Some WIPGO Goals

 Starting January 1st. 2021 I started a long term project and I am totally loving it. It is "2020 Pandemic Sampler", this is a freebie presented by a very generous young lady named Christie Steffensen, she is sarcygurl on Instagram. I am not a real sampler girl but this one and her story as to why she designed it really touched me and I had to stitch it. Mine is stitched on 32 ct. Lugana "Dark Cobblestone" from Stoney Creek.

This is where I am so far, I have no intentions of finishing this anytime soon. As I said, it's a looong term project.

Also in January I began working on my WIPGO Board. (WIPGO is a wip challenge on Facebook hosted by Jesse Marie Does Stuff). I had three goals for January - Finish Patriotic Lady, shown in my last post. Design by Rachael Moore from Sengi Designs.

DONE

The next two were to stitch 1000 stitches on each - "Just Me" 

As you can see I accomplished that goal and then some. There are four pages to this design, commissioned by my niece, I finished the second page which came to 2253 stitches. Once I got started I didn't want to stop. And finally -  "Fireside Sampler" from Silver Creek Samplers.

The letters stitch up very quickly but that border is a fidgety so it was only 1000 stitches for sure. Between working on wips, I switched to sewing and assembled two dolls that are going to some beautiful little girls. One is VP Harris and the other is SCOTUS Sotomayor.

Funny story, at the time I ordered these two dolls, I had no idea that Kamala Harris would pick Sonia Sotomayor to administer her oath of office. I love these dolls and they were so easy to assemble.  The designer has her own small business - Madebymix.etsy.com . Please check her out.

Another wip I started last month on the first day of Kwanzaa is "Harriet Tubman" designed by The Primitive Hare, it is a SAL I am participating in, on a Facebook group.

This is where I am on her so far and I will continue working on her during Black History Month (February) in addition to my new start of Barack Obama.

I don't remember where exactly I got this design from or who it's by, sorry. I will be starting a new design in honor of Martin Luther King Day (January 18th) it is  "Justice" a part of the series "Words to Live By" from Beth Twist at Heartstring Samplery.

Well now you know what I've been up to and my plans, it's time to go and make some wonderful little xxs.

 

 

A Wrap-Up of 2020 Stitching

 By my count I had 36 finishes in 2020, they're posted in a tab above or come watch my wrap-up YouTube video at Minnie Gray - All XXs (link is to the right).  

To see more of my day to day progress of my stitching follow me on Facebook- Minnie Gray and minniegray5806 on Instagram.

I am participating in a stitching challenge on Facebook, it's called WIPGO. There is a board set up like Bingo and this challenge is hosted by a fellow flosstuber - "Jessie Does Stuff". You assign your choice of WIPs and goals to the blocks on the board in any order and number them 1-12, free space, 14-25. The host will call two numbers per month or a third if the free space is called, the challenge is to accomplish your preset goal during the year 2021. Last year each goal had to be reached by the end of the month the number was called. (That's how I will be playing this year too it's more of a challenge for me).

In my flosstube video #61 I showed all of my 2020 WIPs you can check them out there. The numbers called for January's WIPGO are 6,13(free space) and 18, since I filled in my free space with a wip I'll have 3 goals for the month and they are a finish on:

1. Patriotic Lady designed by Rachael Moore and you can purchase this design at www.etsy.com/shop/senistitch/ 

2. Just Me is  a chart my niece had created for me one year as a birthday gift. It's from a picture of me! This design will get 1000 stitches.

3. Fireside Sampler is designed by Diane Grick from Silver Creek Samplers (www.downbysilvercreek.blogspot.com) this design will also get 1000 stitches.  They may get more but I like to set realistic goals.

I also have a few new starts that I hope to be able to work on in 2021- "Moonshine" another from Silver Creek Samplers

Natural Beauty 2 from Filanthrope Broderies

And last but not least Harriet Tubman from The Primitive Hare

So now your know what I've been up to in my absence from blogging and what I will be doing in the future.  I hope to return with more updates soon.  Thank you all for stopping by to visit and I you will be patient with me as I get back into the swing of things. Now to makes some more little xxs.

I Couldn't Just Leave You Hanging!

I know I am the worst blogger ever, I go away and forget about you... but I've returned to do a wrap-up of 2018. In my August posts I had gone to Stitch Con in Cincinnati, OH (which I will be going to again in 2019), since then I've been gone, I went to two other retreats. One in Harrisburg, PA and one in Herndon, VA (that was a local one). They were so much fun, I've been on another Bahama cruise and enjoyed my first trip to NOLA (New Orleans, LA). 2018 was a pretty good for me as far as travel goes and I hope to continue in the future.  As for cross stitching there have been lots of finishes, some FFOs, and videos. In case you don't know I make what is known as Flosstube videos on Youtube.  I share some of my travels and my stitching, of course you get to see me! If you are at all interested my channel is Minnie Gray - AllXXs , I make new videos about once a month.  I am now on Instagram @minniegray5806, there I share a few times a week with stitching updates.  If you would like to see all of my stitchy finishes for 2018 there is a new tab at the top of my page here, if you have questions about any of the designs please leave a comment and I will try to answer them. Of course I have wips and there are a few I'll insert pictures and captions below.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I wish all of my followers a very Happy, Safe, Productive and Stitchy New Year!

Advent Animals Brook Books

All Are Equal In Death Modern Folk Embroidry

All Souls Vierlanden Quiltify Design

Bella Butterfly Nora Corbett (needs beads only)

Christmas Dreams Joan Elliott

Coffee Quaker Heartstring Samplery

Comfort Lighthouse Carriage House Samplings

Dead Girl Love My Stitch (Etsy)

Elphaba  Keenah's Cross Stitch (Etsy)

Frankie the Thinker Glendon Place

Ghoul Tidings Plum Street Samplers

Halloween Treats Trail Creek Farm

Hazel's Wardrobe Sue Hillis

Hogwarts Crest Colleen Carrington

Hot Chocolate Alessandra Adelaide

House on Pumpkin Hill Stacy Nash Primitives

I Love Yoga Valenti Cross Stitch (Etsy)

Just Me 

Life, Liberty & Happiness  Mandi di Donna

MLK Memorial  The Posy Collection

Needlework Alphabet Little House Needlework

November  Snowflower Diaries

On Wednesday We Stitch Black  The Primitive Hare

Pray  Teresa Kogut

Pretty Little Chicago Satsuma Street

Rose Goddess  Joan Elliott (beads only)

Seeds Of Freedom  Silver Creek Samplers

Sirena  Lila's Studio

Three Kimonos  Joan Elliott

Vintage Cat  Alice Allen

Vintage Fox  Alice Allen

Witchy Time of Night  The Nebby Needle

As you can see I was very busy in 2018 and I suspect 2019 will be about the same.  My neglect of this blog was not intentional and I will try to be better in this new year (no promises). I truly appreciate all of you for hanging with me through my absence and I hope you enjoy the finishes and wips. Please join me in making some of those wonderful little xxs!

IHSW Update August 2018

I just wanted to show that I am still at it!  I went a stitching meet-up this Saturday and I got some more stitched on Rose Goddess. Here is my IHSW update.

I finished the face on Saturday and the rose at the lower right was done on Sunday and today.  Let's see if I can finish the rose tonight, on to more xxs.