Hello my blogging friends! January got away from me and I thought I had better make a post before February disappears! Though when February is over, I will be even closer to Spring. But I really cannot complain about this winter. Temps have been above normal for the most part and we have not gotten much snow. Yay!! I will take it! The days do seem to be going by so fast for me. Maybe that is why I hurt my back over the weekend. In too much of a hurry and twisted wrong. So, I have been taking it easy the last couple of days and getting in lots of knitting and cross stitching. Today I will share with you what I have been cross stitching on.
Let me introduce you to Holly Berry Pixie from Bella Filipina Designs.
I fell absolutely in love with this pattern when it was released in December. I could not get her in my hands fast enough! I ordered right away and then went stash diving to find the perfect fabric. And boy did I find the perfect fabric!
The fabric is more pink than this photo shows and I think it is very similar to the fabric shown in the design. It is 16ct aida from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics (the dyer is no longer dying fabric) and I think it has been in my stash just for this design.
My floss toss with the threads that I have on hand. I definitely think this fabric will work well with all of the threads. The pattern arrived on January 6, well before I expected and I started her right away. Well, after digging for a scroll frame first, LOL. So, yep, I have added another WIP to my pile. And I needed the break from the Fox & Rabbit Mystery SAL. I hope to finish this one so that it can be displayed on my wall, somewhere, for the Christmas holidays next year.
My start. I am loving every stitch of this one. I love seeing her come to life on the pink fabric.
The red just pops on the pink fabric. Her skirt is so cute!!
This is where I left her last night. I am loving this pattern so much. Even the berries 😉
So that is my first new start of 2023. I am hoping that I don’t get sucked into too many cross stitch starts this year as my pile is still driving me crazy. In fact, let me share my pile.
My Local Yarn Shop is doing a Bingo card to help knitters and crocheters get their yarny WIP’s February Finished Objects. The shop owner suggested gathering all of the WIP’s and putting them in a pile to see what we have. Since I am caught up on my knitting projects with just 2-current project and a travel project, and no crochet projects, I decided to pull out all of my cross stitch WIP’s. There is a blanket I had started that has to be abandoned because the fabric has yellowed 😦 And another project that was started that I probably won’t continue with. There is one more project that I will be adding for sure, but this is the pile. I would like to make good progress on all of these this year and maybe finish a few. My ultimate goal is to get back to one cross stitch project at a time. That is my ultimate goal every year, though, LOL Do you have a WIP pile? If so, how many? I’d love to hear about your WIP’s.
Happy Stitching!
Ginny
My Time Stitching 
I have the beginnings of a WIP pile with two I’m actively working on and two more waiting on me to get to them.
I do love your little pixie, and the colors really pop on that fabric!
I hope to see more of your work!
And yes, I’m eager for Spring as well. I enjoy stitching outside in the sun and the natural light a lot.
I hope your back gets better!
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I am trying really hard not to start any new cross stitch projects. Except for the one for my son that I have yet to start. I really don’t want to add to my WIP pile, but I feel the urge getting stronger, LOL
I have been plugging along on the Holly Berry Pixie and have really been enjoying it. This summer I am going to make a point of stitching outside in the natural sunlight. I don’t think I have done that very much at all. Come on Summer!
My back is doing much better. I am still having to be careful as I can feel that twinge every now and then, but much better. Thank you ❤
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Holly Berry will be so pretty on that fabric.
I have 4 WIPS. I don’t like to have a lot of WIPS because then I have trouble finishing them. lol
I now am working on Virtue by La D Da.
Marilyn
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I think 4 WIPs are manageable and just enough to keep from getting bored. I will celebrate when I get to 4 😉
I am also looking forward to stitching some small projects in the future.
Happy Stitching on Virtue 🙂
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oooh that’s a lovely new project, and can’t believe how many you’ve got on the go ^^ I’d get mixed up with so many. I only have 1 xstitch project in the workings.
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I want to be just like you, Claire93! 1 stitchy project sounds heavenly!!
Does it count that I have stuck with just Holly Berry so far? LOL
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lol you seem to thrive stitching on several large projects, and be quite organised with your rota. I used to be able to juggle, but these days, 1 project in each type of craft is enough for me: 1 xstitch, 1 knitting, 1 crochet, 1 patchwork and 1 diamond painting lol.
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Hope your back feels better soon. Your fabric for Holly Berry Pixie is just perfect, and I too immediately thought it looks just like the one in the design! I can tell you really like Pixie since you seem to have made great progress on her already. 🙂
I wish you luck for your single-WIP goal. I recently wrote about how I’m feeling more comfortable not being a monogamous knitter / stitcher anymore, but I think I still have a long way to go before I reach your current-WIP level! 😉 If I include non-fiber projects, and projects I’m thinking of starting this month, I’m probably at 6-7. I’m looking forward to seeing your updates on your featured WIP pile (and probably quite a few new projects) this year!
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Thank you, Anita. I have made even more progress on Holly Berry. I am addicted to her!
I have done well with my fiber projects, with only one travel project and one currently working on. some day I will get there with my cross stitch.
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Gorgeous fabric..total envy here. Love the pattern you have chosen. That is a lot of Wips for sure. I have in my wipe 2 cross stitch projects, 2 quilts, 2 knitting, 2 crochet,and 2 needlework ones.It’s the Not yet Started ones that are more concerning.. About 50! For which I have everything ready to go. Plus of course the stash! Good luck.
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I am so happy to have found the gorgeous pink fabric in my stash.
Sounds like you have great control of your WIP’s. Let’s not go where the “not yet started projects” are, OK? LOL That category is way out of control for me and I am afraid I will not be able to get to them in my lifetime. But it is good to have stash, right?
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That fabric is just amazing! Perfect for the design.
Love all your WIPs on their frames, just ready to be picked up to stitch on again.
I have 17 at the moment, I get them all out on the Longest Day and stitch on each one. Other than that I tend to focus on a few each month.
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I was pretty lucky to have that perfect piece of fabric in my stash, Joanne P. But then again, pink is my favorite color, so I have several shades of it. This one was perfect for Holly, though.
I think it’s great that you pull all of your WIP’s out and give them some love on that particular day. Every stitch on each one gets you that many stitches closer to a finish. Every stitch counts 😉
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I’m there with you and wanting Spring weather to come and stay. Our area is warm and sunny, but I fear it won’t last.
‘Holly Berry Pixie’ is so cute. It sounds like it was meant to be for you to make it. Don’t you just love it when your supplies match your plans/patterns perfectly?
I like your collection of wips. I think it’s good to have them set up, started and ready to stitch. It makes it quicker when your in the mood to stitch one of them.
Right now I have 3 projects going. I hope to finish 2 of them soon. The other one might be years longer, I love it, I just can’t stay with it for long at a time. lol
Have a great week. Take care, I hope your hurt back heals soon. Healing hugs to you.
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I do love it when everything comes together easily for a project, E.C. It doesn’t happen often, but it is great when it does. Sounds like you are doing great with your WIP’s. It is also nice to have a looooong project that is always there to work on when you want, like a year long SAL. Happy stitching on all of your projects.
Thank you for the healing hugs. The back is getting better. Much, much better than it was a few weeks ago, not at 100%, but then again, it probably won’t ever be 100%. I am just trying to be conscious of how I move and still taking it easy. Can’t wait for Spring to get back outside to walk. I am sure that will help in the long run.
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I absolutely love it! The reds in it just pop, beautiful! Winter here has been wonderful but I just heard we may have a snowy March.
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Thank you, Indianeskitchen. I am really loving all the stitching on this one.
We had our 2nd ice storm in a week. The sun is out and most of the ice from yesterday is melting away. Yay! We are getting snow on Friday and I have a feeling you are right. We are way below our average snowfall by 1/2! I think Mother Nature is going to send us all the snow she can in March 😦
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I think posting your pile of all your WIP’s is by far one of the coolest things I have seen. And then we could pass it on for our crafter to do regardless of the craft and then lag the person you got it from and then post the challenge to others that read your blog with the caption “I’ll show you my pile if you show me yours”. Just a fun thing.
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