Last week when I was stuck at work, the week D-R-A-G-G-E-D...but this week, when we are on vacation, it's flying by! I haven't had a ton of time to stitch like I planned but I've started Prairie Schooler's, Prairie Birds and Scarlet Letter's, Sarah Tatum. Also, I decided to pull a wip from my enormous pile (ahem..) and work on it for a while. I chose Hillside Samplings, Hillside School of Needlework. I haven't touched it since 2004 (wince!) and I really don't have a lot to finish on it. I know I have finishing anxiety and I planned on adding a verse to the sampler instead of the personalization so that meant work, and as a result, it went into the *finish someday* pile. I dislike backstitching (ick) and the entire house is backstitched for bricks. Plus, I made a mistake in the fence area and it needed frogging, which I fixed last night. I love the sampler, so I decided to add it to the *finish now* pile.
I also thought about a rotation. I am not one to structure my stitching around a schedule, I usually stitch what's screaming the loudest, but as I looked back on 2005, I realized that I didn't finish any of my Wips. I just added to the *start pile*. This year, that's gotta change. So, this is what I decided to do...I will work on 5 pieces a month. One per week. This is what I've chosen:
1. Sarah Tatum - 1/2 page per month (one evening a week for the SAL plus a full week)
2. Prairie Year and Prairie Birds - 1 motif a month from each pattern
3. Hillside School of Needlework - Wip
4. Whatever screams the loudest - TBD (leaving some wiggle room..hee-hee)
Because I work full time and only have a couple of hours in the evening during the week to stitch before I go comatose, I tend to stitch more on the weekends than during the week. So giving 4 projects some focus time may be just what I need to do to complete SOMETHING in 2006. As one piece finishes another will take it's place. I haven't given up on the list that I posted earlier, I just am prioritizing a bit and tweaking it. Since Sarah and the Prairie Schoolers made the list, the others will just wait their turn. Eventually, they'll get some stitching time. And I haven't decided what to do about the strong urges to start a new project. I do know that I will be curtailing purchases in 2006 cause this week I spent a lot of time organizing stash and my craft room. I am overwhelmed by the amount of stash that I own and I should have plenty to choose from when I need a new start. I love all that I have too, there isn't a chart or kit that I wouldn't mind spending time stitching. I can't give up buying altogether, though, especially quakers and there are samplers that are on my short list too. But impulse buying has to be curtailed somewhat.
So what do you think? Doesn't this sound like a plan? Has anyone tried this method and was successful with it?
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3 comments:
My schedule is much the same - I do most of my stitching on Friday and Saturday nights when we don't have other plans and commitments. I have a few projects I'm going to focus on, but I have to be able to stitch whatever I'm interested at that moment in time. I try to do a number of smaller projects too so that I can celebrate finishes from time to time!
My schedule is a lot like yours. I think your plan is a good one, and based on what you've said about yourself and your stitching, I think the rotation schedule that you've outlined is a nice compromise. It's not the super-organized 10-hour method (which doesn't work for me, either!), but you'll still have some focus. I started something similar a few months ago and it has worked really well so far.
I have been thinking about this too. I am not so good at rotating, but I am going to at least work from a "list". I did some serious organizing, too. I also really don't need to buy anything new, so I am going to try hard (though I am already working on kitting up a new project--naughty!). Sarah is also on my list (haven't started her yet, though), as well as the Prairie Year chart. Since I also work full time--I am in the same boat as you. And yes, I agree--this week has FLOWN by! Already it is Friday!!!
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