Articles by Carol Harper

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Note: Please do not ask me to send charts to you electronically; I respect and adhere to copyright laws, and in so doing, to send you an electronically reproduced chart would put me and you in violation of those laws. Similarly, I will not request charts from visitors to this blog.
Carol Harper

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November 2024 (1) October 2024 (1) September 2024 (1) August 2024 (1) July 2024 (1) June 2024 (1) May 2024 (1) April 2024 (1) March 2024 (1) February 2024 (1) January 2024 (2) December 2023 (1) See more...
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  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - November 23, 2024

    - 4 weeks ago
    IMG 2325
    Today's discussion topic is: "How do you begin planning for the next year with your stitching? Tell us your process." Process? You HAVE to be kidding! ~~~~~WIPS~~~~~ 1. Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches", begun in 2014, on white lugana in mostly DMC 310 (with some scattering of two DMC blues and two DMC greens where metallic threads had been called for.). Only stitched a little on three blocks this time round and didn't finish any of them. SO basically, no progress. so no pboto! 2…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - October 27, 2024

    - 27 Oct 2024
    IMG 2312
    Today's discussion topic is: "How do you organize your WIPs and stash?" Please excuse the sounds of hysterical laughter (bordering on sobbing, to be honest) as I answer this question because organization is my curse and my failure. My WIPs are piled on top of a bag in my bedroom, by my bed (I stitch in bed...), each in its own ziplock or project bag along with the required floss, fabric, and (occasionally) pattern (More often than not, I use my iPad's "Books" app to store patterns a…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - September 29, 2024

    - 29 Sep 2024
    Have the Stitches through 111
    Today's discussion topic is: "How did you learn to stitch?" To be honest, I don't really remember! I know I watched PBS to learn crewel and took up needlepoint soon after, sometime around the late 1960's. I think my first cross-stitch piece was completing an eyeglass case kit for a friend's wife in grad school (late 1960s - 1971). She was trying to make it as a gift for her Mother and give up and asked me to finish the stitching. I guess I just applied my understanding of stitchery from the…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - August 25, 2024

    - 25 Aug 2024
    IMG 2159
    Today's discussion topic is: "Do you belong to any stitching groups or guilds (either in person or virtual)? If so, tell us about them." Easy answer - no. I do some SALs that are sponsored on Facebook by some designers and I do post my progress on their SAL facebook pages but this doesn't strike me as being the same as belonging to a group. As for guilds, I belonged to a quilt guild for several years and was their unpaid website manager for many of those years (even though quilti…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - July 28, 2024

    - 28 Jul 2024
    IMG 2117
    Today's discussion topic is: "Which of your current WIPs do you consider your most difficult piece to stitch?" It all depends on what "difficult" means. Several of my long-term WIPs have difficulty associated with them. Three examples from my current stitching rotation: "Royal Gardens" by Fox & Rabbit, their 2023 SAL: the border. I always find borders difficult and usually pray that they actually meet up. This one didn't! And while I have (just this month) found where I went wrong, it wou…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - June 30, 2024

    - 30 Jun 2024
    IMG 2066
    Today's discussion topic is: "Half-year recap: How are you doing with your goals so far this year?" Here are my 2024 goals, as stated in January 2024: Goals for 2024 (in addition to finishing two Fox & Rabbit SALs): • beading the "Christmas Banner 2023" by Stitchonomy and "Hope & Strength" by Glendale Place • putting at least a few stitches in Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches" • finishing "Kingdoms of Life" by Stitchonomy 1. Fox & Rabbit SAL 2023 - making progress…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - May 26, 2024

    - 26 May 2024
    IMG 1980
    Today's discussion topic is: "How do you personally distinguish between a Work in Progress (WIP) and an Unfinished Object (UFO)?" It's a matter of time away from the project and whether or not the subject/theme of the project is interesting me enough to finish it. In my stash, WIPs are being worked on, albeit slowly and intermittently. For example, right now, I have two "new" projects I'm working on, and three WIPs which get, at most, two or three days of stitching before I move on t…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - April 2024

    - 28 Apr 2024
    blocks 91 - 95
    Today's discussion topic is: "Which designers have you discovered lately?" Not sure that I have discovered any new designers lately. I have found one blackwork designer a year ago: Cliffside Stitches cliffsidestitches.com - I have been collecting weekly SAL pdfs from their facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/976911076971090 , but I haven't stitched anything yet. Been too busy trying to finish up my backlog of WIPs and there is still a huge stash of charts purchased over the…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In: March 31 2024

    - 31 Mar 2024
    Winter 2024 SAL
    Today's discussion topic is: "What colors – and brands – of floss do you love using? Do you have a particular color that you absolutely love?" I don't think I have a particular color or color set that I prefer over any other. I usually go with called-for colors except for more geometric blackwork pieces and the occasional large sampler, where I may improvise. Then, I may substitute a color that goes nicely with my fabric background, often a variegated if I have it, for all-black patt…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - February 25, 2024

    - 25 Feb 2024
    IMG 1875
    Today's discussion topic is: "What stitch-a-longs (SALs) are you participating in this year? SALs form the majority of my stitchery plans this year. Some are long-term WIPs while others began just this year: • Elizabeth Almond's "Save the Stitches", begun in 2014 • "Christmas SAL 2022" by Stitchonomy, begun in 2022 • "Kingdoms of Life" by Stitchonomy, begun in 2023 • "Temperature 2023" by Fox & Rabbit, begun in 2023 • "Royal Gardens" by Fox & Rabbit, begun in 2023…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Check-In - January 28, 2023

    - 28 Jan 2024
    January 2024
    Today's discussion topic is: "Tell us about the oldest WIP you have in your stash." ​ OK, this one is a toughie because how do I distinguish between WIPs and UFOs? I have a stack of unfinished pieces, mainly needlepoint but also at least one crewel piece and several crazy quilts yet to be quilted. But... On my laptop desktop, I have a file folder labeled "Long-term WIPs" in which I have stored the info for five different pieces. Listed in order from most oldest to most recent starts, th…

  • WIPocalypse 2024 Kick-Off - January 7, 2024

    - 07 Jan 2024
    IMG 1817 (2)
    Today's discussion topic is: "Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc)." I really have little new to post here since I completed my December check-in so I will summarize briefly: 1. My 2023 finishes were "Happiness is Handmade", a Lakeside Needleecraft SAL designed by Durene Jones; the "Halloween Sampler 2023" by Stitchonomy; and the "Charity 2023" SAL by The Steady Thread 2. Since the last post, I have made progres…

  • WIPocalypse Check-In - December 31, 2023

    - 31 Dec 2023
    Completed
    This month's discussion topic is: "Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc)." 2023 Finishes (not FFO): Below are my three finishes for 2023. First is "Happiness is Handmade" by Durene Jones for Lakeside Needlecraft, finished August 21, 2023.Next is the Halloween 2023 SAL from Stitchonomy, finished October 23, 2023. On the right is the Charity SAL from The Steady Thread, finished December 22, 2023. All were 2023 starts...…

  • WIPocalypse 2023 Check-In - November 26, 2023

    - 25 Nov 2023
    IMG 1773
    This month's discussion topic is: "What is your favorite way to finish ornaments and/or smalls?" I haven't stitched or "finished" any ornaments or smalls in a LONG time --- MOST of what I stitch is medium to large and intended for a frame or some sort of hanging banner. However, when I DID make ornaments, I usually went the way of flat-folds or pillows. ~~~~~WIPs~~~~~ What I stitched on in November: I decoded that I wasn't making a lot of progress in rotational stitching where…

  • WIPocalypse 2023 Check-In - October 29, 2023

    - 28 Oct 2023
    Fox & Rabbit Temperature 2023
    This month's discussion topic is: "How do you begin planning for the next year with your stitching? Tell us your process." Laughing out loud here because I don't "plan" my stitching. I buy on whim, I star on what feels right at the time, and I stitch - on rotation is there is more than one piece in progress (and there usually is). When a piece is finished, I may select a replacement (which may be a new start or it may be a return to a languishing WIP) for that slot in the rotation or I…

  • WIPocalypse 2023 Check-In September 25, 2023 (a day late)

    - 25 Sep 2023
    Temperature 2023
    This month's discussion topic is: "Are you a seasonal stitcher? If so, which seasons do you find yourself more productive or less productive?" Off hand, I'd say: "No, I'm not a 'seasonal' stitcher." if, by what you man as seasonal do I stitch more in winter than summer, etc. I stitch nearly every week of the year on whatever WIPs and new projects I have on hand. If, on the other hand, you mean do I stitch on "seasonal" projects, yes --- in th past four or five years, I've been hooked on…

  • WIPocalypse 2023 Check-In - August 27, 2023

    - 27 Aug 2023
    IMG 1530
    This month's discussion topic is: "What is your comfort zone regarding the number of projects to have kitted and in progress at any one time?" Right now, I have three pieces in progress. I'm not counting two mostly finished pieces which require extensive beading. Since June of this year, I had four pieces going at once, rotating daily but that was getting to me as they were all SALs and I was/am behind in all of them. I was having real issues in actually stitching any of the four! So in…

  • WIPocalypse 2023 Check-In - July 30, 2023

    - 30 Jul 2023
    TEMPERATURE 2023
    This month's discussion topic is: "Which are your favorite and least favorite fabrics to stitch on?" Favorite is easy - Lugana or Jobelin in either 28 or 32 counts. I tend toward neutrals and white but if a color works with a pattern, I will go with it. Least favorite - AIDA when it's got slippery polyester threads woven in and loosely woven, slub-filled linens. Least favorite color, regardless pf fabric is black... ~~~~~WIPs~~~~~ What I stitched on in July: 1. Fox & Rabbit's…
499 articles in total