2020 - A Year in Review

I have heard a lot of people complaining that this year has been so long. I definitely don’t feel this way at all. I feel like the year has flown by. 

It was definitely a productive cross stitch year. I went for quality, not quantity this year and completed 10 projects and 2 of those took all year to complete.

Just Nan

Miss Pansy Mouse (Spring)

Rosebud Tweet

Frosty Snow Mouse (Winter)

Miss Strawberry Mouse (Summer)

Miss Ghostly Pumpkin Mouse (Autumn).  Just realized I haven't assembled this mouse yet.  Maybe I should get it done for January's FFG.

UFO

Plaid Trousers

Clare's Flower Bouquet Ornaments

Purple Clematis

Red Poppy

Year long SALs

Peppermint Purple SAL

SYOA - Letters From Hogwarts SAL (Harry Potter)

Other Hobbies

• Card Making - I estimated that I needed 47 cards this year. I made 21 new ones and used 10 extra Christmas ones I made several years ago.
• Reading - I met my challenge and read over 50 books this year (actually 60)
• Theatre Scrapbooks - are now all up to date, ready for when we can go back to watching live theatre performances.
• Colouring Books - I didn’t colour once a month in them. I did 1 autumn page and I coloured on quite a few cards.
• Puzzles - we completed 2 of the 7 we had, and bought a few new ones too which we have also completed. So we still have some left for the winter months.
• Gardening - not a very productive year (too hot and dry), but we had fun trying to grow some new flowers. I finally got my Four O’Clock flower seeds to grow and even collected the seeds from the plants I grew for next summer. These are flowers my Grandma grew every year when I was a child.
• Video Games - I started playing Animal Crossing New Horizons (Nintendo Switch). 
• Blogging - I blogged 273 times for 2020 and only 117 in 2019.

SYOA - Harry Potter Letters From Hogwarts - Happy Dance!!

It has been a wonderful adventure this year at Hogwarts.  I started on January 25 (after receiving my fabric order) and finished yesterday on December 27. For awhile, because of all of the items I kept adding to the project I never expected to finish it in 2020. I felt like I needed to keep adding more stuff because this was going to be the only Harry Potter project I will ever cross stitch. I have LOVED every stitch I made and/or frogged to make this the most perfect personal completed project. I’m going to really miss working on this project.

Completed project. I plan on framing it with a simple black frame. I want to enjoy all of the colours in the project.

Top banner.

The 6 Chapters.

Bottom banner.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #8

I have completed 4 of the 7 books. 

Books 1, 2 & 3 complete.

Book 7 showing all 7 horcruxes.

I am working on book 6 right now.

Peppermint Purple (Green) - Happy Dance!!

Today the last block (week 52) was released on Peppermint Purple Facebook Group.  I decided to complete this project before going back to SYOA tonight.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #7

Friday night I started added the images to represent the book titles. I decided to stitch by colour. I stitched with black floss (Harry’s glasses, Riddle’s diary, cauldron, deathly hallows) then I used a yellow gold colour (horcruxes - corner of diary, locket Hufflepuff cup, ring).

Saturday night I added more black (dementor), then yellows (moon).

Last night I finished yellows and greys(moon and clouds). Then had to frog the dementor because it didn’t line up with the moon. It was only when I started stitching the green (basilisk) that I realized I was a row short on all of the books. That is why the moon and dementor didn’t line up. I’m not frogging all of the books. I’ll adjust the images in the space to work.

Peppermint Purple (Green) - weeks 50 & 51

Last night I finished the outline on book 7. Today I pulled all of the colours to use on the inside square for each book.

I had time last night, so I got caught up on the Peppermint Purple SAL.  Last block (week 52) will be released this Wednesday.  I think I will stitch a plain border around the whole project before framing it.

Week 50

Week 51

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #6

I accomplished a lot of stitching yesterday.  I finished book 5, then started and finished book 6.

I even had time to start book 7.  I can’t wait to finish this last book outline, then I can start stitching the images to represent the title of each book.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #5

I made great progress on Book 5 last night.  Plan to finish it today because I’m spending the day cross stitching.

Peppermint Purple (Green) - weeks 47 - 49

Last night I finished the 5 letters on the right side of the phoenix, so today/night I thought I’d catch up on the Peppermint Purple SAL. I was 4 blocks behind. I only have 1 more then I’ll be all caught up until Wednesday when the next block is released.

Week 47

Weeks 48 & 49

Here is the whole project.

SYOA - Flying Letters - update #2

Last night/early this morning I finished the 6 flying letters on the left side of the phoenix.

Tonight we are going to watch some Christmas movies, so I will work on the 5 letters on the right side of the phoenix.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #4

Last night I finished the outline on book 1 and started the small group of flying letters on the letter side of the phoenix.

I have completed 2 1/2 letters of the 6 in this group.

I love how it looks with the books at the bottom and letters at the top.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #3

I finished the outline of book 2 and started book 1.  Sorry my photo is a little wonky, it was taken early this morning.  They are stitching up fast because I designed them all the same just changed the colours for each book.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #2

I finished the top of book 3, thought the whole book was done and started on the top of book.  I’ll work on the bottoms another night.

SYOA - Flying Letters - Update #1

Friday night (early Saturday morning)  I finished the letters above the Knight Bus and started the ones above the Hogwarts Express.  

Tonight I finished the ones above the train and did the one in the phoenix’s claws.

I have left the year out until I know when it is complete.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - update #1

I finished backstitching all around Book 3 and added some more purple to the book.

SYOA - Flying Letters

I decided to mix it up a bit and do some letters at the top. They went faster than I thought they would, I only have 1 more letter to fill in above the Knight Bus. All the stitchers in the Facebook Group complained about how long to stitch because of the fractional stitches on the edges. I usually stitch with 2 or 3 needles at the same time because I backstitch as I go, so I don’t make a mistake with counting all the 1/4 stitches on the edge of the letters. 

SYOA - Harry Potter Books - book 4 outline completed

I completed the outline on book 4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  I decided not to try and back stitch the words under Harry Potter.  Instead I stitched an “x” for each letter in the book titles and also at the bottom for the author’s name J K Rowling.

SYOA - Harry Potter Books

I decided to work on the books at the bottom, starting in the middle with book 4.  I plan to do all of the tops, bottoms and outline of each book.  Then I will fill in each book cover design after.     

Thank you Jo and Clare for your opinion about the flying letters.  Yes, I also think the letters will be worth the effort to stitch them.

SYOA - Phoenix - Happy Dance!

I did complete the phoenix on Sunday, but it was too dark at night and yesterday was also dark and dreary with lots of rain.  Last night the rain turned into snow and today it is still snowing, but it is bright outside.  I finally got some more photos of my project.

The phoenix up close above Hogwarts.  I only had to substitute one floss colour.  It called for using Kreinik Vintage Amber, but I swapped it for DMC 3829 on his chest and wings.

Here is the top portion.  Do you think it needs some floating envelopes above the Knight Bus, Hogwarts and the Hogwarts Express Train to fill in the empty spaces?  The project is called Letters From Hogwarts.

This is my layout idea with the letters. Let me know if you think it is too much.  Do I really need them?  That would save me some stitching. :). Yes, the letter in the phoenix’s claws says SYOA AC2021, because I’m not expecting to finish this until early 2021.  Unless I get everything completed in the next 4 weeks.

Here is a photo of my wand with the 4 small house crests.

And finally the whole project so far.