The People Choose…

Series of designs! Thank you, Jo for providing such an interesting theme to discuss! I enjoyed thinking on this topic, and look forward to others’ posts as well!

Even though from my blog posts it may not seem like I don’t do much stitching of series, I certainly do a lot of collecting for it! And I do love seeing others’ stitched series!

My first series is the big Joyful World calendar from The Snowflower Diaries. I believe I started it, and almost finished, in 2017-18. It is shameful I haven’t finished the border yet. I loved stitching it and it does deserve that finish! In honor of the theme this month I’ve put a few lengths of thread in on it, that whole long wavy line on the right side. I really got into working on it again! I guess I ought to move it back into my monthly rotation to get it done! And in case you didn’t know, this whole design is free from The Snowflower Diaries and you can still find it here!

Another series I have been working on for years is the Beyond Cross Stitch series by The Victoria Sampler. This is a great series for learning new stitches and getting a little low-investment practice on some trickier things. I’ve made quite a few, but not all are FFO’s. Here are some. But I feel like I’ve hardly scratched the surface of what I have to do! Each “level” has 10 projects and there are 6 levels! I do not have all of them, and I’m sure I haven’t even done half of what I’ve got.

Now if you gave any thought to “Mary” and “series” before you started to read this post, you probably first thought of my Mill Hill ornaments. I’ve stitched quite a few Mill Hill series…they are mostly packed up at the moment so I’ll just show a few I’ve taken group pictures of. I’ve done all the musical instruments:

5 of 6 Santa faces:

5 of 6 snowflakes:

I also have plans to continue working on my Mill Hill Kings, snow ladies, mittens, stockings, bauble ornaments, full body Santa’s, butterflies, eggs … I’m a Mill Hill addict. What can I say?!?

As you have recently seen, I also love Just Nan’s series of Mice. Mice on needle rolls, mice in houses, mice by themselves…I just like the mice. I’ve made 3 now. I have 4 or 5 more Gingerbread color ones to make and a handful of ones from other seasons.

I also like the Just Nan seasonable humbugs. I’ve made one, with several more I want to make.

Jeannette Douglas has also had some great seasonal series of smalls, especially recently! I love her seasonal pillows, of which I’ve made 2, and I plan to make the other 2.

I’ve also made one of her round pin cushions with plans to make at least one more. It is hard to choose as they are all so pretty!

I think with series my biggest concern with series is getting in over my head! But that hasn’t stopped me from collecting some series of charts for that elusive “someday.” Here are a few of my favorites:

It wouldn’t be a proper “series” post hosted by Jo without mentioning the 12 days of Christmas! This is a series that I profess to love yet have never stitched! I have the chart of the Just Nan and the JBW versions of the 12 days. And maybe one other one? I couldn’t find it. I do enjoy seeing all of your projects, you who are stitching 12 days. For now I will just admire your projects, and someday pick which one I want to commit to!

Next…I love these seasonal scrolly swirly alphabets from Sisters and Best Friends. I imagine stitching them all and then swapping them out of the same frame seasonally…

I also love several of the Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers series, including especially the “Spring Summer Fall” sampler:

Another cute little series I’ve collected but not yet stitched are Little House Needleworks…The Sheep Virtues

And I have 1 other huge series, which though I may never stitch, I will always admire the charts for, and that is the Prairie Schooler Alphabet:

Isn’t it wonderful? When I was in 5th grade we had an art assignment to make an illustrated alphabet poster inspired by Graeme Base’s Animalia:

Mine was SO detailed I never finished it (HA!!! And thus began a lifetime of unfinished projects! I just tell myself that creative endeavors are as much about the process as the product and that is how I sleep at night!) It *might* still be floating around my parents’ house! But the Prairie Schooler alphabet reminds me of that and that’s why I like it so much.

Well, this post has just revealed to you that I very much enjoy series, and that I have got gobs to stitch, and I should never ever complain about my stash!!!