One done

A quick little blog to show that I finished the first page of the fractal, it was only a partial page, but still it is done, never to be seen again, which is weird for me, I'm used to going back to pages for backstitching and beads, this whole stitch only is kind of different.

And here's an update on the Mandala as well, I ended up ripping out some of the orange and changed the shade of it as I wasn't really fond of the first blend I chose.

As for What I watched

Critical Role - And 2017 starts off with a resounding boom

Table Top - Season 4, I gave in and am watching this on Alpha,

Supernatural S12 E02-05  Trying to catch up on this year.

Rogue One - This very well might be one of my favourite Star Wars movies, so much good in this from the great new characters to the cameos form the original trilogy to the return of Darth Vader as a villain, it had so much for me to love

Twelfth Night - I always try to watch this on Twelfth Night itself, and this year it even lined up with the movie project, I just love this story no matter what the version I watch.

Toy Story - The original, accept no substitutions. Also I forgot, or never realized that this was written by Joss Whedon, How is he so great?

Teahouse of the August Moon - A comedy about the American occupation of Okinawa, really satirizes the American psyche. I. remember reading the play in school and seeing this movie then,  which baffles me a bit know as we studied very very little American literature,

John Tesh: Live at Red Rocks - Concert video includes Charlie Bisherat, my favourite non-celtic fiddler.  I love this video partly because Tesh and Bisherat look like they are having so much fun.

2017 WIPocalypse Introduction

So I've done this for a couple years now, and the only difference this year is that I'm not starting midway through Cindy,  I have new projects Mwhahahahaaha.

The question for this month is:  Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

I'm Nancy, known on most random sites such as Deviant Art  as Katjakay, I'm a baker in British Columbia, Canada and have been stitching for 12 years or thereabouts. I'm also a two at a time stitcher and almost always finish one before starting another, in other words my only WIP's are the one's I am currently working on. I have no UFO's, yes my stitching friends find this strange.
My current projects are a RYO Mandala from Ink Circles,

And I am just starting THE FRACTAL

This one should be finished before the end of the year. It is 70 colours on 18ct aida and 200x300 stitches, but it also has nothing complicated, all whole stitches and no backstitching. This is my starting point, first stitch goes in tonight.

Other plans for this year include a Birth Announcement thingy for my niece's baby born on Dec. 24th, I couldn't find anything I like so I'm attempting to design this myself.  A pillow for Canada 150 with help from the amazing Pinky the Pink with the pattern.. Hopefully a few other things, and if I finish Fractal I'll probably move onto the Lurking Sock Puppet which shall get a redesign sometime this year or possibly the Angel of the Harvest which is technically next on the List.

As for what I watched.

Gilmore Girls S07 EP14-22 And a Year in the Life revival - I watched all 7 Season of Gilmore Girls and the revival because I wanted to see how they fit Jared Padalecki into the revival and needed to know the context of his 2 minute cameo. Completely worth it

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt S01 EP01-06- Life in New York after being stuck in a post apocalyptic bunker for 15. years.  It’s cute and almost relentlessly cheerful , For me not a great one to binge but good in small doses.

The Thomas Crown Affair - A solid caper movie,

Tron - Tron is the almost the only reason I spent any time in arcades as a kid, loved that game.  The technology and effects are incredibly dated which is only to be expected of a movie from 1982 but it has a good solid and still applicable storyline.,

Tron: Legacy - Not technically part of The Movie Project as neither Mom or I own it, but it’s sitting there on Netflix and had to be watched. While not as fun as the first it’s still a solid sequal and the way they deaged  Jeff Bridges was amazing.

Final Finish of the Year

I did the year end round up last blog, but I have two more finishes  to add, I finished the quilt and snowman that I turned into an ornament and then sold to a co-worker for them to use for their secret Santa gift

And the Owl Baby announcement thingy for my nephew’s son is done.  Of course his sister had a baby Christmas eve so I have another one to make, but I couldn’t find anything I like so I’m attempting to design it myself.

I have started one more small for the year, a little mandala, not likely to finish before new year’s but it shant take too long,

New Year’s day I will start the fractal, I’m looking forward to it so much,
So happy rest of the holidays to everyone, here’s to lots of stitching in the new year.

As for what I watched.
Gilmore Girls  S05-18 to S07-14  The bingeing continues

Christmas in Connecticut - Cute and funny and  a must watch every year

White Christmas - One of my favorite movies, period.

A Christmas Carol - The best version, we were a day late in watching it this year

Sense8 - A Christmas Special - Setting up for what should be a great second
season

Top Hat - Cute little romance with mistaken identities, which is really just an excuse for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to dance beautifully.  The funny thing about this is, I swore I had seen this movie and while I know the music, this is after all where Dancing Cheek To Cheek comes from, I, in no way recognize the story, How did I miss seeing this before?

WIPocalypse Year End Round Up

No finish this week, but both my projects are really close,

and there is even a small possibility of one more before the new year if I choose something small, and then it will be onto the fractal, I have done very well in delaying it till 2017

The WIPocalypse question of the month is -  Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc).

I have so many finishes this year compared to most, I finished the Magical ornaments,

a bunch of Christmas smalls,

 a baby thing,

a chess pilllow,

and Mulan,

Of course the big finish of the year was the two year long project of Cindy, who I never tire of looking at.

As for what I watched.

Critical Role - The almost conclusion of the Chroma Conclave arc, but now we have to wait till January to see what happens.. Cliffhangers everywhere.

Gilmore Girls - S04-15 to S05-18

Santa Claus 2 and 3 - Two is one of my all time favourite Christmas movies

The Polar Express - The holiday train came through town the night we watched this

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - It’s not Christmas until you watch this

The Muppet Christmas Carol - Really it’s perhaps the best version other than the Alistair Sim on, which is watched as close to Christmas as possible.

Whatever happened to....

Whatever happened to the Movie Project you ask, actually you didn’t, but I do, I was so ready to watch all my movies, so many movies. It was three years ago now that I started and I’m only a third of the way through and haven’t watched any at all in the last couple weeks, I got out of the habit of watching one a day, Several things kept interrupting me and then my schedule kept shifting and I couldn’t always figure out where to fit the movie in. But it has not died, the “T’s” are lined up and ready to go, so maybe next year I’ll get a rhythm going again. Wish me luck

I have two updates and a finish this time.  My month of smalls has been a lot  fun, the current small is a little larger than the last couple, I am doing this one on 25ct 2 over 1. Most of the large HAED and similar patterns call for the 25ct and since I have 5 such patterns, I thought I would try it out on a small project, have to say I rather like working with it,

An update on the Owl is more than over due, but as we go into Christmas movie season it will go faster, hopefully the baby will get it before their first birthday.

My finish is this cute little penguin card that was a free kit from The World of Cross Stitching magazine, not sure if it’s from one I bought or one that Carla sent me, either way, it’s cute.

As for what I watched.

Critical Role

Gilmore Girls - S03-14 to S04-14  Bingeing continues in fine form

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Christmas season has begun

Santa Claus - Usually the first Christmas movie of the season an this year is no exception

November WIPocalypse

WIPocalypse for November: the question is What pattern (or designer) is on your must-try-to-stitch bucket list?
I think the designer that I most want to do next is Ursula Michaels designs, those pretty word pictures.  Me being me though  I have this vague plan of changing all the words, but not the design to make them suitable to give as gifts to the Critical Role stars, cause that’s fun, but  this would be a very long project and  who knows how long the show will run.  Maybe at least one for Marisha as she seems to love embroidery,

 I’m really enjoying this whole do small projects till the end of the year thing, though I don’t know if I’ll actually last that long. I am itching to start the fractal.
I finished the ornament for the secret Santa at work, much earlier than last year when I started after the names were given and it came out so pretty

Now onto a tiny penguin for a card
I’ll have pics up of the owl next journals



As for what I watched.
Critical Role:

Attack on Titan E06-25  What a great show, this is all Netflix has, don’t know if there is more or not., but I loved it.

Gilmore Girls S02 E06 - S03 E13  So I’ve been bingeing this one lately, it
took me a while to get into it, but I’m going great now






The Great British Bake Off - I have no idea which season, the Knowledge Network just throws random seasons at us,  but Mom and I love this show, not the greatest to stitch to as I like to watch the techniques used

Doctor Strange - Marvel’s consistency continues, this one was fun

Dala

As promised, I decided to do a few small things before starting my next BAP.  Given the time of year it should come as no surprise that I'm making ornaments.  First up, a little Dala horse.
Approx 4"x 4" on 14ct perforated paper
Three floss colours and 5 bead colours
Started designing October 26th, not sure when I started actually stitching it. Finished November 3rd
I made this one for an entry into the Stitching Pirates Tiny Toys contest, as I judge I can't win, but it's fun to participate. When  I decided to "enter" the contest, these little horses came to mind, with a Swedish Father they are all around the house and I played with them when I was a kid, so I went looking for patterns, there are quite a few and I liked none of them, so I made my own.  Dad has already claimed this one and asked when I will do a blue one to go with it.

As for what I watched - it will return next blog