It's finally Sunday - a day of rest, reflection, renewal, and slow stitching! Why not join us as we get out our hand stitching projects and put in a few relaxing stitches?
I have an interesting dilemma for you to ponder today. While cleaning a closet I found this old cross stitch. It was stored with the magazine pattern from 1991. It's so close to finishing. What would you do with this project dilemma? Force yourself to finish it? Donate it to a thrift shop?
I don't know what to do. I still love the pattern, and my completed stitching is so pretty. But truthfully...
1) I'd rather be quilting than cross stitching and
2) it's been waiting for 20 years!
Maybe I'll just toss it back into the closet? What would you do?
This week I have been slowly stitching my meditative embroidery project. There are so many things I/we cannot change. While serenity and acceptance feels elusive most of the time, I do have moments when I am stitching that I experience glimpses of my serenity goal.
What are you learning and hand stitching this week? Do you have UFO's that you have rediscovered and don't know what to do? Let's commiserate together!
28 comments:
I would definitely keep it. Put it somewhere you can see it & work on it when you feel like it.
Hi Kathy, if you truly don't want to finish that cross stitch project you recently discovered hiding away, please don't toss it out, or back into hiding. Maybe offer it to one of your stitching friends to give it a new home. That would save you feeling guilty, and your friend would get an almost done project to stitch and enjoy, and thank you for it.
The wisdom in the embroidery you are stitching is as relevant today as ever it was. As for the 20 year old cross stitch, it would be sad to have it languish in the closet for another 20 years. Perhaps gift it to someone who loves to cross stitch.
How about getting a friend to finish it in exchange you can finish a UFO for her or add binding or something you enjoy to help them finish a project... that is how me and my bestie do things... I bet one of your friends would finish your cross stitch for ya! Kathi
I might try adding a few stitches to see if it at all interests me. You may be surprised. If it doesn't interest you, I would find a friend who could either finish it for you or for themselves. I wouldn't put it back in the closet knowing you will never finish it. It is too pretty for that. I too find my stitching to helpl keep me calm. Have a great week. Once again, thank you for hosting the link up.
Oh My Kathy! Please save this project it is so beautifully cross stitched, finish it. If we live closer I will finish it for you.
That's a sweet cross-stitch design! I think your choice to finish it or not should fit what you're feeling is most enjoyable these days. Have a lovely Sunday, whatever you choose to work on!
I have one of those as well, a cornucopia I started for a Thanksgiving project more than 20 years ago. I messed up the spacing, and would need to re-imagine a few rows in the center, making some of the fruit larger or else rip out hundreds of stitches. It isn't complete enough to frame, and it is too far along to rip out. I can't see the charts anymore, and enlarged them so I could see them, but like you, I just have no interest in cross stitching anymore. I should donate it, but I just haven't. I just don't think anyone else would be interested in finishing my work, especially since there is a mistake in the stitching.
If I knew what I was going to do with the x-stitch when it was finished and if it wasn't going to take too long to finish and if I could see well enough to finish it then I would finish it. If not I would put it back where I found it and THINK I'll finish it later because I put so much time into it already. I don't think I would be able to take it to the thrift store. I have to say that ages ago and over the years I have finished different things I have picked up from the thrift store. I found hunting for those treasures a lot of fun. And I still have a little box of those treasures I never finished. Now where is that box?
Do you know anyone that would finish it for you?
When I come across old projects I triage them on two things.
First, are the pattern and materials there? If short on materials, can I easily source them?
Second, would I start this project today? Could I gift it gladly or do I really want the finished piece? Is it so close to a finish that it makes sense to just crank it out?
If the 'zombie' (back from the dead) project passes on both, it gets worked into my rotation - like my Unicorn above. if it fails the second, it gets donated. If it fails the first, it is recycled or trashed. Using that criteria, I would donate your cross stitch.
Hi Kathy, I would tuck it away. There was a time when I did much cross-stitching and then quilting too became my favourite hobby but now as my finger get more arthritic with hand quilting and my back complains about even short periods at the sewing machine, I enjoy having a cross-stitch project to go to.
Oh my, don’t throw it out! Check out Deborah Harry’s Etsy website and facebook group. She makes the most amazing project bags from old linens, cross stitch, and needlepoint pieces. I’m going to finally make use of a pile of old hand embroidered pillow cases from my mother-in-law to make these bags. Good luck!
Hummmm..... Take a few stitches on a Slow Stitch Sunday and if that dose not do it for you then think of it as remnant or small scrap and make it into a coin purse or cover a small box or....?
The consensus seems to be that you pass that lovely piece along; surely someone at one of your groups would like to take it on. These days I'm reminding myself about time well spent...how I spend time as it is precious. My only hitch with that is I love to do it all, :D. Happy Sunday Slow Stitching, Kathy.
WWID? If I would use it, I would set a goal date, finish and frame.
If I wouldn't hang it in my home, I would see if anyone wants it to finish. If not, I would take it to a thrift store and release it!
I think I would pass it along to someone who would like to finish it. It is too beautiful to toss away.
if you lurve it (NOT just "love" - it's gotta be LURVE) tuck it away again till cross stitch makes your boat float again (it's taken me 21 years to WANT to cross stitch again) ... or you could think about Vonna's idea - Vonna/Twisted Stitcher makes things (drums, ornaments, pin keeps, etc) out of stitcheries that have lost their initial appeal, and calls them done ... or add it to your guild's donate pile - because someone somewhere will lurve it as much as you did when you started it
just want to add that I LURVE your Unity quilt!!!
I would probably finish it. If I thought I would use it, especially then. I finished an old one recently, it was a Santa. I'm so glad I did. And I discovered a new group of young stitchers in my community. That's fun!
Hi,
I would finish the embroidery piece..it's too
pretty to leave. Have a great day!
How about finishing the cross stitch and incorporate it into a mini quilt? Could be used as your center block surrounded by quilt blocks. Nothing too fancy...blocks could pick up the colors in your stitch!
This is such a pretty project, Kathy. How about work on it for 5 minutes a day? I do that sometimes on projects that I like but have a hard time finishing up and in no time they seem to be completed an my excitement grows. Have a wonderful week and thank you for hosting the link party.
My thoughts on your cross stitch project, if you don’t feel like working on it right now, put it back up. It doesn’t look like it takes up a lot of space. I have gotten rid of things and then regretted too many times, so I am more cautious now.
Honestly, Kathy, if you don’t love working on it anymore, donate it. I’ve been doing that lately and wow! It’s amazing how much more I’m enjoying creating.
As a young bride, I couldn’t always afford to purchase kits, so I haunted second hand stores looking for supplies and such. You may just bless someone with an almost finished project! 😊
Oh yes. The practice of letting go is hard. Just because we accept something doesn’t mean we like it, though, right? We just accept that we cannot change the situation. A hard lesson to learn indeed. Hugs to you!
It is a lovely project, however, it seems like you are over it. I’d let it go and enjoy your quilting time without it hangiing over your head.
Oh wow. It is beautiful. You have to spend your Sundays finishing it. You can’t toss it….. Peer pressure.
I would try to finish it, but I certainly understand if you let it slide in the trash can! Hugs
Come on Kathy finish it...it is embrodery but just the same cross over and over and over with some back stitching! It is too pretty not to finish.
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