I participated in my first StitchMaynia in 2018 - I went back to read the blog post tonight and I was a little uncertain whether I would do it again - guess what, I've done it every year since! I haven't ever done what I did the first year - 18 starts! - but I have used May as a month to focus on stitching. This year I used the same approach as last year - 5 WIPs (works in progress) and 5 new starts. It was a great month as usual, and this year I stitched all 31 days! A few of those days, it was only for 10 or 15 minutes, but I still got in some stitching time.
 |
| Here's the stack of projects to work on! |
Here's what I worked on:
May 1-3 - Love Lives Here by Country Cottage Needlework - I am stitching this one as a shop sample for my local shop, Persnickety Stitchers with the called for threads and a very similar linen. This one is such a pretty pattern and I thought the house was a great place to start.
 |
| First morning on Love Lives Here |
 |
| At the end of three days on Love Lives Here |
May 4-6 - Next up was my first WIP - Goody Grimwood by Plum Street Samplers. This is my first project on 40 count linen and I started it during Stitch Maynia last year. I was glad to make some good progress on this one.
 |
| Goody Grimwood, starting point |
 |
| Goody Grimwood after 3 days progress |
May 7-9 - Let's Talk Stitching by Hands on Design. I knew the minute I saw this one that I'd have to stitch it. I am starting with the smaller piece that will wind up in a project bag and I am using Sulky threads on this one - my first time using Sulky and really enjoying stitching with one strand but getting the coverage of two!
 |
| Ready to start on Let's Talk Stitching |
 |
| Progress after three days |
May 10-12 - Graveyard Goblins by Nancy's Needle - this is an old one that's been in my stash for a while. I can't remember exactly when I started this one, but fell in love with the tree, stitched with Threadworx. It's been all DMC since I finished the tree and I am really looking forward to getting to the specialty stitches below the fence on this project. Didn't get there in May but will continue plugging along on this one!
 |
| Graveyard Goblins starting point |
 |
| Lots of great progress on Graveyard Goblins |
May 13-15 - Cute Deer Pendibule by Durene Jones in the 2019 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue - I was so excited to start this one after seeing a couple finished pendibules on flosstube. I planned this one over a weekend with a hope that I'd finish it - and I did! I haven't gotten it to FFO stage yet, but love the stitching on it!
 |
| All ready for a Pendibule start! |
 |
Cute Deer with all the stitching done in 3 days!
|
May 16-18 - Mill Hill Dahlia kit - I started this one on my camping trip back in March and was glad to keep working on it - not too much progress, but glad to keep this one moving ahead.
 |
| Dahlia starting point |
 |
| Dahlia after three days |
May 19-21 - this one was started at my quilt retreat in Shipshewana - I purposely picked a project that didn't require magnification and would be good to work on during introductions - this embroidery project - Autumn Embroidery by Crabapple Hill - was a great choice. It uses overdyed threads like you'd use for cross-stitch and is stitched on a piece of stabilized fabric. I got a decent start considering that my focus for these three days was really sewing.
 |
| Autumn Embroidery ready to be started |
 |
| Three stems in three days |
May 22-24 - Weekend in Paris, a Dimensions Gold Collection kit - my goal for this one was to work from the top of the design as it is pretty much a full coverage piece - I figure if I got to the top, then it would be easier to work my way down.
 |
| Weekend in Paris starting point |
 |
| Really happy with three days of progress on this one - hooray for half-stitches! |
May 25-28 - I had plans for a different start, but wasn't feeling it so pulled out this Lizzie Kate freebie from the pandemic. This will be one of my inspiring stitches - I am working on several for an upcoming occasion. I changed the fabric and almost all the colors and I am loving this one!
 |
| A small start on Be Kind, Be Happy, Be Well by Lizzie Kate |
 |
| Some decent progress after three days |
May 29-June 1 - my last project and the WIP that I started as my New Year's Start - Winter Bell Pull by Tiny Modernist. This one actually wound up stretching into June 1, because I didn't bring it with my when we went to visit family over Memorial Day weekend. I had planned to finish up at the snow globe, but didn't quite get there because our power went out that evening! I was mid-stitch when we heard an explosion and everything went dark (inside the house at least, it was still light enough outside). It was an abrupt end to the month, but I am really pleased with all I got done.
 |
| Winter Bell Pull starting point |
 |
| My end to StitchMaynia, stopped mid-stitch by a power outage |
In the end, I think this mix of WIPs and new starts is the right thing for me - a little new and a little old works well and three days' progress gives me enough to feel like I've accomplished something. I also like the mix of smaller, midsize, and larger projects and feel that I will get a few of these finished up more quickly so I won't be carrying 9 WIPs for too long.
Hope you enjoyed the show - let me know if there's one you like best - I will put in a few days on your favorites!
Comments