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This month's topic for WIPocalypse is "Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!" I'm Carol, AKA ThatYank in NW Ohio, which identifies me and where I am. I'm a retired teacher (community college level) and into many forms

This week has been spent tidying up from the holidays (although the Christmas decorations are still up and I don't know WHEN I'll be motivated to work on those!). However, since my WIPocalypse report on the 5th, I have stitched some more on my Crazy Quilt

It's been a while and I really can't remember when all was going on in week two, except that we were prepping for a two-week cruise. So the little stitchery I accomplished was pre-January 10: some more color into "Brides": I did pack my travel

This month's topic for discussion is "How do you overcome that feeling that you’re in a rut with a particular project?" I'm afraid I have no answer for this one. At present, I am in a rut with two big projects: • "Roll Your Own Mandalas", of which

A whole week with a sinus headache and cough. Not the kind of week to do anything that requires focus, and stitchery is surely that! So nothing to report...

Yet another week with no stitching. I did make it to quilt guild and found out why I will NEVER EVER submit one of my quilts (assuming I ever complete one) for judging! But otherwise, it's tax season and now I am buried in receipts and the like. See you

I finally dug out some stitchery over the weekend and put in several hours embroidering and beading a crazy quilt block for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2015. I had originally intended the base block to be for January but, it took a turn and I made it

While week 7 was yet another week with no stitching. I did make it to quilt guild and found out why I will NEVER EVER submit one of my quilts (assuming I ever complete one) for judging! There may be no "quilt police" but there sure are rules and rules and

Well, finally stitching again, and it seems that one of the primary causes of my losing my stitching mojo (the lack of stitching time availalble on our cruise to the South Pacific, not the nasty cold I caught coming home) is still in my mind. Notice the

This month's topic is: "If money – and time – were not limiters, what projects would be on your stitching bucket list?" Well, I'm not really sure how to answer this. I subscribe to a number of stitchery magazines and have a HUGE stash of charts (some

In this week, my plan was to get some of the filling stitches into "Save the Stitches" and I did manage that - all of Block 10 is now complete: And I started the outline for the first of the three "Spawn" in the Roll Your Own" mandalas. Marcia is

The whole week conspired to keep me away from stitchery. Following my "Well Woman" exam on Tuesday last (where I found I had a mild tendency towards dementia! AAACK!), there was the appointment with our new accountant on Wednesday (where we finalized

I had all sorts of plans for this weekend but they were disrupted when my routine was highjacked by a dinner engagement with husband's daylily friends from Columbus. That meant a 2 hour drive to, and another 2 hour drive from --- we haven't driven that

After the conclusion of International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, where I accomplished very little, I got back into the stitching groove Monday night and finished my March Crazy Quilt Journal Project/Bead Journal Project block: March came in like a lion

This will be a short post as there really isn't much to show. "Marcia" is complete! Next up, "Jan"! And Block 12 of "Save thd Stitches is complete (and there is a start on Block 13: I will continue to plug away at both, but it is April now,

The question for this month is: "Which specialty stitches do you love doing on projects? Which do you dread?" Well, isn't hard to answer which I dread --- it's French Knots! It's not that I can't do them but I do have issues with how regular they look

We had our first thunderstorm of teh season this morning, early, which woke me up in time to get to the public radio telephone volunteer on time (I had mis-set my alarm clock after a power outage earlier in the week) . And other signs of spring are

I'm late this week because. after two days lost to stitching (VERY early rising for the phone banks at the local public radio on Thursday and Friday plus Quilt Guild meeting on Thursday night), my lifestyle (HA! As if I had a lifestyle) caught up with me,

Perhaps you can tell from the title, but two weeks have passed and I still have that sinus infection and nasty recurring cough. Not something I can stitch with. So I missed IHSW altogether (I was at my sickest then) and didn't get in a single stitch

So far, no topic has been posted for this month so I will proceed to my progress, such as it was(NOT)... A pretty sad month to report on as I was ill for most of it and I can't focus on stitchery when coughing and with a nasty headache and fever. In

Two more weeks with no stitchery to report. I'm finally over the cold although I still seem to be tired all the time. So... This past week has been a test of my "cure". First, on May 3, my husband and I took a day trip tp Detroit to visit our dear

I did it! I stitched! Not a lot but I finally felt up to stitchery. The nasty cold is gone! Yay! And what I stitched was necessary... an embroidered quilt block for a memory quilt for a dear friend who passed away a few weeks ago from a particularly

Finally, the cold (disease --- I won't swear to the weather yet!) appears to be gone (knock on wood) and I started stitching again! First of all, I stitched a memory block for a quilt our online cross-stitching group is making for the family of a dear

What can I say? the cold is back... again! No stitching since my last post. This year is going to be a real loser, at least re stitchery. Don't have but one possible fair entry and I'm not sure it's worth entering just one so... I'm off to refill my OJ

I'm B-a-a-a-ck! Well, *I* am back... not sure about the stitching mojo. The cold finally seems to have depearted. Maybe 90° weather in Atlanta baked it out of me. I will see. Atlanta. you say? We've been on a three week road trip (June 1 - 19), or as

Well, I promised myself I would NOT miss another IHSW so I did keep out my traveling needlepoint and finished the leopard spots (well --- almost; when I was taking the photo I noticed one glaring spot that was only half done!) - and actually started

I did it! I actually stitched this week. Partly because of International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, but also because I unpacked my traveling gear and decided to keep out that traveling needlepoint for at least this week and get in some work on that

I would have posted this on time for a change, but I had an eye appointment adn he dilated my eys which meant I couldn't focus well enough to read what I was typing! So, rather than burden you with ten times my normal typo count, I delayed until today

This month's topic is: Reality or Fantasy. Which do you prefer to stitch? Figures or Abstract? Well, I'm not exactly sure. I do a lot of stuff that clearly is what it purports to be but isn't exactly realistic, if you know what I mean. Lots of

I was lazy this week, or I was trying to overcome throwing my lower back out while loading the dishwasher - take your pick! But I only stitched one night, on my June Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal piece. I got in three seam treatments, one with beads

Another lazy week, this time because I was waiting for some charms to arrive in the mail! They finally came so I could plan out the “road Trip” part of the block, commemorating our three weeks traveling from Ohio to Florida and back through North Carolina

I had great hopes for this weekend, but they were derailed by two wonderful movies on Saturday and horrendous heat/humidity all weekend. However, I did finally complete my June Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project for July. It’s supposed to be a

After completing my June block for the crazy Quilt Journal and Bead Journal Projects, I went to my stash to get out the new muslin I had ordered for foundation piecing... and discovered that it wasn't muslin! It was a quality fabric with a pattern,

It's bee super hot here--- we finally hit 90 (327 days since the last 90-or-above temperatures) but the worst of it was the humidity. Heat effect made it feel like triple digits! Shades of Saudi Arabia! Perfect weather to stay indoors and stitch. And I

August 3, 2015: Edited to add: This month's WIPocalypse topic is: "What makes you pick up a long-abandoned UFO rather than beginning a new piece?" My answer is: Practically nothing! I have some (four or five, I think)really long-standing WIPS/UFO pieces

A completion, and ALMOST on schedule, finally! The July Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project block was finished on August 1! Because it is July, it HAD to commemorate July 4, even though we didn't go to a fireworks display or parade this year. However, we

Another completion! The August Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal block: It's not really very imaginative, but as I said, August is always a problem for me as nothing much ever seems to happen to me in August (that I want to journal about in beads, at least!).

IHSW was posted early this month as part 1 (I assume there will be a part 2 coming on the assigned date of August 21-23, 2015. At any rates, I was stitching this weekend so here is what I accomplished... A completion! "Jan" the second of the "Spawn of

Not a lot to report on since the weekend when I reported in on IHSW pt1. I did work on the outline for "Cindy" the third (and last) of "Spawn" of Roll Your Own: Didn't get very far, but then one wouldn't watching the complete, re-digitized, entre'act

It's IHSW pt. 2! joysze.blogspot.com/2015/08/august-ihsw- pt-2-et-al.html As per my promise last weekend in IHSW, pt 1, I concentrated on placemats for my quilt guild. I pieced another placemat top, sandwiched and envelope-turned all three. All that

Put in one evening of stitching after International Hermit and Stitch Weekend pt 2, and got one more color done in "Cindy": Nothing else to report on except late autumn weather in August. Weird! This was one of the wettest summers on record, and one of

Topic: Pick one of the WIP pieces you’ve stitched on this month, and tell us about your stitching journey with the piece. Well, I have two BAPs that have been ongoing since 2013! The first (which I did NOT stitch on this month) is "Save the Stitches", a

Having completed (this past weekend) the "Spawn" segment of "Roll Your Own", a set of 9 mandalas designed by Tracey Horner of InkCircles, I put in some time starting borders of two of the last three mandalas... a partial right side of "Revenge" on the

Well, I was right --- three days of husband's high school reunion followed by an overnight house guest from his working past and the entire weekend was shot as far as stitchery was concerned. I ate too much, slept too little and have a roaring sinus

I changed my stitching plans this past weekend after finishing my September 2015 Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal block: It was meant to be autumnal, with all those purple flowers but then it occurred to me that Wisteria aren't autumn flowers so I added a few

I actually managed to squeeze a little stitching in around university awards events this weekend... and finish up the pieces of an ornament meant for a Christmas swap. Here are the pieces I stitched this weekend: and a closeup of the beading on the

An ornament completion… Designer - Charlette’s Collections; from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Issue, 2015, On plastic canvas, using DMC floss, Mill Hill Beads, Beading Wire and one 1/4” butterfly paperclip. And never again! Never again

After finishing that butterfly clip on Monday evening, I didn't stitch a single stitch. We have house guests, and tonight is preview night at public television for "Indian Summers", so I doubt I will get around to stitching anything at all until the

Harvest Moon, Super Moon, Blood Moon, Total eclipse of the Moon! And all celebrating the death of my pizza stone (the stone cracked from side to side, to paraphrase the Scottish Play!) and my birthday! What an event. And now it's time to report in for

The best laid plans and all that. I posted for WIPocalypse and had plans to stitch for three straight nights on "Roll Your Own". Well, on Monday, I started and ended up ripping out a lot of stitches, fudging a few more and fighting knots and tangles on

Well, I managed to “force” myself to try to live up to the goals I posted in the latest WIPocalypse: I stitched! Every night! Not sure it was really enjoyable, but I did get a good bit accomplished, despite a lot of competition from various events in out

Last Thursday was taken up by quilt guild and the this past weekend was pretty much taken up with paper crafting classes in Michigan, but I did take my travel bag with me and stitched a little on "Palm Tree Elegance" on Friday evening, which was last

I plugged away at "Revenge" in Roll Your Own. And when I say plugged, I really mean fogged. That lower left corner was ripped out three times due to silly one-off miscounts. But I finally got the third page done and the outline is now half complete!

Since last week, there was a Cross Stitch Crazy "Stitchathon" and the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, so I did get in some stitching. At this point in time, I am on page five (of six) of "Revenge"... and the outline is nearly 3/4 complete! I

This month's topic is "Are there any fibers or materials used in stitching that you’re nervous to try?" I'd have to say "not really". I think I've tried most of the fibers out there and while I don't LIKE to use some of them (metallics, rayons, even

What a difference two days makes in stitching. despite a new bout of ripping out (upper left corner this time), I FINISHED the outline for "Revenge" late last night! I even managed to put in a few more stitches on the outline for "Rematch" (I had some

That pesky cold is back again, along with a sprained lower back… Yesterday morning was husband’s high school class monthly breakfast so we had to get up early to get there. And then there was last night — a night football game, kick-off at 8PM. It was

I can't believe it but I actually stitched this week and I'm making some progress on "Revenge"! I am on color three of twelve: I also have a completion to report: my Crazy Quilt /Bead Journal Project block for November. LOts of leaves, falling and

Another mixed week... a football game with our arch-rival Tuesday night (which we lost, AGAIN, sixth year in a row! And we have - had? - the best quarterback in the country and one of the ten best receivers as well! Well, we did. QB threw two

This was the weekend for staying in and stitching. Football on television, snow on Sunday --- what better excuses, right? But for some reason, I had trouble motivating and didn't stitch every day, so my progress is miniscule. I worked at color #5 (of

This month's Topic: Which designer has inspired you to stitch the greatest number of designs and why do you think that is? This is a hard one since I "collect" a lot of designers but don't really stitch a lot of them. For example, I have ALL of the

After reporting in on WIPocalypse, I managed one more night of stitching on "Revenge" and completed color seven (of twelve): I composed this in the morning with Thanksgiving dinner next on the agenda... dressing was in the oven, pies were done and we

While I kitted up my December Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal Project block, I didn't actually do any stitching on it. I did, however, finish a few fill colors on "Revenge", the seventh of the "Roll Your Own Mandalas". I now have a small amount (maybe 25%) of

I decided this week to try to get my December Crazy Quilt/Bead Journal block finished. I was slowed down by holiday prep and gatherings but I did manage to get all (or most of --- I haven't decided yet) the seam treatments done. Here it is, hooped and

This week was pretty much dominated by gatherings (meet the new coach, quilt guild holiday brunch, University President's holiday reception, lunch with my two best friends) and decorating the tree. No pictures for the gatherings but here is the tree,

Happy first day of winter! I finally got back to stitching on "Revenge" after completing my last block for the 2015 combined Crazy Quilt Journal and Bead Journal Projects! I finished color #10 (of 12) and started #11! Christmas holidays will be

Only two stitching days since reporting in for International Hermit and Stitch Weekend, but I am on the last color *number 12!) for “Revenge”! So it’s looking good for having this part of “Roll Your Own” completed in 2015. Only two more mandalas to

The final WIPocalypse post of the year has the theme "Recap your accomplishments for the year! " This will be easy because this is one of the least productive stitchery years I have had in ages. Travel, a series of nasty respiratory infections and just