the month, and end of the project.   It measures 4 foot by 6 foot.   I nice size to snuggle under while watching TV.

I fully finished all the pieces for the Violets & Verses To Emeline Shaker Sampler.

I did the hem stitched to finish off the sampler after I returned home from Tennessee.   

I stitched this up in not much more than a day when I was in Tennessee.  When I returned home, I fully  finished the July Birthstone Thimble box from Noteworthy Needle.

So here comes, by justifiable rational,  a promise quickly broken....    Earlier in the year I spent an afternoon updating my X-Stitch ap and much to my chagrin I found I had an embarrassing number of  FULLY KITTED projects.  I immediately vowed to ONLY stitch from stash.   Talking to fellow stitchers, so many of us are on the same page.  We all have that STABLE  (Stash Total Available Beyond Life Expectancy!)  supply of kits, floss and fabric.   But when in Tennessee, I finished the thimble box, I finished the stitching the Shaker Sampler, I stitched on my canvas piece until I was tired of it and found working on my Hexie quilt was not the easiest traveling piece.  And what to my wondering eyes did appear..... I found myself  in a small little cross stitch shop.   Am I the only one that feels you HAVE to buy something when you visit a new cross stitch store?    I think it was training from my mother.   She wasn’t a stitcher but always felt the need to buy a little trinket, etc. when visiting a little shop.  Oy!  I have already justified the purchase using the small-store-support-theory, using the memory of the trip excuse, blaming my guild because of the need to stitch a Plum Street this year and any other twisted reason so alas, I found a bag in my hand with a chart and fabric as I left the store.  I bought Goodbye Fall from Plum Street.   I DID use my X-Stitch ap to check what floss I already had - I should get a points for that.   Here is my progress.   

I am stitching this on 36-count parchment with the called for WDW and Crescent colors.   I using this as my Thursday morning stitched group project.     I count myself fully justified for the purchase but plan to return to my vow to stitch from stash for as long as I can!    Pretty good that I lasted 8 weeks into the year before I fell off.  Climbing back on the wagon.     I want to work on reducing my WIPs this year and also start working reducing the number of fully kitted projects I have.  It will likely be a several year process to make a dent.  Geez, imagine that, me, another list.  Shocking!

Starting in April,  my stitching will take a back seat to the yard.  The new WIPGO numbers have me starting a wool applique piece and to stitch and finish two bunny rabbit pillows.    I feel like even with being outside more, that I should be able to accomplish both.  

Thanks for stopping by.   I know commenting is not all that easy anymore.  I love reading them when they are posted.  I am checking all your posts and progress out as well but not always able to comment.   I got inventive and posted my comments on some bloggers instagram pages.  And sew it goes….. Keep on stitching…….