TUSAL and WIP Report

It's the first TUSAL report of 2012!  Not a lot so far, but I've not been stitching much. 

TUSAL - January 2012

Mostly reds and pinks from my Needlepoint project.

And now for the WIPs which contributed to the ORT jar:


Shenandoah Spring by DebBee's Designs - Red Colorway

I confess, when I first saw this pattern in the blue/green colorway I did not care for it (and I am so very much a blue/green person).  I think maybe because with the teal-ish canvas I couldn't see the stitches very well--it all kind of blended together.  But when I saw the red colorway at my LNS I was all over it.  The contrasting canvas makes the stitches pop (at least to my eyes).  This is my first "real" needlework project and I was a bit intimidated by it at first.  Her instructions are really easy to follow, though.  I'm enjoying it immensely despite the monotony of the current stitch.  There are 4 rows of that pink stitch all the way around the center square.  I will be a Laying Queen by the time I'm finished with it.  :)



Cross Stitch Clock - The World of Cross Stitching #177
2 over 2 on white 28ct evenweave

I started this one last year, got a little way in and then put it down.  I'm not sure why because it's a really pretty design--bright and happy!  I guess I was waiting for the dreary days to return or something.  Now I'm really digging it again.  Because it's bright and happy!



Spring Alphabet - Lizzie*Kate
2 over 1 on 16ct oatmeal Aida

After the fiasco with the Winter Alphabet, I decided to move on to the next season.  Again, bright and happy, yay!  I don't think I've made any color changes this time.  This is my Ghost Adventures stitch project.  The Friday night marathon is long enough that I can get 3-4 letters done. 




 And here is my first finish of the year.  This is from a British cross stitch magazine, but I forgot to write down which one and which issue (and it's at home).  Sometime this week I need to put it in it's frame so I can bring it up to work for February.

I'm not sure if I need talking down or not

One of my long-term WIPs is 'America Land That I Love' by Jean Farish (I got it when it was a free project on her no-longer-in-existence web site).  I've been working on it off and on for almost a decade.  I just recently finished Michigan. 

'America Land That I Love' - Jean Farish
2-over-1 on antique white 16 ct aida

It looks nice and all, but I'd be lying if I said I was completely happy with it.  When I started this I was limited to Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and JoAnns for supplies.  The antique white 16 ct was, like, soooo kewl! from the viewpoint of only-ever-used-white-14-ct younger me.

Lately I've been seriously considering starting over.  That's right--I'm thinking of chucking ten years' worth of work.  I think it could be so much nicer on better fabric (like 32 or 36 ct hand-dyed evenweave).  And some of those squares could use a tweaking of the design.  Not much tweaking, mind you.  Mostly some color changes.

Am I crazy to even be considering this?  I do want to finish it because it is a great pattern; but it's getting really difficult to make myself work on it.  And I do have to force myself--it never gets picked up otherwise.  Isn't that at least as big a cross stitching sin as starting over?