WIPs for July

Here are some pictures of my current WIPs. The photos aren't all that great since our digital is the most basic of point and shoot type cameras with no zoom or telephoto options. But they are the best I can provide at present:

First, up is Raise the Roof's Crabby All Year: I seem to have a compulsion to finish this piece and have been working steadily on it since early in June, when I frogged back to the error in the April block that caused me to consign it to UFO status for three months. All I have left to stitch is the last row, Oct-Nov-Dec, and then I'll stitch the buttons onto the bottom two rows and off to the framer it goes ... probably mid-month. Of course, I am waiting for the third row button pack to arrive from The Silver Needle, since during all those months of ignoring the piece, I managed to mislay the original button pack. If I do find the first one, which I probably will two days after the second arrives, I really won't mind ... it has buttons I am likely to use in other projects: two starfish, a blackbird, a butterfly, two leaves, two plain gold discs and a pumpkin. Not a hardship to have them in the stash.

Second, the Prairie Schooler Santas: So far I've only started the 1995 Santa, a rather New Age-y kind of guy surronded by cosmic symbols. He will be joined this month by the Knitter, Cross-Stitcher, Sewer and Quilter.

Third is a real UFO revived: The Mystic Stitcher's Hideaway Pocket, I haven't worked on this in at least four months. I'd like to finish the pocket and then move on to the scissor case and fob. I figure I'll save the needlebook and tuffet for August.

Fourth, another UFO, even older this time: T. Wentzler's Autumn Faerie which I haven't touched since January when I get all involved with the 5 piece Sue Hillis marathon. All I have stitched are the bodice, shoulders, face and neck ... I hope to make considerably more progress this month since I intend it to be a Christmas gift.

Fifth, and yet another UFO, M-Design's Sean Name Tree: not only do I hope to get this one done in July but I hope to start Christina's as well.

Sixth, a recent start, using materials sent by my Secret Sister in a past round, the Peacock Biscornu. I'll have to frog back to my errors, noted with tailor tacks, and then finish the top. I have ordered some more 28 ct Laguna in both cream and aqua to see which will make a better bottom. I figure I'll stitch just the outer border on the bottom. I have ordered the handpainted Just Nan peacock bead to use as the centering button. If that doesn't work, I do have two purple pansy buttons that will work with the color way but it will mean changing out the lettering in the inner square of the chart: I could use my initials and a date or I could make it into a Secret Sister Exchange piece and use the SS's name for the next round and then send it as a reveal gift. Decisions, decisions.

So it would seem I am back to my old habits, having five or six WIPs in a rotation.