The 50 Project Challenge update

As of last night I finished #3 in the 50 Project Challenge. So far so good, three projects in a month. If I keep finishing 3 projects per month then I will be going on a BIG shopping spree in January of 2008! However, I'm not going to be able to keep that pace as the next couple of projects that I will be working on are quite larger pieces. I'm going to have to wait and see how my stitching time goes. Winter is coming on and theoretically I will have more stitching time because I will spend rainy weekends in the house stitching. However, I have been spending time the last couple of months with a guy that I'm becoming rather fond of. If this continues it's going to cut into my stitching time a bit. Again, it's going to be wait and see.

I'm going to be traveling soon and will be taking a couple of projects with me. (Can't be totally without any projects to work on even if I find I don't have time to work on them.) I'm hoping to at least get in a little stitching time here and there.

Progress: I stitched one more motif in Model #1. I've been taking a break on that one while waiting for the designer to give me instructions. However, there are some things I can do and I really do want to get this done. So I've picked it up once again and counted my way through to the next motif. This helps a lot because I've got two more in this band to do. I'm thinking about skipping to the next band because the next motif looks pretty easy. I think I can get a lot done, it's just picking it up with everything else I have to do. (to get ready for this trip)

I joined the 50 Project Challenge!

The rules are to not buy any new charts (that I will stitch *eventually*), fabric, etc. until I finish 50 projects. (Projects can be any form of needlework: knitting, beading, crochet, cross stitch, needlepoint, punch needle, etc.)

There is no deadline to finish the 50 projects, but the Challenge started 9/1/06. It will be a personal challenge to find out how long it will take me to finish 50.

Exceptions to the rules: JCS ornament magazine, any CATS shows that I attend, and after 1/1/07 I can buy any floss/beads/etc. for any project that I need these things for that I've already got in progress. I can buy fabric only for those projects that are on/going to be added to the list of 50 that I have not already kitted up and don't have appropriate fabric for. (I do have a bit of stash to search through before making a purchase.)

The List of Finished Projects:
Model #1 - cross stitch (on black fabric) - Finished 6/17/08
Model #2 - cross stitch (on hand-dyed fabric) - Finished
Model #3 - "Sarah Parr" - cross stitch - finished 9/10/07
Model #4 - "Then and Now Christmas" - cross stitch with some specialty stitches - finished 7/29/07
Model #5 - cross stitch sampler - finished 12/30/07
Model #6 - cross stitch- finished 4/5/08
Tam #1 - crochet (for a good friend) - finished
Tam #2 - crochet (for a friend) - finished
Tam #3 - crochet (for my sissie) otherwise known as tamoflage - finished
Tam #4 - crochet (for me) another tamoflage - finished
Tam #5 - crochet (for me) - finished
Tam #6 - crochet (for a friend) yet another tamoflage - finished
Scarf #1 - knit (for my daughter for Christmas) finished 12/06
Scarf #2 - knit (for my mother for Christmas) finished 12/06
Scarf #3 - knit (for my sister for her birthday) finished 1/07
Scarf #4 - knit (for my daughter's friend) finished 3/20/07
two horses - cross stitch (for a friend) finished 9/18/07
rose heart - cross stitch (for contest) finished 7/12/07
DragonCow - cross stitch (freebie)- finished
Simply Old Fashioned turtles - cross stitch (for friends for their 25th Anniversary) finished 12/06
Three Wisement Ornament - cross stitch finished 9/22/07
Dragon Dreams 2003 Valentine Dragon - cross stitch (freebie) finished 1/07
Ho Ho Santa ornament - cross stitch finished 9/22/07
Christmas Rose ornament - cross stitch finished 9/22/07
Hinzeit/Wine - cross stitch - finished 12/30/07
Frankie - cross stitch finished 11/3/07
Menorah/Hanukkah gift - cross stitch for friend - finished 12/4/07
Celtic Christmas ornament - cross stitch - finished 12/30/07
"Official Pain in the Neck" - cross stitch - finished 2/16/07
Papillon Creations/How Does Your Garden Grow - specialty stitches Finished Part 1 - 4/1/08, Finished Part 2 - 4/7/08, Finished Part 3 - 4/16/08, Finished Part 4, Finished Part 5 - 5/26/08 , Finished Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 - 10/12/08
Ink Circles/Celtic Mystery - cross stitch - Finished Part 1 - 4/23/08, Part 2, Part 3 - 8/19/08
Fantasy/Magic exchange (bookmark) Finished 6/1/08
Froggy - cross stitch Finished 7/25/08
UFO RR #1 - cross stitch Finished my part 7/23/08
UFO RR #2 - cross stitch Finished my part
A Sampler-ette - Finished 9/4/08
TW Castle Ridge - cross stitch - Finished 9/30/08
TW Futurecast - Finished 10/17/08
Realm of Wishes - Enchanting Lair - Finished 10/19/08
Stitchie Witchie - Brooke's Books - Finished 10/20/08

The List of Projects Currently In Progress:
How Does Your Garden Grow
Book of Ink Circles
Model - X's and Oh's


Contest Piece - cancelled/didn't make the deadline

(Forty Nine finished from 9/06 - 10/20/08.)

I may substitute some of these out for others that may catch my interest at the time or some others that I have kitted. No, all of these have not been started by the way, just most of them. But yes, I'm nuts!


(Note: I deleted Enchanting Lair Wine Queen because I do not have this completely kitted yet.)
(Note 2: I have deleted TW's 12 Days of Christmas ornaments. I have only started one of twelve and have decided to make that my next challenge.)

As of today (8/20/08), counting my finishes above - I have only 7 things left to complete to reach my 50 project challenge. I'm going to eliminate the following projects because I won't be working on them before this challenge is over. These will most likely go on another -shorter!- challenge in the future.
TW Dragon Rampant - cross stitch
TW Castle Sampler - cross stitch
TW Celtic Inspiration Band Sampler - cross stitch
TW Celtic Knot Bookmarks (2) - cross stitch
TW Rose Tree Wool Cross - cross stitch
Mirabilia/Emerald Mermaid - cross stitch
Mirabilia/Rose Arbor - cross stitch
Pam Kellogg's Christmas Mystery (2003) - cross stitch
Dracolair's Medieval Tiles - cross stitch
blue blanket - crochet (for my daughter)
Mary Queen of Scots bookmark - cross stitch
Fairytale bookmark - cross stitch
Medieval Herb Garden bookmark - cross stitch
Carnation Mystery Sampler

News...

I'll get to that in a minute. First I want to make note that the shopping spree didn't inspire me to stitch anything, which is a bit of a bummer. It just really brought home how much I already have in my stash and all the different projects that I want to stitch! I wish I had 3 more pair of hands and the division of brain to make them each work independently and concentrate on each project all at the same time. But since I don't, I guess I will have to stick to one project at a time. Sort of...

So on to the news - I accepted another model stitching job. It sounded fairly simple and when I got it in the mail it was small too. It's not interfering with the large model that I've got going because I'm waiting on instructions, whenever the designer has time to get to them. And if I were really wanting to work on this particular model, all I would have to do is count. (And count, and count, and count! But I would be able to work it just so far by myself if I did that.) I get to work with yummy hand-dyed threads and a pretty piece of hand-dyed fabric. Can we say 'happy girl'? Ok, well, that case of frogs once I really got into it was not fun, but other than that it's going well and I'm excited to be stitching again.

I did have a happy dance which, thinking of it just now, I realize that I didn't take a pic of it. It was a cow from the freebie website I got from Annette. I stitched the sheet-music cow for a friend. It turned out really nice and the frame job went quickly. I'll have to take a pic the next time I'm at that friend's house.

Other than that, I've got a crochet project that I'm working on at the same time. I've got a friend who wants a tam. I haven't crocheted one in a few years and it's taking me some time to get in the swing of things again. I'm also using a different kind of yarn than when I made the first one. I hope it turns out really well. Not that I'm going to spend all my time making them, but knowing how and being able to will just increase my knowledge and skill.

I'm going to be really busy for the next two or three days but I hope to get some stitching time in this weekend. We shall see...