More Organizing

It feels good to get the cross stitching things a little more organized but it would be better if I hadn’t made such a mess of it all to start with.

This morning I pulled most of the bags that have a chart, floss and linen and put those in the larger ottoman.

Then I gathered up the WIPs that were easy to find. There are others because (1) there are two small storage ottomans that I didn’t open; (2) there are at least a couple of projects upstairs and (3) I still haven’t found A Changed World and I don’t have Margaret Doyle 1850 because I took that to Branson and that bag hasn’t been unpacked yet. By the time I realized that project wasn’t with the others, I was too tired to deal with it.

The WIPs that I want to concentrate on finishing between now and the end of 2023 are in a small bin next to my chair. Here are the WIPs I found and placed either in the bin next to my chair or on the left end of the large storage ottoman.

There are 15 WIPs listed here. If I could get half of those finished by the end of 2023, I’d be super happy. There will be other starts . . it isn’t going to be a year of nothing but WIPs. I need a plan – I’m thinking the last seven days of each month, maybe the last 10 days of each month, stop what I’m working on and work on a WIP. Maybe work on a WIP the last 5 days of every month and on a different WIP the first 5 days of every month. That would give me 10 days of working on WIPs and at least 20 days of working on other projects. That might work.

1. A Sampler for All Seasons by The Scarlett House:

This one is next to my chair and I’d love to finish it soon.

2. Love is the Key by Teresa Kogut:

This one is also next to my chair and will be finished soon.

3. Strawberry Manor by Teresa Kogut:

This wasn’t a mystery because we saw our options and voted but Teresa released this in parts for her top tier patreon members. There’s just one little piece left to be released and, of course, I haven’t kept up. Some have and it’s beautiful so I do want to finish it.

4. Red Bird Sampler by Brenda Gervais:

I haven’t made a ton of progress on this one but it’s a fairly quick stick.

5. Catharine Dickenson 1840 by Scattered Seeds Samplers:

This one is small so it could be finished pretty easily.

6. Thy Love Divine by Hands Across The Sea:

There’s no excuse for not having finished this one. It’s probably my oldest WIP except for the little Christmas village I started right off the bat. I do want to get this one finished. I’m started to feel guilty about it not being finished. This one is in the bin by my chair.

7. New Year’s Sampler by Owl Forest:

Another one I want finished. It’s by my chair but there are so many little parts to this one, it isn’t going to be a quick finish for me, but I love it so much.

8. G. Leger by Reflets De Soie:

Not much progress on this one but I’m making this one and putting my grandma’s name on it and I’d love to get this one finished sooner rather than later but with so much to be done, it is not in the bin by my chair. Others have to be finished first.

9. Elizabeth Eyles by The Scarlet Letter:

The border is done. Not much else. It’s a beautiful sampler and I’d love to finish it but probably not in 2023.

10. Elle Brod En Lettres Carmine:

This is the project I was going to work on one strand per day but found I didn’t like changing projects that much. It’s beautiful and I want it on my “red work wall” but it’s not in the bin next to my chair.

11. And Heaven & Nature Sing by Kathy Barrrick:

This one is in the bin by my chair but no guarantees.

12. Deck the Halls by Liz Mathews:

This is in the Christmas/Winter 2022 issue of Punch Needle/Primitive Stitcher magazine. It could be finished by the end of the year . . we’ll see.

13. Away We Ride by Blackbird Designs:

The border framework is done. Not much else. Every time I see this finished, I want to get back to it. Not sure it will get finished in 2023.

14. Ellen Carr 1843 by Needlework Press:

I kept thinking I had changes to make but it looks like I’ve made all the changes I wanted to make, including adding little Oscar. I changed enough on this one that I’m not putting Ellen Carr’s name on it. All I have left to finish are the borders so I may get this one done soon.

15. For the Love of Nature by Teresa Kogut

I’d love to have this one finished by the end of 2023. I love the design and I really love the linen. This one is in the bin by my chair!

I do think I’m going to forego my Christmas start and work on WIPs instead. The last thing I need to do is add another project that isn’t going to be finished.

We have the Stitch Alongs planned. Maybe we need some WIP Alongs! 🙂