Incoherent Scribblings

SBQ: Storing Stuff

Today’s SBQ was suggested by Jennifer and is:

How do you store your WIPs and other projects that you have kitted up?

I store WIPs and other things that I have kitted up in large Ziploc bags. Each project has its own bag that contains the bare essentials of chart and fabric. As I rotate my projects and switch to something different, I pull the necessary floss and other embellishments out of my stash.

Once the projects are kitted up, they are stored in the little nightstand beside my bed. The projects are on the top shelf and are supposed to be in the order that I am stitching them.

Finally, the project that I am currently working on is stored in its Ziploc bag with fabric, chart, floss, and embellishments and left in my stitching bag. That way when I go somewhere everything I need is already in the bag and all I have to do is grab it and go!

Rotation Round Three

Here is my progress on “Above the Clouds” after I completed ten hours’ rotation on it. I am getting awfully close to finishing the dragon now. Since I refuse to be too strict with myself, (I never cooperate when I am too strict with myself. ) and because I probably only have an hour left, I am going to allow myself to finish Confetti’s wing before I move on to the next round of my rotation.

Though I have enjoyed stitching Confetti, I have also been thinking about the next round of my rotation. It is the third round on my new ten-hour system and so far it seems to be working great! I feel like I might finally make some progress on things again.

Round three has been a tough choice. I have two projects that are waiting to be started and I have been trying to decide which one to stitch in this round. Originally, I planned on starting “Spring Queen.” However, I really want to set her up on my scroll frame so I can finally try it out and right now I just don’t want to set the darn thing up.

Of course, I also remembered that I had planned on starting “Summer” of my Four Seasons Cats during summer. Well, it has definitely felt like summer here for the past few days so I was thinking now might be a good time to start her.

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Though Catherine-Michèle’s birthday present was mailed, it has not yet reached its destination so you will have to wait for pics of that.

I can show you what I stitched for my partner for the May Flowers Exchange though: A scissor-fob-needleroll from The World of Cross Stitching’s Springtime Blooms Pansy Alphabet (February 2006) for Natty. I love the way I finished this one… I can’t wait to do the “R” for myself!

The Final Robin?

Last evening I completed “Caterflies” Cat number one for my square of the robin that I have been working on. This is one of the robins I organized last year and unfortunately it fell apart rather early due to bad circumstances. As the organizer I am still trying to get the situation sorted out, but I guess that is one of the downsides of running such a group.

The robin got off to a rocky start when one person didn’t mail on time. When she finally did get the package mailed, she sent it to the wrong address and it was returned to her. At that point I began having my doubts about the person, but I decided to give her a second chance because, as we all know, things happen.

Eventually we all got our fabric and the second round began, but then another person in our group was in a car accident and couldn’t stitch while she was recovering.

We decided to cancel the robin when the second person was in the auto accident. At this point, the first person had two pieces of fabric, neither one of which was hers. She also stopped responding to all correspondence.

Though person one never replied, I asked everyone to send all fabric to me and then I would send each piece back to the respective owner. I got my fabric and that of the first person.

However, the first person never mailed the others’ fabrics to me and I told her that until I got the other ladies’ fabric back, I was keeping hers. Once again she didn’t respond so I kept her fabric in its envelope and patiently waited to get the other ladies’ fabric back.

After a while I decided that it wasn’t fair that the third person in the robin not get her fabric back, as she actually participated fully and mailed on time. The problem was, I wasn’t really sure how to handle the situation. It isn’t like I could go to the first person’s house and demand the fabric back… she lives hundreds of miles away!

Finally, I decided that I would give the first person one last chance: I emailed her and told her she has until July 1 to mail the fabrics back to me. I will stitch my square as is my obligation and if I get the other ladies’ fabric back, I will mail her back her fabric as I always said I would.

However, if I don’t receive the other ladies’ fabric by July 1, I will send her fabric to a substitute stitcher and have it finished. I will then mail it to person number three.

Of course, it means that person number three won’t get back her own fabric, but she will be getting a robin back that was completed by three of the four people in her group.

And with that I am finished with stitching and moderating round robins… at least for a while.

SBQ: Challenging Projects

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Ish and is:

What has been your most challenging project and why?

I think I would have to say the “Passing Admirers” was my most challenging project. It wasn’t particularly difficult to stitch, but when I decided to stitch it my entire outlook on stitching changed.

Before “Passing Admirers,” I was used to stitching small projects that I could finish in days or weeks, not months or years. Stitching (and eventually completing) it taught me the patience I needed to have in order to stitch BAPs.

“Passing Admirers” also brought about my rotation system and kept my interest active in stitching. Since then I have attempted a variety of ways to rotate my projects, but I always have a rotation.

I guess I could say that in addition to being my most challenging project, “Passing Admirers” was also a significant factor in my stitching evolution.

Project Challenge Addendum

It was beginning to outgrow its little corner again, so I went though my stash the other day. I put the things away that I am not using right now and sorted through my fabric and charts.

The fabric was fairly straight-forward: I don’t have a lot of fabric to start with, so the determination I made is that I need to order some soon. I definitely need some 32 and 28 ct linen in neutral shades, but when it comes to the hand-dyed stuff I am still trying to decide if I want to do it myself again or let some place like Silkweaver do it for me.

I sorted my charts and my handful of kits into three piles. One pile was stuff that I have either already stitched or don’t think I ever will. I am not yet ready to part with these items, but at least once I am I will have them already segregated. The second pile contains charts that I still like and hope to stitch someday, but none of them are “calling” to me at this moment. And the third pile has the charts that I would stitch all right here and now if I were Super Stitcher.

As I examined the three piles lying on the bed, I decided I wanted to document the patterns that had attained the third level as these were patterns that could easily make it to (or already had made it to) the Project Challenge List. As I stitch and complete projects, my project challenge list has been evolving, so I concluded an addendum would be a useful way to help me decide what to stitch next. In other words, my challenge is staying at 26 and I will just use the list with the charts to help me fulfill my goal of completing that many projects. (See the Project Challenge List and Addendum.)

After all, I fully intend to go on a shopping spree once I have completed my 26 Projects!