2020 in review and 2021 plans

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

ORTS

I got a fancy new ORT container in the summer, and I adore it.  I wanted something different and I think I accomplished that.

Here are my ORTS for the year

To follow my tradition, I also made them into an ornament

2019 WIPS

I started the year with 14 WIPS.

1 was completed (Tapestry) and 2 were removed (Prickly and Mini Monsters)

The following will continue onto 2021

1. Canada Sampler (2017 WIP)
2. Fantasy Triptych (2017 WIP)
3. Dragons of Sumatra (2018 WIP)
4. Sneek (2018 WIP)
5. Death by Cross Stitch (2018 WIP)
6. Shakespeare's Fairies 
7. Zen Garden
8. Templar Prophecy
9. The Red & The Black II
10. Words to Live by
11. Castle Walls

2020 Starts and Finishes

I started 12 new projects in 2020 including 5 ornaments

I finished 7 and one was removed

The following continue onto 2021

1. Worker Bees
2. Starburst
3. Celtic Band Sampler
4. Henna Mandala

This leaves me with 15 current WIPS, which I am perfectly okay with.  However, I would like to see even a couple of the 2017/2018 WIPS get completed.

2021 Plans

My January 1st start is picked and all ready to go.  This will be done with a few friends again.  I love this tradition we have!

2021 is Jardin de Plaisir from Long Dog Samplers

I also plan to do the Peppermint Purple 2021 SAL.  I am doing this one in the same style as 2020 (rectangle) and with the called for DMC.  After Clare released the framework, I am now thinking I may do both as the square is amazing.

I would like to get back to doing the monthly ornaments again.  Shannon Christine released a SAL in October called the Cross Stitch Ornament Club.  I have them all kitted and planned to start them right away.  That did not happen, so I'm now planning on using them for 2021 ornaments.  There were 10 released and a few freebies, so the numbers are perfect!

Something else I would like to get back to doing monthly is the Words to Live by Project.  I was doing well with this until COVID and tax season struck (not sure who to blame, but money is on both).  So will see how the months go and maybe I can have this one done in 2021!

I would love to say I'm going to keep up with my blog in 2021, but I just don't know what this year will bring.  I know I would love to do the weekly updates, but for now i'm going to try and do at least a monthly update... fingers crossed.  If you are on Instagram, I do post much more frequently.

2020 updates - Week 9 and forward

Due to work commitments and the stress from the pandemic, I am not going to make weekly updates until at least May

I am still planning to do the monthly update and goals post though!

March 2020 plans, February check in,

March 2020 Plans/Goals

This is what I hope to do/accomplish in February

• Stitch an ornament
• Stitch on 3rd saying block on Words to live by (Part 4)
• Keep up to date with the PP 52 week SAL
• WIP??

Now lets see how I did with February

February 2020 Plans/Goals

• Stitch an ornament - YES and FINISHED

• Stitch on 2nd saying block on Words to live by (Part 3) - YES and FINISHED

• Keep up to date with the PP 52 week SAL
• Weeks 6 - 9 done!

• Make more progress on Tapestry (maybe even see a finish???)
• Here is where Tapestry started at the first of the month:

• And here is where I were I am on the 29th:

YES... THAT IS RIGHT!  I FINISHED!!!

(And to anyone pointing out the bottom left motif... I fixed it but didn't take new pics)

2020 updates - Week 5 - Tapestry, blackwork, and socks!

Some of this will be a repeat of the January check-in, but still wanted to keep my weekly posts

This week had a bit of everything.  It started with a bit of a panic to find yarn for a sock class on Saturday.  I needed 2 coordinating colours... Now I have a bunch of sock yarn... but most is multi-colour or self striping.  I wouldn't have been able to get to my LYS (Yarn it!) until Thursday night, and worried this wouldn't give me enough time to get a toe done for the class.  Thankfully I found something I think will work well, and managed to also get 1/2 the toe done... all on Monday night.

These are the colours I finally choose.
That bag at the back is new.. .isn't is the cutest! Check out Gail's etsy page to get your own

Wednesday is the release of the weekly Peppermint Purple - A Year of Blackwork SAL part.  I had to go to a clients today, so couldn't finish all in the morning, but managed to finished Wednesday night.  I am all caught up on this, and will hopefully start my border in February.

Thursday and Friday saw a bit more work on Tapestry.

I am going to try my hardest to stick with this until I get a finish!  It will return as soon as my top February Goals are done

Speaking of February, Saturday morning before my sock class I started my monthly ornament.
This month was Christmas Bullfinch from the JCS 2019 ornament issue.

After the ornament was finished Sunday morning, I pulled out Words to live by from The Tiny Modernist.
Not much progress, but a bit done on the border

Hope everyone had a great week... and who else is glad the grayness of January is over!!!

February 2020 plans, January check in

February 2020 Plans/Goals

This is what I hope to do/accomplish in February

• Stitch an ornament
• Stitch on 2nd saying block on Words to live by (Part 3)
• Keep up to date with the PP 52 week SAL
• Make more progress on Tapestry (maybe even see a finish???)

January Check-In
Lets check in with my January plans:

• Start Let it Snow - SAL with Dani, Christin, Kathy, Becca - YES! and its finished

• Stitch an ornament - YES! and its finished

• Stitch on First saying block (Technically part 2) on Words to live by - YES! and its finished

• Make progress on one of my older WIPS - Canada Sampler or Tapestry
• I decided to pull out tapestry and this is where I got by the end of the month

• RESIST STARTING ALL THE THINGS! - KIND OF
• While I tried to be good... I did start the 52 week SAL that I added in the first January update.  At least it wasn't all the things :)
• Edit: Start the 52 week SAL from Peppermint Purple and keep up to date - Started.
• Weeks 1 - 5 DONE

January 2020 Plans

I have been worried about making goals for my stitching lately.
2019 wasn't the greatest year that that carried into my stitching as well.

Back in 2018 making plans each month really helped motivate me though, so I'm going to try and re-start that this year.

January 2020 Plans

• Start Let it Snow - SAL with Dani, Christin, Kathy, Becca
• Stitch an ornament
• Stitch on First saying block (Technically part 2) on Words to live by
• Make progress on one of my older WIPS - Canada Sampler or Tapestry
• RESIST STARTING ALL THE THINGS!