I’m going to try to make monthly reports — keep myself accountable!
My goal for each day’s stitching is to make at least 400 stitches. There were only three days I didn’t stitch at least 400 stitches but most days I stitched a few more than 400 stitches. I stitched 14,144 stitches in January so that was an average of 456 stitches per day. I’m happy with that!
My 2025 stitching plans were:
- I can only be working on one “new start” at a time. I cannot start a new one until that one is finished.
- Here’s something that’s not so definite: If there are special starts – like New Year’s Day Start, or Birthday Start, or Stitch alongs with groups or even friends, those are usually projects not intended to be done as a monogamous stitch. If I start one of those, I have to spend at least one week of the month working on it and I have to work on it at least one week until it’s finished. That will limit the number of starts I can make.
- I will have one focus WIP that I will work on until it’s done. I don’t have to make any certain number of stitches on it per day but I won’t be jumping back and forth between WIPs.
- This is one I added since the end of 2024: On the days I stitch with my friend, Debbie, I don’t bring a magnifying lamp but I do have magnifying glasses – not as good as my lamp but the glasses work ok with 36 count linen (or lower count) so I’ll always have a project on 36 count linen (or lower count) that I can use for my weekly stitching with Debbie.
- Long Term Project – this is for those that I know will take forever. No way I can stitch these non-stop until they’re finished.
So, in summary, each month, I can have the following going:
- New Start – which can be last month’s new start – cannot start anything new til this one is finished.
- Group Start(s) – could be more than one project – hopefully not!
- WIP – one WIP I will work on til it’s finished – may take several months.
- Friend Stitch – A 36 count project that I will work on one day per week when stitching with Debbie.
- Long Term Project – no end in sight – just work on it a little each month.
January’s Projects:
New Starts:
The first one was my Blessing Sampler, which was Only Once by Sweet Wing Studio. I started it on January 1 and finished it on January 14.
The next new start was My Heart My Home by Homespun Primitives by Lori. I started it on January 17 and finished it on January 21.
My third new start was Hope and Love by Teresa Kogut. I started it on January 23 and have not finished it yet.
Group Starts:
I started Ann Morison with my friends, Pat and Debbie. They’re both farther along than I am. I have made a few more stitches on this but haven’t taken a new photo.
WIP:
The WIP I’m working on is Rejoice Evermore. I haven’t done a lot on it and this is an older photo. I want to spend a bit more time on this one in February.
Friend Stitch:
My project that I can see to stitch without a magnifying lamp is This is the Day and it’s on 36 count linen.
Long Term Project:
This is the New Year Sampler by Owl Forest. I’m hoping to stitch two motifs each month.
In January I stitched the apple in a box (next to the right end at the top) and the two roses at the top right.
That’s it. I’m happy with what I accomplished in January.
Pam says
What kind of magnifying glasses do you use? I also need some kind of magnification for portable projects.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
When I go for my annual eye exam, I take a piece of linen and ask the doctor for a second Rx with magnification in the bottom. Once he adjusts the “test Rx” to where I can see the linen well enough, I get a pair of bifocal with the line (so they’re way less expensive) and no Rx in the top part because my distance vision is almost perfect. The last two years they’ve had a $9 frame that’s lightweight and very comfortable so the second pair of glasses isn’t terribly expensive – less than $60 if I am remembering correctly. I keep those glasses, along with the Friend Stitching project bag in my little travel bag. All I have to do is remember to add my tablet, which I forgot at home recently but I keep a paper copy of the chart in the project bag so I was still able to stitch.
Pam says
Thank you!
justquiltin says
You’ve made a lot of progress in January! My “long term project” is my April Fool’s start from last year – the Winter Row Houses which I have not pulled out in ages.