Monday, January 5

WIPocalypse January: And so it begins.

Topic: Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

I'll go ahead and give a full introduction, because maybe I'll have a visitor or two who doesn't know me at all.   I'm Suz, Suzy, Suze, or Suzemo (my usual username).   I've been stitching since 1992, which means more than half of my life.   I like french knots.

In 2008/9 I moved to North Carolina (I say 2008/2009 because I left TX at the end of 2008, but didn't arrive until Jan 1).  And stopped stitching.    I just picked it back up last year  and now I have a lot of VERY, VERY old WIPs I'd like to finish off.   I did a significant de-stashing when I moved a couple of times, and luckily(?) I feel like I have a stash that is manageable without being overwhelming, but I can't let go of old UFOs.  Yes, my pretties, you will all be done someday.

I work full time, I have other time-consuming hobbies (mostly yoga and board-gaming, though I go on video game spurts as well), so I'm limited in my stitching time, though I try to do as much as I can.

I am using WIPocalypse to whittle down my WIPs that existed before I joined for the first time in 2014, so they're the only ones that "qualify" in my mind, most of them are more than 10 years old :)

Here's the list of what I have, and my goals towards them:
  1. Egyptian Sampler (TW) - Done
  2. Fantasy Sampler (TW) - Done (subject of a January-spring SAL "race")
  3. Fortunate Traveller (TW) - nope
  4. Enchanter (TW) - Progress? (I keep looking at this one, it whispers to me in the night ;) )
  5. Celestial Dragon (TW) - nope
  6. Ferret Knot (White Willow) - Progress or Done
  7. Phoenix (Dracolair)
  8. Freshwater Pearls (DMC) - Added to the Turtle Trot, even if it's just one length of thread.
  9. Chinese Dragon (Pinn) - haha, nope.
  10. Book of Ink Circles (IC) - Progress or Done
  11. DecoSpirits - Done
I want to get down to a 6 WIPs, each in a themed slot, 5 of those slots are represented here.  It's not happening this year, not with that many TWs (or my raging case of start-itis), but I'd like to at least get it down a bit!

Coincidentally, the January 5 full moon date is also the start of my "Race to Spring" SAL.

Here are the rules:
 January 5 - 2015 you have to pick up a UFO (unfinished object/wip) that you have not worked on in at least 6 months. You have to finish it by March 20 2015 (the first day of spring). So make sure that the piece you pick is not so large that you could not finish, and not so small that it would be unfair towards the other participants. As usual there will be a winner who I will choose using the random number generator. The winner will get a goody bag filled with stitchy stuff. You HAVE TO finish your chosen piece in order to be entered in the give away. I hope this will be an incentive to some of you who have been struggling with finishing a piece. Once we start, please post progress photos on this event page for all of us to admire.  Hope you love this challenge. Good Luck and Happy Stitching!!
So why am I talking about this SAL/Race, you ask? Well, it does dovetail nicely with WIPocalypse, so I am choosing Fantasy Sampler to "enter" into the race.  I  thought about Egyptian Sampler, but FS is calling to me more right now.   I can't wait to see how far I can get on it.  I'll start at the top right corner, the lion motif, and work my way down, doing the vine, then finishing the vine and border at the bottom, doing the two motifs next, and then finishing the central box.   There's a lot to do, but I'm hoping that this spurs me into finishing.    I don't care about the stitchy stuff prize as much as I do the finish.
This puppy is 15!  I'd like to finish it before it's old enough to drive.
The only other large TW I've finished was thanks to a race I was participating in.  

Coincidence?  

I think not.

And here we go....

26 comments:

  1. Lovely projects all. Hmmm, I may have to take you up on that challenge. I'm determined to finish Mary Wigham this year, why not by Spring? It could be done .....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do eeeeeet (lol). Challenges definitely help drive that determination! (at least for me).

      Delete
  2. You have a great list of projects to work on. I look forward to seeing your progress throughout the year, and good luck on your race! :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! :) I like having variety - now if I could just get more time (and focus).

      Delete
  3. I love the idea of a race. I will be watching your progress this year :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did TW's Storyteller in 6 weeks, I'm sure I should be able to pull off FS before it drives (or votes)!.
      And thank you! I can't wait to see what I can do in an entire year.

      Delete
  4. Beautiful choices, and good luck on the race!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You forgot making costumes, redoing the house, and drinking wine. ;-) I know you'll be zipping along on FS in no time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, Erin! I did! I try to keep the house projects to the warmer, summer weather. I think I just have some lighting and the upstairs painting left (as if I'd ever quit).
      My "christmas present" is engineered hardwoods to install (of course, if you could explain why work for me, and an increased value on someone else's home is for me, that'd be awesome! :P )

      Delete
  6. Cool projects. Can't wait to see more!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, you really do have lots of lovely TWs on the go. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on all of these :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! When I think of the number of TWs I've started, I can get a bit daunted, but it's all one x at a time, so I'm hoping to at least clear those two "mostly done" ones out of the queue.

      Delete
  8. Suzemo, I remember you from the TWBB. That is a great list of projects. I wish you the best for 2015.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely projects. I look forward to watching your progress through the year.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice list of projects. The Race to Spring SAL sounds interesting. Too bad I don't have any WIPs I haven't touched in 6 months otherwise I would participate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! And I have so many projects I could use, it's shameful! :P

      Delete
  11. Those TWs will slow you down, but are so worth it. I have Holly and Ivy screaming at me to kit it and start but have, so far, fought it off (I am not sure for how much longer that will last though).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do love my Wentzlers, but it has been so long I get a bit of anxiety picking up the large pieces again. Especially getting used to the blended threads and all of that confetti :) I think that's why I can handle the ES/FS duo to start - those aren't as bad as some of her other pieces.

      Delete
  12. Your Freshwater Pearls had me hunting down the pattern long ago.... ;) I remember when FS was just born! LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! Thanks! It's funny how a free pattern that just hung by a tag in a local Michaels is now so difficult to find. I was looking everywhere for a completed picture of it, and I can only find a couple (one of them Erica's!)

      Delete
  13. Lovely projects, especially the Wentzlers! I'm intending to start Egyptian sampler this year too so I really look forward to seeing your progress on it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Hopefully life slows down soon so I can get back to stitching!

      Delete

Please feel free to leave any kind of comment or question I love and will answer comments, and if you're new to me I'll stalk you over to your blog and add it to my feed!