February WIPocalypse

It's starting to feel like spring outside which means we are due for a good dump of snow.  Sighhh I'm ready for winter to end.  

This month WIPocalypse question is  What stitch-a-longs (SALs) are you participating in this year?

I don't have one at the moment, but my friends and I have one tentatively planned for around Halloween, now the last time we planned to start the same project at the same time, was when we planned to all stitch The Lion King, that was 2016 and so far I'm the only one who has started it and that was in 2020.  We shall try to do better this time

As for Lion King, I didn't get as much done as last month, but still some good progress,  I plan to make this my One Month Challenge where you "pick one of your WIPs that you’d like to focus on, and put a minimum of one stitch per day, every day, in that project for the month of March" 

I'll still do Winter Snowfall on Thursdays but will start at noon so I can fulfill the challenge requirements 

On other news, I have rebooked my vacation that I should be on right now, for next year, hopefully travel is back on the menu by that point. 

As for what I watched

Critical Role

Quest and Chaos plays Pandemic Legacy - I watch Season 1 and 2 a while ago but then they played Season 0 and I got hooked again so I’m back to watching them all (on Youtube)

His Dark Materials Season 1 - So well done, I can’t wait to find a copy of season 2

Under the Dome Season 3 - They should have stopped at two, it was a pretty week season, though the finally was fairly satisfying, glad I watch it, but don’t think I’ll keep the series.

White Collar Season 2 - A fun series to watch given how many dark and depressing things I’ve been watching lately 

The Hunger Games - You don’t watch these to be cheered up, but damn is it a good story.

January WIPocalypse

 The technical day for this was Sunday, but my weekends are Thursday  and Friday so expect me to be late a lot, luckily the creator of this SAL doesn't mind late.

The Question of the Month is Tell us about a WIP on which you’ve really struggled to make progress. Explain its history. What appears to be the reason you’re struggling?

And the answer is that I don't have one, the Lion King is taking a bit longer than usual, but that's because I decided to do a bunch of random smalls last year.  but this year it is all Lion King all the time

 

Except Thursdays, that's when Critical Role is on, and as it runs around 4 hours  I decided that would be when I focus on Shannon Christine's "Winter Snowfall" 

Other than that it's quiet at work, which mean experimenting, anyone have any good cookie ideas? They have to be feasible on a large scale, for example our chocolate chip cookies take 4.5 kg of both flour and chocolate chips.

As for what I watched

Critical Role

Quest and Chaos plays Pandemic Legacy - I watch Season 1 and 2 a while ago but then they played Season 0 and I got hooked again so I’m back to watching them all (on Youtube)

Sleepy Hollow Season 2 

His Dark Materials - Season 1 - Now this is an excellent adaptation.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 & 3  - Much better sequels than most movies have,  I adore this series.

Great Expectations - PBS version from 2012, a decent version, I’ve never read it so I don’t know how faithful it is, 

The Hunt for Red October - The first of the Jack Ryan movies and by far my favorite, most of the other ones try to hard into making him an action hero, also Sean Connery is wonderful as the Russian sub captain, actually the whole cast is great.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - I have never quite figured out how Disney got away with doing one with so many sexual overtones.  A much darker story than some and the music is glorious.

Once More Into the WIPocalypse - 2021 edition

 Well this year got off to a better start than last year so hopefully that's a sign of things to come.

I've been doing this SAL for a few years now and it's probably the only reason I remember to keep up this blog, so lets start it off. 

This months question is:

Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

Hi, the name is Nancy or if you search for me around the internet I lurk  her and there as Katjakay especially  on Deviant Art and Tumblr. I've been stitching for nearly 15 years now and have a tendency towards doing bigger projects, not HAED big (though I do have a couple patterns of theirs I just haven't done them yet) but usually over 8x10" 

Currently my WIP is The Lion King from the Disney Dreams Thomas Kinkade kit, and I've been working on it about a year, though not as steadily as I usual do, but I plan to finish it this coming year. 

 And that's it, I only have one WIP.  Sometime this year I hope to also do this lovely Shannon Christine design,

as I have the perfect red fabric for it, but I haven't got the beads for it yet, I might alternate weeks with Lion King or maybe one will be stitched during movies and the other during a series.  I don't know I'll figure it out sometime.

I'm also an avid photographer so don't be surprised if a waterfall or two show up sometimes.

The other thing I throw on this blog is what I've watched while stitching, a short list this time as the last blog was only a week ago.

As for what I watched

Critical Role

The Mandalorian  - Season 2 - all - This is such a good series can’t wait for more

Sleepy Hollow Season 2 Episodes 1-2 Still enjoying this series but I remember that season 2 wasn’t my favourite. 

Holes - A great movie technically for kids but has a twisting storyline that makes it fun for anyone

The House with a Clock in it’s Walls - This is an excellent kids movie great story, well acted and some cool special effects as well 

How To Train Your Dragon - I know I say it a lot, but this is an absolute favourite I could watch this over and over again and have.  Maybe it’s the very diluted Viking blood in me.

December WIPocalypse - Wrap Up

To say this year was strange would be a bit of an understatement, after all it started with a power outage on New Years eve that lasted until the 2nd of January.  I guess that was just a precursor of what was to come.  I was luckier than most pandemic wise, in small town Canada there wasn't a lot of infection but certainly a lot of weird people paranoia. Social distancing didn't affect me much as I am a fairly solitary person anyway and since I am a baker my job only got busier.  I do miss going to movies though.  Mostly what this year did was cancel things.  Back in Febuary I had tickets to Denver Pop Culture Con, Cirque du Soliel's Axel, and a cruise to the Antarctic.  All of those went away,  hopefully the cruise will happen in 2022.  

I did get a lot of stitching done though after all they year had to be good for something, so here is where my progress is on the Lion King which I started in February, 

My big finish for the year was the Birds and Blackwork Flowers Sal from Lesley Teare 

And I did a lot of tiny things this year so here are all my finishes.

As for what I watched

Critical Role

Blind Spot Season 2

Avatar the Last Airbender Season 1 - Just as good the 2nd time round

Bohemian Rhapsody - this one is just brilliant and joyful and the music is of course, divine

The Hobbit - Not as legendary as LOTR but still a fun watch 

Beauty and the Beast - The new one - which is a pretty note for note remake but Luke Evans makes a fabulous Gaston

Aladdin - Shhh don’t tell anyone, I prefer this remake to the original

High School Musical - All three - I know they are corny but they make me happy

Santa Clause 1 and 2 - I’m not actually that fond of three so I didn’t bother this year but 2 is my favorite

The Muppet Christmas Carol - Interestingly this one is really accurate to the book and also it is adorable

White Christmas - A must watch for the season

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - This one is just ridiculously  fun and whoever cast Alan Rickman as a depressed robot is a genius 

November WIPocalypse

 The year is almost over and for me it means that it's time to start stitching ornaments, one of my favourite things to do

Novembers question is What new discoveries did you have in the stitching world this year?

I can't say I've really discovered anything new this year except that I rather enjoy doing smalls as well as my beloved BAPS, I've done more smalls this year that I think I ever have before, and it's been fun.

I've had a busy stitching month starting with the Birds and Blackwork Flower SAL and it's second to last birdie

And then come the ornaments, This was a little kit I found on sale from Design Works

This Madonna and Child is from Snowflake Stitchery (Sarah Richards) from the 2019 Just CrossStitch Christmas Ornaments issue

And this is a Mill Hill kit Snow Crystals from the Charmed Ornaments series

Critical Role

Sleepy Hollow S1  Icabod Crane meets Rip Van Winkle meets Cop Show meets Supernatural.  Of course I love this show.

Blind Spot  - Season 2 I’m really enjoying this show, It’s smart and twisty and well acted

Harry Potter 3 to 8 - I do love these movies and am now going to start a reread of the books. 

Supernatural - The last episodes - In some ways I can’t believe this show is over, if I was a better writer I could write a novel about what it has meant to me over the years. But the ending was exactly what I thought it would be and very satisfactory and tear inducing, and I can’t wait to watch it all again.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald - This was actually better than I remembered it being, though I have to say I am glad the someone else will be playing Grindlewald in the next one, I’m not a fan of Johnny Depp in this one.,

Beauty and the Beast - A tale as old as time…

Hidden Figures - This one is so good it made me go out and buy the book.

October WIPocalypse

October was here and now it's gone.

The question of the month is 

How do you choose what you’re going to stitch on next?

For BAPs I have THE LIST which I haven't updated in quite some time, I should really do that and for smalls, I just grab what I am feeling like, I'm trying to do all my small kits this year and have done a fair job of that so far.

I even had a finish this month, this cute Halloween thing from the Stoney Creek Collection that Carla gave me many moons ago and does count towards the Carla and Leo's Halloween Stitch Along

 

I also have the October Bird and Blackwork Flower Sal  

And have reached the bottom of Lion King,  I am going to work on this one far more next year,

 

As for what I watched

Critical Role

The Masked Singer Season 1-4  So a random comment about one of the mystery singers on season 4 got me a bit curious about this show and I watch one and got immediately hooked.

Under the Dome S02 I am enjoying this show, and they have managed to keep it interesting for 2 seasons now.

Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves - There is so much that should be wrong about this movie, but two things they got very right, Alan Rickman and a sense of humor, which later Robin Hood movies lack. This movie is ridiculous and so much fun, plus it’s got an amazing score.

Hercules - The Disney one,  not one of their strongest, but really enjoyable nonetheless, and I love the character of Meg.

The Hangover - I don’t usually like “men acting like stupid children” movies (ie anything by Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider) as everyone around them acts like it’s normal and even attractive.  This one both gives then a reason for acting that way and goes out of the way to show they were being asses.  Also it has some really funny moments 

Hannah Montana - The Movie - I originally went to this on movie night when it was my friends daughter’s turn to pick, and I really enjoyed it then and still do, I’ve never seen the series and probably never will, but when I want a fun, feel good movie this one works well.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone - I hit the H’s which means the Harry Potter rewatch now begins

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - A solid entry, but not my favorite, though Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockheart is brilliant 

September WIPocalypse

 September was a pretty good month except for the week that we had a haze of smoke from the US wildfires, but it cleared up just in time for me to go on vacation to Jasper Alberta.   

The Question of the month is: Are you a seasonal stitcher, or can you stitch on any holiday/seasonal stitch at any time of year?

I'm usually a seasonal stitcher, at least I'll do Halloween leading into October and start Christmas ornaments in November if they are small, if it's a BAP then I'll work on it year round.

This month I only worked on the Birds and Blackwork Flowers SAL 

And The Lion King, I'm nearing the bottom of the pattern on this but that's just the first three columns at this rate it will take me years, but I suspect that next year I'll go back to my all BAP all the time usual mode of stitching.

That being said though, Sh*tpostSamplers have a SAL going for the month of October that I'm really tempted on, we shall see. 

As for what I watched

Critical Role

Blindspot S01 E14-E22 - Yup, this was good, I’ll have to get the next season

White Collar S01 E01 - 14 I finally got season 6 so it’s time for a rewatch.

Road to El Dorado - Really fun animated adventure that suffers a bit from trying to hard to mimic Disney, mainly in the unnecessary Elton John song something I’d usual love, but they don’t seem to fit the rest of this great story about a couple of charlatan adventurers that pretend to be gods to steal from the lost city of gold

Red River - This is the only John Wayne I own, mainly because I borrow the other ones I like from Mom and she doesn’t like this one. Essentially it is Mutiny on the Bounty set during a cattle drive and has always been a favourite of mine.

Cinderella - The version with Brandy, Whitney Houston and Whoopie Goldberg, this one is brilliant.

Riding Giants - I don’t do a lot of documentaries, but this one was billed as beautiful to watch and I love the ocean, so I went to and it lived up to it’s billing, and have watched it several times since. This is about the history of big wave surfing. I watched it the first time for the promised pretty waves, but it is wall told and very interesting as well.

Raise Your Voice - A stereotypical teen drama starring Hillary Duff, girl goes to music school against father’s wishes. It’s nothing unique but it is an enjoyable watch.

Ready Player One  - Really good near future movie and book though they differ immensely both area very enjoyable and smart

The Replacements - Sports comedy that’s got a good mix of heart and laughs plus a really good cast that includes Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman 

R.I.P.D. - My brother recommended this one to me and as usual he was right and I thoroughly enjoyed it, plus he forgot to mention the bonus Kevin Bacon.

The Rookie - I do love my sports movies and this is a nice one about the baseball coach who was dared to try out for the majors by his students and made it. 

The Mandalorian - Figured since I got Disney+ I should watch this and it’s really fun.