My Not-So-Crazy January Challenge Pieces (Photo-Heavy)

Warning: Photo-heavy post ahead!

I have yet to have any takers on my Not-So-Crazy January Challenge. As it turns out, most people don’t seem to have the huge finishing pile that I do. Go figure! 😆

I’m still determined to plod ahead on my own, though. I have laid out all of the pieces that I know what to do with onto the bed in my spare room. There are more than 15 pieces laid out and that doesn’t even include the Pagoda Pincushion I just finished stitching and the biscornu I’m going to make out of the two Hearts & Flowers pieces.

I have my work cut out for me:
1. Paw Prints by The Stitchworks – stitching finished in 2005

This will be finished as a flanged pillow. The fabrics are shown behind the piece.

2. Hardanger Embroidery Emery Cushion by Roz Watnemo – stitching finished in ????; I have no record of this finish

I still haven’t decided what to do for the back piece yet, so this may or may not get finished in January.

4. Nantucket Basket Topper “Butterfly” by Lorri Birmingham – stitching finished in 2008

I even have the basket for this one… somewhere.

5. Blue Rose Teacup by Lorri Birmingham – stitching finished in 2008
6. Heart to Heart (teacup) by Lorri Birmingham – stitching finished in 2008

Cording needs to be made; otherwise, these are ready to go.

7. Jingle! Tin Topper by Just Nan – stitching finished in 2009
8. Jingle! Biscornu by Just Nan – stitching finished in 2009

9. Happy Wishes by Shepherd’s Bush – stitching finished in 2006

Cording needs to be made; otherwise, ready to be finished into a (large) scissors fob or pincushion.

10. Sarah Belle Scissor Case by Lorri Birmingham – stitching finished in 2009

I need to pick/find lining fabric for this one. I’ll check my stash, but I think a trip to Joann is needed.

11. Sarah Belle Needle Keep by Lorri Birmingham (bottom left) – stitching finished in 2008
12. Butterflies & Hearts Decorative Tin Cover by Lorri Birmingham (top left) – stitching finished in 2008
13. Sweetheart Decorative Tin Cover by Lorri Birmingham (top right) – stitching finished in 2003 (yikes!)
14. Sweetheart Decorative Tin Cover by Lorri Birmingham (bottom right) – stitching finished in 2008

#14 is a re-stitch because I thought that I had lost #13. Fortunately, I have just enough Altoids tins for both of those, plus #12. The tiny tin for #11 came with the kit and needs to be emptied of its mints and cleaned out. I had to heavily modify the design for #11 because the charted design didn’t even come close to fitting on the top of the tin.

15. Star of Wonder (Punchneedle) by Homespun Elegance – stitching finished in 2008 (this is attempt #2; attempt #1 was horrid and thrown out, I believe)

I have the overdyed perle cotton by Weeks Dye Works, the WDW felt and I found a papier-mache star ornament at Michaels the other day that I can use as the form. I had originally purchased a wooden star to use as the base, but when I dug it out, I discovered that one point of the star was rather irregular and would be very time-consuming to fix.

16. Barnabee’s Quest by Just Nan – stitching finished in 2008 (as well as the sewing, I believe)

You might feel like this one is cheating, but adding the cording and the tassel has been lurking about as a seemingly daunting task, so tackling it deserves some credit, if I manage it.

17. A Very Merry Summer by JBW Designs – stitching finished in 2009

I had a frame for this one and then I accidentally used it elsewhere. It works out better this way, though, because I couldn’t hang a framed piece in the fabric of the boat cabin as it would be too heavy. A matboard ornament finish will be much more usable.

18. Acorn Nantucket Basket Topper by Lorri Birmingham – stitching finished in 2003 – (another yikes!)

There is a kit for this laying about somewhere. I know where the basket is, but the finishing bits are still in the bag with the chart. I’ll have to go digging for this one.

19. Irish Needle Roll by Lorri Birmingham – stitching finished in 2009
20. October Birthday Needleroll by The Victoria Sampler – stitching finished in 2009

These two should make up pretty quickly.

21. Celtic Ice by Ink Circles (bottom left) – stitching finished in 2009
22. Peace on Earth by Indigo Rose (top left) – stitching finished in 2007
23. Angel Heart Ornament by Charland Designs (top right) – stitching finished in 2007
24. Heart and Flowers Scissors Fob by Twisted Oaks Designs (bottom right) – stitching finished in 2006

These will all be matboard ornament finishes, except for #24, which will be a stuffed diamond scissors fob finish. I just need to figure out what color of red I used so I can make the cording.

25. Christmas Hearts Bellpull by The Victoria Sampler – stitching and sewing finished in 2005

Okay, I admit that this one is a bit of a cheat as it only needs to be finished at the top and then sewn onto the bellpull, but it has been languishing for 5 years!

26. Butterfly Scissors Fob by ??? – stitching finished in ????

I can’t find any record of this little one, so I don’t know what the design is or when it was stitched, but it is old. I had finished it at one point, but something went wrong. I don’t remember what, exactly, went wrong; maybe the stitches burst because I stuffed it too full? I’m notorious for overstuffing things. At any rate, it needs to be sewn up again as a little scissors fob.

So, there you have it. My finishing lineup for January 2011. How many do you think I’ll actually finish? There are 28 finishes to be done, if you throw in the two that aren’t pictured. I’m hoping for a lot of success, but I can tell you right now that I see those two Nantucket basket topper finishes going by the wayside first, if anything.