Update on the Bucket List 2021

This year my goal is to stitch the “Bucket List” items out of my stash. I’ve finally gotten around to articulating that as a commitment! I guess I’m a little afraid of commitment to stitching projects as I do love to jump around and stitch what strikes me in the moment. But I’ve got a whole basket of Bucket List projects so I don’t think I’ll get bored. I decided not to narrow it down to 12-I think there are probably closer to 20 in the basket. That’s ok. Some will get done, hopefully most will get started, and I’ll get good progress in on things I really care about.

I’ve *almost* finished my first Bucket List Project! Here is Catherine Agnes by Indigo Rose:

You can see I just have those Hardanger corners to finish. I finally decided on a thread to wrap the dove’s eyes (AVAS 100/3 works!). Hey! I learned that Catherine Agnes was designed in honor of the designers grandma who taught her to stitch! My grandma taught me to stitch! And this piece was designed 20 years ago in 2001, the year I got married! (Yes we will be married 20 years this year!) So this piece carries a bit of meaning for me beyond it’s being a beautiful design!

And here is Amy Mitten’s Butterfly. I have the 4 inner wing panels finished with the backstitched outlines and the felt panels sewn in. The outer wing panels have more satin stitching and then some elaborate decoration. I finished the satin stitching on one of them.

I’ve got the hang of it now and will keep plugging away! 3 to go! That would be 1 week of stitching. I will aim to finish the wing satin stitching this month.

Finally, while not made an official member of the bucket list, I have been working on my First Garden…it’s also coming along. It’s quite an enjoyable stitch. Since there are so many repetitions of each stitch you can kind of get into a rhythm with it and just stitch away on a bunch of flowers or leaves.

Do you see the green leaves on the small red flowers? And the tiny purple lavender flowers in the lower left? Those are all bullion knots. I took your advice, you lovely commentators, and bought some milliners needles. They are great! I am having a lot more success and I thank you for that suggestion!

So that’s where I am on things. Nothing’s done but progress has been made! I keep reminding myself of the payoff of this slower stitching and that it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon!