Made some decisions this morning. I feel overwhelmed by my stash again cause it’s EVERYWHERE! I need to get a grip and stop purchasing stuff that’s cool but may never get stitched. I waffle between collecting for someday to actually buying to stitch. I do feel burdened by it. Change is in order. I must evaluate my purchasing decisions and sort of rate my wants into catagories like:
• If I don’t buy this now, it’s going to go OOP and I will never get it or pay exhorbant prices to acquire it.
• It’s cute, but it can wait.
• It’s part of a set. I need all the pieces to complete it.
• It’s a foreign design and it may not be available in the future.
I know there are more categories that need to be listed and I’ll have to rate them. Maybe I will be able to curb my impulse purchases if I use some sort of rating strategy.
So, to quell that overwhelmed feeling, last night I put away some of my patterns. I need to go through my binder that I call my Short List. That binder contains things that I would love to stitch with a listing of how I want to stitch & finish them. It’s amazing how my thoughts about what I want to stitch change within months as most of the designs will get refilled into their proper homes and other patterns replace them.
Anyway, I decided that I was going to properly put everything away, and only leave out my current WIPs and 2 or 3 projects that I ABSOLUTELY want to begin. Then, I realized that most of my WIPs are large and not anywhere near completion. Only counting on big WIPs to stitch will frustrate me from lack of progress. So my plan is to rotate through the WIPs with a side trip to the smaller projects to keep me motivated and happily stitching. The new starts must be small projects and must come from my CURRENT stash. No new purchases except for fiber and linen, if necessary.
Here is a listing of my current WIPs with the percentage amount of completion. These pieces are what I want to concentrate on for the remainder of the year with the occasional ornament or holiday piece.
Large:
Sarah Tatum – 10%
Time & Seasons – 10%
Beatrix Potter - > 5%
Medium:
John Foster 1885 Sampler – 30%
A Prairie Year I - ~40%
Small:
Scared Silly – 50%
Rose Sampler – 35%
House Exchange – 20%
Miss Mary Mack – 60%
Exchanges:
Currently, I owe 2 exchanges.
New Starts. This category is for pieces that I may want to start during the time that I am concentrating on working and finishing some of my Wips. The criteria for these starts must be that they are small, simple, and easily completed. Finishing should be simple also.
Right now, my short list consists of 2 small Halloween pieces and one big piece that I want for my Florida room. This list is subject to change as I fondle my stash.
• Light the Way – Blackbird Designs
• Scary Wabbit – Sheepish Designs
• Ann Davies - Ackworth 4 Sampler
Isn't tweaking fun?
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3 comments:
Do you think beating ourselves up over the size and variety of our stash, whether we missed a row or miscounted a stitch is a common trait for us stitchers? I do the same thing...and the next time I go to the LNS, I find something else to buy! My "short" list gets longer and longer. I like your new look, and I scrolled down and looked at the pictures of your beautiful room and the windows showing the fields. Yummy--it was soothing to me to look at it from here, so I can only imagine how much you must enjoy it.
Thanks for visiting my blog! Yes, I believe that it's a stitcher's affliction, I think it's that *waste not, want not* syndrome. I try not to get too wound up about it but sometimes it is so *in my face* that I start feeling guilty.
Thanks for the comments about my room too, it's just about done now. It's a very nice place to relax!
Good for you Joanie on your time spent organizing. Every now and then I do this too - it makes me feel good. Doesn't prevent me from buying more however! LOL!
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