It all began
on September 15, 2012…..
Or rather in
1988, depending on how you want to look at it.
This cross stitch obsession that has been with me since my second
pregnancy and continues on as my first love when it comes to crafts. I have
since been picking up leaflets, magazines, books, flosses, needles, floss
boxes, fabrics, circular frames in the beginning, and then the sturdier
wooden straight frames later on.
In 2004 I
did sell most of my books and magazine collections when my kids and I had to
move to Arizona for a short time to care for my mother, but I kept the
rest. After returning to Alaska, I began
collecting more leaflets and was given books as gifts by my daughter.
Those of us
who have been stitching for some time probably began picking up leaflets with
that one thought of “I’d love to have this hanging in that room” or “THIS would
be perfect for so-n-so as a gift” or some other reason or fantasy that would
justify the purchase of the leaflet or book.
You know you have done it, we all have.
That is the way it is…..in the beginning.
Later on,
it’s all about the getting. The hoarding
and yes I said it HOARDING, of leaflets and magazines and books. All because you are still trying to justify
it by saying to yourself “I want to stitch that one “. Granted, I am not so horrible that I have an
entire building full of stuff, but I did have stacks and stacks of leaflets,
downloaded free patterns, books, magazines and such. Not really very much if you compare me to
others, but still more than a single person can do in a sane amount of time.
Now back to
September 15, 2012….I was chatting with my girlfriend Nancy. It was a lovely chat, we were both stitching
up biscornus and sharing websites and yakking about travel, but somewhere in
there was when the light bulb came on due to a comment she made about never
having time. She is ALWAYS stitching
something and even has an “upstairs” project and a “downstairs” project. I admire this ability to go for two at once,
but for me that is too much. My light
bulb came on when the thought came into my head that I am forever thinking “I’d
like to stitch that” and then never actually stitching. Why is that?
Why not stop putting it off, forgetting about it or just not doing it
and get it done?
And that is
when the idea for the 2013 Leaflet Project began.
I have had several months now to consider what
will be included and have gone through it all to make sure I have every leaflet
and downloaded pattern that has been stuffed in one tote or another.
At first it
seemed very daunting. I found that
during that time of “hoarding” I would pick up STACKS of leaflets that were at
yard sales that I would not even consider doing because it wasn't my
thing. It was a stack of leaflets for a
buck! Yes, I know, I’m trying to
justify, but the thought was that there had to be at least one or two that I
would actually like to stitch. Yes, you
read correctly. LIKE TO STITCH. Not the same as GOING TO STITCH or WILL BE
STITCHING. More like a backup plan or
deranged idea, or feeble fantasy to cover up the fact that it was straight out
HOARDING. I said it again!!!
I had quite
a bit to go through. I was able to take
out the leaflets and kits that I won’t be doing and would never stitch, and
found a wonderful person to send them off to, so they will be useful to
someone. Then I let the pile sit for a
bit while I rummaged around a bit more to find any stragglers, which I did, and
add or delete them from the project list.
I have one
stack of 31 Leaflets and Kits. Doesn't sound like much right? Half of that pile
has two or more patterns in each. It is
at this point I will not continue with the math, other than to say that by just
doing this pile alone; there are well over 100 projects. This does not include WIPs, UFO’s or the
downloaded free patterns OR two particular projects that were promised several
years ago which could fall into the WIP and UFO category, but I refer to those
two as the “Guilt Projects”. I suppose
that can be a sub-section to this project all by itself!
Join me with some stitching throughout the year! To be clear, I do not plan on getting EVERY leaflet and pattern stitched in one year. The point is to get what I can done and stop waiting for that magical day to arrive when I completed every last project I've ever thought of doing. Less thinking, more doing!
So today,
January 1, 2013 we embark on an adventure that will certainly teach us many
lessons along the way. IT IS TIME TO
BEGIN THE END OF PROCRASTINATION AND THE “SOMEDAY” MENTALITY AND STITCH THOSE
PATTERNS!!!!!
Told you I'd rush home to read this. This sounds like so much fun. It's funny though, that same conversation got me thinking about actually doing smaller projects, I'm so obsessed with the big ones. So for the next year. The upstairs project will be a small (5x7 or less) and downstairs will be big, starting with one I got in Skagway
ReplyDeleteOUTSTANDING! I remember we did discuss that, so I'm glad to know you made a decision :D I'm clapping now (you can't see me doing it but it's happening)and can't wait to see what you do!!!
ReplyDeleteMy brother gave me a pair of Dimension's kits for Christmas, both 5x7 and kindof matching, think one of them may be started soon as the small project.
ReplyDeleteOUTSTANDING! Are you going to show WIP on dA?
DeleteYup, not putting up the ones I'm on now because they are both so close to being finished, but once I start the new ones I'll be joining that fun.
DeleteWhy aren't there emoticons here?
DeleteIt's wonderful to read how you dealt with all the leaflets and decided which to do :D
ReplyDeleteSee I KNEW there was a good reason I collected all these magazine cuttings etc! I was creating a hoard!
Bon Voyage! May your adventure be one you (mostly) enjoy without too many pitfalls :D I'll be jumping up and down while waving pompoms to cheer you on :D (well ok... I will in my head - I doubt my joints would like me actually doing it)
Ha! I KNOW I'm not alone with the hoarding :D You have already taken huge leaps ahead of me my digging out all of your UFOs and going for it.
DeleteJumping and cheering in your mind is much safer and easier on the body!