Answers to FAQS:
- I only stitch on Aida anything from 14 count to 22 count, but my preferred count is 18 or 20. I like Aida with a softer hand, which is just personal preference (i,e, Wilchet is too stiff for me) so things like Picture This Plus and other hand dyed aidas. Sources for hand dyed aida – Picture This Plus I usually get from 123 Stitch but my most favorite fabrics are from ToDyeForFabricsNMore on Etsy. Her 18 count aida is a dream to stitch on and such lovely shading in them. I have finally been able to find more 20 count hand dyed (which can be difficult to find) from various Etsy shops that carry Colour & Cotton aida (C&C is the only 20 count hand dyed I have found so far). Fiber on a Whim from Colorado Crossstitcher is also a favorite hand dyed aida.
- PREFINISHED /FINISHING –If I say it’s a “prefinished” easel, wooden house with fabric piece on it, or mounting board/piece with fabric on it that I say was prefinished, those I get at StarryNightsStudioCo on Etsy. Excellent product and great to have on hand if you don’t feel like doing the fabric boards yourself.
- CUBE/BRICK FINISH – If I refer to a “cube finish” or a “brick finish” it is a no-sew finish super easy finish, and you can find the tutorial on how to do that on this link to Helen D’s Flosstube. She has lots of great finishing tutorials on her site.
- FRAMES – I get 99.9% of my frames from CustomFrameSolutions.com. If you buy frames on a regular basis, you can save about 60% off regular price if you join their wholesale club – the membership can pay for itself quickly. I do all my own framing. I don’t lace or pin – I use double-sided acid free tape to secure the stitching on the edges of the back of my foam core or chip board. No glass. A point driver gun is a must have (in my opinion) if framing your own pieces – you can find them on Amazon.
- WOODEN PUMPKINS FOR FINISHING – the 3-D wooden pumpkins that I have done finishing on are from Etsy shop LuckyLadyDecor.
- WOODEN snowflakes and hornbooks – most of these I get from WonderWoodCrafted on Etsy.
- Wide hoops you may see in my photos from time to time are Nurge 24mm wide wooden hoops. I got them from Etsy but they can be hard to find in stock – 6″, 7″ and 8″ sizes.
- Answer to why some samplers are missing letters may be “Many early samplers do not have the letters “J” and “U” in their alphabets because they were not part of the early Latin alphabet and so the letter “I” was used for “J” and the “V” for “U.” The letter “s” is often replaced with the printers “s” which looks like the modern f.”
This is the page where I have posted a list of preplanned starts for 2022 and links to those charts where available. It will include 2022 Start Alongs, projects I plan to start on certain dates (holidays or birthdays or other date specific starts). It will include pictures of finished stitches along with pictures of things I started in 2021 but didn’t get fully finished (framed or made into some other item) until 2022. I am still working on finalizing the list and, if you know me, you also realize it may be changed at any time. And in 2022 I will TRYING not to buy supplies for cross stitching (no aida, floss, charts) and will be working from the lovely things I have stashed. There may be purchases for finishing – frames or other mountings – but I have so many charts I love in the stash that I want to see on my walls, or made into ornaments, or gifts that I’m looking forward to starting on those. (and yes I know my X-mas eve and NY’s eve starts aren’t technically in 2022 but they are listed here all the same)
Now – as of 12-19-21 – and it will be updated with a few more things – here are my stitchy start plans.
- 12-24-21 – Christmas Eve Start – New Year’s Eve Sampler by Owl Forest Embroidery (with Judy) FINISHED 11-17-22
- 12-31-21 – New Year’s Eve Start – Winter Rose Manor by With Thy Needle and Thread – FINISHED 3-23-22
- 02-11-21 – Valentine Stitch My Dear Hearts Small – Blackbird Designs- FINISHED
- Memorial Day Start- patriotic project In Full Glory – Blackbird Designs- FINISHED
- Independence Day Weekend start – Sampler made up of six SubRosa Designs patriotic charts (started)
- July Birthday Start – In HIS Image (Teresa Kogut) (started)
- September -Sampler September – The Huntsman by Brenda Keyes – FINISHED 11-17-22
- Thanksgiving themed stitch – Turkey Trot by Not Forgotten Farm (FINISHED)
- Dec 6 St. Nicholas Day stitch – Saint Nicholas by Tralala (FINISHED)
Christmas Eve Eve– Do you See What I See? (started and FINISHED this earlier in December)- MY NEW Christmas Eve Eve start is Cardinal Points SamPLER
- New Year’s Eve Eve – Three Things Sampler – it’s a start along with Judy.
In addition, I will be throwing in some “smalls” for various holidays like Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and projects And my Sunday Stitches projects will all be charts that represent Christmas Songs either by title of chart, words in chart, or images depicting them. Some will be smalls and others larger projects but I have a great selection to choose from. And of course who knows what else I will throw in the mix but I will still be working on two large WIPS – Lincoln Sampler and First Thanksgiving. The first group of images below are stitching projects finished in 2022 but not yet framed or fully finished.
Below are projects framed/fully finished in 2022 – some stitched in 2022, but some were stitched in 2020/2021.
Justquiltin with Denise Russart 