Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge

The spanner in the works. Available here.
I do hope you enjoyed yesterday's blog hop and that you got to meet some new stitchers, and I hope you visited and congratulated Jo.

Linda over at Stitchin' with My Furbabies (who I like to think of as the benchmark for WIPs), and many in the stitching world, lost their friend Debbie at the end of August. In this post Linda eulogizes her friend and asks us to join in stitching 31 projects next January in Debbie's memory. Since you are well aware that I will find any excuse to start a new project, I signed right up. {Of course, stitching in memory of a friend lost, I do that too.} I'm in for 31 NEW projects even though I am completely aware that that means almost none of my old projects will see the light of day in the next year. {Shrug} No sooner did Linda propose this than I started making my list. I joined the Facebook group thinking that I was the only one crazy enough to be planning new starts months in advance. Happily, I am not! Since I posted my original list there, I did decide it had too many Christmas pieces on it. I replaced four pieces. 

The other night, I went through my four 3" binders worth of freebies and patterns torn from magazines to find substitutes. (I did not look through them before making the original list.) I found a few things, but I have to tell you some of that stuff has not aged well. And yet, I didn't spend any time taking things out. You never know when you're going to want to make a fabric tissue box cover with a shell cross-stitched on it! 

Here's my list, as it stands currently.
  1. Of My Love Be Sure, Bent Creek
  2. Mary's Stocking, Shepherd's Bush
  3. Christian's Stocking, SB
  4. Charland's Stocking, SB
  5. Sadie's Stocking, SB (or possibly the new one)
  6. Wisteria Snowman, SB
  7. Abigail's Wisdom, With My Needle
  8. Light House, Bent Creek
  9. Oh Baby-Twin 1, Lizzie*Kate
  10. Oh Baby-Twin 2, L*K
  11. Winter Row, Bent Creek
  12. Wabbits Wonder, Sheepish Designs
  13. Turkey Sausage, Plum Creek
  14. Greenland Santa, Mill Hill
  15. Lapland Santa, MH
  16. Nunavut Santa, MH
  17. St Nick's Noel, Amy Bruecken
  18. Lovebird, JABC
  19. Spring Fresh Mesh, JABC
  20. Cinnamon Stars, Plum Creek
  21. Coussin Carres Fleuris, Bleu de Chine
  22. Ortilda the Witch, Twisted Threads
  23. Four Fat Friends, Drawn Thread
  24. Waldorff, Homespun Sampler
  25. Ladybug Ladybug, Rabbit Workes
  26. Wee Beasties, Dimples Designs
  27. Slow Poke, Ewe and Eye
  28. October Sampler, Linda Reeves (JCS, undated)
  29. Button Basket, Ewe and Eye (CS&N, April 99)
  30. Bee Keeper, Drawn Thread freebie, 1997
  31. Love Lives Here, Lizzie*Kate freebie, undated
But now I've seen By the Bay's Autumn In Vermont (pictured), and I think I should add it. Sure it's Vermont, but it reminds me of home. (I'll confess: I've already bought the pattern.) So now I have to decide what goes. Decisions, decisions!

9 comments:

Brenda A said...

"You never know when you're going to want to make a fabric tissue box cover with a shell cross-stitched on it!" I do that too... I have so many old magazines and I can't part with them. For that exact reason!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Haha, I feel the same way about my old magazines!

Don't 31 projects look like a lot when they are listed in a line like that? I'm still working on my list because things keep getting added! I am including WIPs on mine though.

Linda said...

Great list Nikki. Some of those sound like rather large projects. You know, there are now 3 of us that are doing the Super Duper Challenge and will continue new starts through February. If you are having a hard time deciding you can always join us for that.

Linda

riona said...

That is one scary list. Starting off the year with 31 new starts is a concept I find very intimidating. I am still trying to work through my own challenge of completing my 8 class projects [some as old as 2006] and my 8 WIPs [some as old as 2010] while still doing a Town Square ornament a month and 1 and only 1 lonely new start a month.

You are a better man than I, Gunga Din.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

That's an impressive list! Do you start one ech day in January? Waaaay too much for me but I'll watch from the sidelines and cheer you on. Or just shake my head...

Thoeria said...

I went and found a dark corner to hide myself in when I read Linda's post about the challenge.....I'm still trying to recover from the last challenge I participated in way back in 2012! So I'll be one of the cheerleaders shaking my pom poms (or linen and threads) to spur you lot of nutters along :)

Brigitte said...

I will also join in the January challenge but haven't found all the 31 projects to start yet. Well, I found more than 31, lol, so I have to throw some of them out. Your list looks so impressive ...

My old magazines are like a treasure chest of of patterns that I will never stitch. BUt throw them out? Not in this life, lol.

Unknown said...

You could always do a "Baker's Month" and do 32 starts. There are 2 long weekends in January where you could easily double up.

But, 31 new project?! You all are nuts!

Sharon said...

I love it! All for a special reason and lots of fun!