Stitching Challenges

Crazy January Challenge (2011)

From the mind of Minna – Introducing the Crazy January Challenge of 2011.

The rules are simple:

1. Start stitching a new design every day, from January 1st to January 15th. So by January 15th you have 15 new WIPs to stitch!
2. Try and finish everything you started stitching during the year 2011
3. Show photos in your blog if you have one, in January and during the whole year while you stitch, as we all love to see photos!
4. If you wish to join, leave a comment with your blog address into this post and Minna will add your name to the list.
5. Have fun stitching!

I’m actually going to use this as an excuse to start 15 pieces which I designed myself, so I can display them as models on my Kincavel Krosses design blog. Perhaps that’s a little narcissistic of me, but as I designed each of my own charts for my own pleasure, and wouldn’t post them for public use if I didn’t like them myself, this is the perfect prompt for me to actually stitch some of the ones I’d like to have around my own home.

My choices:

1. Snowflake Bookmark
2. Ho Ho Ho Christmas Assisi Sampler
3. Oh, Christmas Tree!
4. Welcome Sampler
5. Bog Off Subversive Sampler
6. Winter Quaker Bookmark
7. 2011 Band Sampler
8. Quoth the raven…
9. Hot Chocolate – Liquid Heaven
10. Tea For 2
11. Thanks a Latte
12. Espresso Yourself
13. Oh, Bugger Subversive Sampler
14. Quaker Bookmark
15. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder Sampler

Basket of Biscornu Challenge (2010)

The Basket

When I returned to cross stitching in February 2009, I wanted to start with very small projects to ease myself back into it. In this way, I hoped I would not get bored as I would see progress very quickly and would have a finished product with which to reward myself after a short time.

One of the little joys I discovered during this reintroduction was the biscornu – a little eight-sided cushion – which could be used as a pin cushion or a decoration. I had never even heard of them before and just had to give it a try. I quickly found that they are rather addictive and once you’ve made one, you want to make another, and another, and another…

So in 2010 I will take part in the Basket of Biscornu challenge. Each month I will make one biscornu decoration and in December I will have twelve of them which I can then hang on my Christmas Tree.

Click on each month to be taken to the post with all the details and photographs:

• January (cross stitch)
• February (blackwork)
• March (beaded)
• April (6-faced)
• May (biscofleur)
• June (specialty stitches)