April 2025

I hope all had a lovely Easter.   I hosted two of my three children and grandkids for egg hunts and dinner.  We had a good dinner and great fun and laughter around the table.  My Boston daughter stayed in Boston which I understand.   It’s a long drive for a Sunday dinner.   

How wonderful this community is.   I heard from many that have faced the same feelings of being overwhelmed by all the things.   All the things stitchy that is.    So many patterns, so many projects, so many ideas, so many starts, so hard to decide what to work on.   Something new always popping up or a ‘friend’ convincing you that you need to participate in something.  I mean really, if this is my only worldly problem…..I need to get over it.  I just need to put myself on a better stitchy path and I think that means giving up on WIPGO, at least for now.  It has worked well for me for the last two years.  But now, instead of giving me direction each month, it has been giving me stress.  Again, if this is the only worry I have in the world then I need just more on.  March is in the rearview mirror.    No looking back, it is behind me!  

So what have I been up to?  The last weekend in March, I was in Berlin, MD at Salty Yarns for my semi-annual Guild Retreat.   Always a favorite retreat because I get to chat and stitch with friends that I usually only see during a meeting or on Zoom.  You can’t be talking during a meeting, or at least you are not suppose to.  (Pet Peeve of mine - the talkers during meetings.)   I shared an AB&B with 3 friends.    It was an inexpensive weekend until check out time at the register at Salty Yarns but that was not bad either.  I only bought these two patterns which both have caught my eye for some time.  From WTNT I bought Spring Fling.   I have liked this since I first saw even though there is a lot of white.   I got the “In The Pink” fabric too.    

I also bought Sampler Band Pumpkin from Samplers Revisted.   I have had my eye on this one too since released.  Nothing in my WIP basket was grabbing my attention so I did start this piece.    Since it is on Aida, it will be easy to see regardless of the lighting.   I know I shouldn’t have a new start but I really have refrained and have knocked down the number of WIP’s the last two years from 28 to 6.   This will be my take-a-long piece.   Totally justified and absolutely no will power on my part,

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Progress after two Thursdays stitching days

Either I am getting more selective or I have ALL the patterns but I am finding it harder and harder to find things to buy!  How can that be?   It is certainly not how it used to be - putting everything that caught my fancy in my bag.   Many of those purchases are still pristine in their original packaging.   So since I ‘had’ to buy something, these two made the cut. Anyway, good times, good food, good fun, great friends.  

Turn around and the first weekend of April, I was back at Salty Yarns for my first Remote Stitchers Retreat.  I stayed at a friends condo so this weekend was even less expensive.  Again, all the good things.  So thankful to have my stitching and stitching friends to keep myself positive during trying times.  One of the stitchers lead a peyote class.  And who had a kit in their stash?  Me!   This is Home of the Brave from Fern Ridge.   I have done two peyote pieces before but, trust me, I am still in need of help getting started.     Now I just need to dedicate an evening to finishing this up….especially before I forget what I was doing.   I’ve got 36 of 46 rows done.  

For the two weekend Retreats, I took easy things to work on.  I needed to do the nun stitch on the logo project and needed to do the backstitching on the friendship basket piece to get ready to fully finish it.   These were great projects to work on at retreat weekends.  Great use of time without having to following a pattern.   All necessary stitching and easy to chat while doing and easy to do in the evenings.

   Finished Thread Bed book after Guild class

I have been enjoying looking at all the greenery and blooming in the yard.  So far, the weather has not cooperated or the urge has not hit me yet to be out there putzing about.   I think I am becoming a Gnetlewoman Gardener! 

So far no big yard plans for this year.   I think I am over big yard projects.   Operative word being ‘think’ because one never knows what crazy idea will manifest in my mind.

I have started heading to my sewing machine the first thing many mornings - literally 5:30 a.m. - a cup of coffee and working for an hour and a half to catch up with my Civil War BOM quilt.   Some of the blocks have been trying.    I took scraps from previous blocks and from stash to start  the 9-patch corner pieces.   I am trying to assemble the quilt top as I go rather than having all the block piecing at the end.  I am using the “how do you eat an elephant” theory to get this done.    I got caught up and the next four blocks arrived the next day.  I need to assemble more sashing and more cornerstones so I can add the next row.   I think I need to find a bigger place to lay this out.

For the Booksy Quilt, I also need to get up to date.   I am glad to be using up some stash for this set of quilt blocks.   I am enjoying be back at the sewing machine on a regular basis.   So much so that I have some more quilt patterns circling overhead in those cartoon bubbles above me.  For the Booksy Quilt, I have two January Blocks, one February block and one March block sewn. Fabric is pulled for the second March read.    I need  to do get the pattern for April and choose the fabric for two April book.

Working in the bedroom/craft room several days a week, lead to the grand idea that I needed to rearrange the furniture in the room.    A day and a half later, baseboards wiped down and furniture moved.    The closet, a walk in, was not so much a walk-in, so you guessed it.   This closet houses all the batting, mat board,  polyfil,  frames,  boxes and packing materials,  finishing supplies, a tub of things needing to be fully finished, a tub of class pieces to be stitched and more.    It has now been partially sorted and some purging has happened.  I went through my class pieces and I pulled all the bits out of two projects that I will never do.  Ugh! But a necessary job done.   I organized all my project bags and totes neatly instead of being pushed and shoved in there.   I went through all my packing materials - envelopes, shipping stuff, bubble wrap, padded envelopes and more, eliminating some and straightening the rest.  I have gone through 3/4 of my cross stitch patterns to pull patterns I like but will never do and filled a shopping bag to take to my Thursday group for them to “shop”.  I am using that “how to eat an elephant” approach.   I am picking something that needs to be straightened up or weeded out, setting a timer, and launching my attack.   I feel more productive having a focus and a set time than looking at everything-thing-in-the-room  at once and being overwhelmed.    I also went through sewing notions and put a bunch in the yard sale pile.   How many tape measures does one person need?  Not 9 with most still wrapped in original packaging!

And talk about having too much stitching…….I started adding my linens to the X-Stitch ap.   Yikes!    Not only do I never need to buy patterns or floss, but I have enough linen for the next pandemic and more.  The more I went through the linens, the more I feel compelled that I must now truly take a vow of non-purchasing.   I sorted them all by count and have logged 3/4 of them each into my X-Stitch Ap - oh the shame of how much I have.   And it does not even include fabric to be found with charts that are fully kitted.  I truly suffer from an over abundance of things!   I am pledging to only stitch from stash for as long I am can hold-out!   Maybe this has been the root of my stitching anxiety.  Too much stuff accumulated.  🤔  🤪   I did put a stuffed gallon sized zip lock of 10 x 10 or smaller pieces in the Yard Sale pile and more may be added to  the Yard Sale pile before I am done. 

Since I made the decision to sideline WIPGO, I pulled the two samplers that I WILL COMPLETE this year and put them in my work basket.  Both have been on my WIPGO board for two years.   The small amounts I have put into each of these the last two years is pitiful.    I consider myself at 2/3’s done on each.   I am starting back first on  Land That I Love from Teresa Kogut..  I plan to work on it steadily and move to Cornwall Cottage when finished.    Both are bigger projects but one stitch at a time, slow and steady.   It will be so good to get each of these languishing projects done.

Land That I Love  - start of April

I finished the berry basket and worked on the eagle in the top section.  In the bottom band, I finished the house, added the tree and bird and started the left side of the last house.   I think the flag was stitched one thread too low.  Hey!  For the man on a galloping horse going by, he will never see it.  May’s goal will be to finish the eagle.   Work on the middle strawberry band and bring the side border down at least to the strawberry band.  Maybe I will do a little on the blue house at the bottom so I don’t have it all to do at once.    🤷‍♀️

Forward progress, not looking in the rear view mirror or saying could have, would have, should have.   Progress has been made.   It always  amazes how much I can get done when you focus on ONE stitching project.   I will be sharing more progress next month.  

Cornwall Cottage from Rosewood Manor is just waiting for me to get done with Land That I Love.   I really hope I will be able to dedicate time to this piece mid-summer and move it to the completed pile in 2025.

Of course, both of these are too big to take to stitching group to work on ergo the need to start the Patty Yergey pumpkin piece.  ✅ Justified.    

I had Raegan for three days and then it was a couple of days to ‘recover’ so stitching has been a bit curtailed.  I love those chubby little hands washing the ‘treasures’ she found in my garden.  

My purging throughout the rest of the house continues.  I went through the grandkids toy box and packed up things they have outgrown.  I don’t have the heart to get rid of the Fisher Price barn and little people yet.    Last but not least, I sorted, purged, folded and stowed all the shopping and brown bags.   It is not like I have nothing else to do but again assigning myself an hour or two a few times a week to sort and clean a closet or basket, etc. is working for me.   I have been taking 2 or 3 boxes every other month to the local donation store.  I have this fantasy spinning in my head that when I move,  everything will have been culled and minimized.   I mean what magic mushrooms am I eating?  OMG - just riding on the crazy train in my neck of the woods.  At least everything is slowing becoming stowed neatly.   That’s a plus right?

Looking forward to May and some yard time.  Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching and creating!