Stitch Sania has Begun!

 Ya'll know my love of counted cross stitch.  I am wondering why I gave it up for so long.  I started doing cross stitch when I was about 9 or 10.  I remember my grandmother giving me fabric with the blue printed embroidery pattern printed on it to stitch. 

 Then, when I was in junior high, or maybe a freshman in high school, my mom taught me to do counted cross stitch.  I fell in love!  I've done wedding gifts, graduation gifts, stockings and various other pieces.  I did a teacher piece with a bear holding an apple to give to my Aunt Myra for her kindergarten classroom.  She gifted that back to me when I started teaching.  It will always be a treasured piece.

Since I quit stitching and have come back, things have changed somewhat in the world of cross stitch.  There is this thing called Stitchmaynia.  It even has it's own hashtag  #stitchmaynia The idea was to start 31 new projects. One a day for the month of May.  While I ADORE starting new projects, I can not imagine starting that many new ones at once.  I want to stitch on it for at least a week before changing projects LOL  So, needless to say, I have never done it according to it's original premise.

From what I understand this year is the final "official" stitchmaynia.  And no, I am not doing it per it's original premise.  I was on the Lindy Stitches Facebook page, or maybe it was her group page.  Anyway, Stephanie, the Lindy Stitches designer, suggested doing Stitchsania...focus on one project each week of May and then on Saturday start one new project as a reward for meeting your stitch goal.  That sounded like a reasonable plan!

I took out my cross stitch binder - yes, I have one that I use to keep track of the patterns I own, the patterns I am working on, the fabric I own and thread inventory - and got to planning!  Of course, I picked my new starts first LOL  I decided to do a mix of seasons for my starts. These are the ones I am going with:

My May 1st start was Flock Together by Hands on Design.  I dyed my own fabric for this one and I am thinking I need a slate blue frame for it when finished.

Jackalopian Tapestry by Lindy Stitches.  I ordered the pattern, fabric and floss from Stephanie.  I love this!

Liberty Lane by Country Cottage Needleworks.  Once again, I dyed fabric for this.  I'm going to change up the colors for the red and blue houses.  I have some gorgeous hand dyed Prussian Blue thread from Colour and Cotton and I'm thinking Turkish Red by Weeks Dye Works. I have all the materials for this packed since it's going to be the one going with us to Louisiana next week.

Isn't this adorable?  25th: Block Party by Hands on Designs.  I have the pattern, pins, threads and fabric that is called for on the pattern.  I'm excited about this one!

And my last new start for May will be Brr..It's Cold Outside by With Thy Needle and Thread.  I've got some fabric I dyed to do this and I am waiting on some of the threads to come in.  I fell in love with this pattern when it came out and knew I had to have it.

Want to know what WIPs I will focus on this month?  Come back and find out :)

Until Next Time....