How I Stitch

It is still bitter cold here and we are expecting about an inch of snow some time today. Supposedly we are expecting more this weekend but so far the weather forecasters are not saying much. I was at the grocery store this morning and there was still bread and milk so they are still not talking. LOL I am pretty much doing housework and laundry today so I figure I will use today's blog entry to tell you how I stitch. This is in response to a few comments in yesterday's blog entry.

First off, I don't like working on just one project at a time. I get bored easily and I don't just like doing small things so I tried working it out so I can work on one or two or even three biggies and then add in some small things to get that satisfaction in having a finish. Having a finish also gives me such a motivation to get something else finished. So Anneke, in answer to your comment, I will be stitching but just not on Coffee. I set myself a goal to finish before I move on as Coffee is one of my big projects. The goal for Coffee was to finish one page of the 9 pages of the chart. The other big project is my Fire Dragon by Cross My Heart. I started this in the fall of 2003 and it is for my DS who wanted a dragon for his room. I picked up a few dragon designs and this is the one he wanted me to do first. Since that project is on black 28 ct. Monaco, I need to put it down every now and then or otherwise I would drive myself insane. LOL

About the time I started Fire Dragon I was working on three of Chatelaines mystery designs. These are very labor intensive and are worth the effort. They are also WIPS. I found I was getting nowhere with anything. So then I started doing small things. Most times I leave them for car time or waiting time or to bring with me somewhere where I know I will be able to get a few stitches in. In other words, I like to have something portable at all times. You never know when you will get a moment to stitch. It is nice to work on something small during the day and then in the evening I settle in for stitching on my big projects.

About the time I started this blog, I found the Rotation BB. I read tons of messages and learned about so many ways to rotate projects. I joined the BB and worked on a rotation that would be right for me. Well it fizzled. There were some weeks (I made a weekly rotation), that I didn't want to switch or I didn't have time to stitch. Nothing was getting done. So I thought it out some more and looked at my projects. I also started Coffee in this time. Well the directions that Mystic Stitch gives are so clear and so doable that I started working in grid blocks. I have to admit that I don't strictly adhere to working in the 10 X 10 grid block on the chart. I find myself working in about 4 at a time. It took some getting used to, but I like doing it. So I applied this to my dragon. You see, when I finally picked up the dragon after not looking at it for about 6 or so months, I couldn't find my place where I left off. I did note it on a post-it note but the note got lost somewhere in my move last summer. So I picked a spot on the dragon and worked within the grid blocks. Of course some are not done and I will fill them in but it makes it easier.

For instance, with this "rotation" of my dragon, I plan on doing 8 full grid blocks and filling in 7 grid blocks along that row. This will go to the right side of the ear of the dragon. Of those 8 grid blocks, about 6 of them are only two colors so I will go across those 6 blocks instead of stopping within the 10 X 10 block. It was very easy to pick up my dragon this time as I saw where I left off and just started working underneath the row that I completed a few months ago. Anneke, if you want to see my dragon, go back into my September Archives. (scroll down a bit) You will definitely see a picture of it.

Now to answer Jo about thread parking. Jo, I don't thread park. My sister in law is doing Augusta by Mystic Stitch and she is doing the thread parking. She read about it on the Golden Kite web site. It makes a lot of sense and she loves doing it, but when I look at it, I just see a tangle of floss. But I have to tell you that she is making great progress. I finish off my threads and this is why I normally go out of the block I am working in. If I can reach another spot (like 3-4 stitches away), I will do that. But I did end my threads when I reached the bottom of the page. I plan on going across the design so that is why I did that. I don't want to start the next part of the design underneath what I already did. It will keep my design relatively clean if I go from the top of the design to the bottom. Right now Coffee is in my 11 X 11 q-snaps and once I get the top of the design finished, I will switch to either my scroll frame or 11 X 17 q-snaps.

It doesn't sound like I have a lot of projects started, but I do. Besides Coffee and Dragon, I have Chatelaines Mysteries II, III and V. I also have my Celestial Prayer as a car project. I would like to work a Chatelaine into the mix but right now I want these two designs done and I have a few waiting in the wings that I want done too.

I hope this answered the comments and gave you a glimpse of how I enjoy my stitching time. I really do and it relieves my stress and it also leaves me the option of switching projects or starting something new when I feel the need.

If you would like to look at some of the sites I mentioned, here they are. Be prepared to drool as the designs are beautiful and the explanation of thread parking is there too.
Mystic Stitch - www.mysticstitch.com
Golden Kite - www.goldenkite.com

Have a great day everyone and stay warm!!!!
GO EAGLES!!!
WE ARE SO CLOSE TO THE BIG GAME!!!