A Second Organizational Post

I am not sure about anyone else, however, when I don't feel well and cannot concentrate on stitching, there are times when I clean and organize. This was one of those times. I conducted an inventory on not only the Bin O'Shame as it is now, but those bins that have things kitted up and are waiting to be stitched. I figured that I was due for one in the five months since the first organizational post back in February. 

In that post, I had the following in the Bin O'Shame:

38 in the Small Bin O'Shame 

38 in the large Bin O'Shame 

11 in their own storage bins, 6 of those are Heaven and Earth Designs of various sizes and starts. :)

One queued up in my desk.

One in the Q-Snaps.

Total: 89.

Some of the projects were removed for various reasons such as re-stitching on a different fabric or I had lost the chart (more than likely as not I probably gave it away!). This left a total of about 81 or so projects that needed to be stitched up. I had set a goal for myself to stitch 25 of these projects before the end of the year. I accomplished that goal on Saturday, July 25, 2015 by completing the project that was to have been my father's 51st birthday gift.  Since then, I have completed one more and I am hoping to get to 30 before the end of the year. I have set aside those projects that could conceivably be stitched within the next 154 days. If I do not manage to make that goal, I am ok with that, as I managed to get the original 25 completed. Anything else is icing on the cake. :)

At this moment in time, here is what I have managed to accomplish from Tuesday, February 24, until today, Thursday, July 30, 2015:

As of Tuesday, July 28, 2015:
Original Total: 89
Removed 7 for various reasons, leaving 81 as the final total. 
26 stitched as of Friday, June 26, 2015.
Total Left: 56



Total stitched from both Bin O’Shame and Non Bin O’Shame finishes: 36 as of Saturday, July 25, 2015.

Then, naturally, being the glutton for punishment that I apparently am, I took inventory of the projects that I have kitted up and ready to go. I literally had no clue that is was this bad. I am seriously considering going through them again, and weeding some out. This obsession/hobby/addiction that I have has become totally out of bounds. Case in point: 

24 in small bin #1

17 in small bin #2

13 in small bin #3

31 in large blue bin

Total: 85

HAEDs kitted up and ready to go: 7

Combined total: 92

Combined total with Bin O'Shame projects: 148



*THUD*

I could stop buying things now and would never run out of stuff to stitch. I really should be ashamed of myself, but oddly I am not. I really am hoping to stitch at least a good portion of this mess I have gotten myself in. Next year, I am sincerely hoping to accomplish the following:

1. Pare down the Bin O'Shame projects down even more. Although I am rapidly running out of projects that will be quick to finish up, I would like to see at least 10 more gone from that bin. (I'd be even happier if I could get it down to just the HAEDs I have started!). 

2. Begin wading through the ones that are waiting to be stitched. There is no way on the face of God's green earth I am going to get 148 finished up in even 2 years, but a small dent would be nice. 

3. Stitch the following project from the Holding Pattern Bin:

A. Lady of the Flag by Mirabilia

B. Nautical Map by Maria Diaz

C. Flapper Lady by Joan Elliott

D. Fairy Tale Castle (Neuschwanstein) by Sheila Hudson

E. Any of the Primitive Needle OOP/Rare charts that I have

F. Any of the Prairie Schooler patterns that I have

The next few stitching years should be fairly interesting, to say the least. I know that if I do not get serious with paring down soon, I will *have* to do it within the next couple of years. I'm not getting any younger, and one must be realistic about these things. I will probably wait until I get another urge to paw through stash again. Then I suppose I need to figure out if I am going to sell through my blog or just have contests. So, watch this space! :D

Well, I had best be off. Tons of stuff to do. Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

An Organizational And Statistical Post

I love how sometimes one thing leads to another and things just, well, snowball. I am a member of a number of cross stitch discussion groups and on one of them a member had asked how many WIPs we had. Posting of pictures was also highly encouraged. I knew I had wanted to take another inventory of my Bin O' Shame and take pictures in order to show the world that I have no self control when it comes to my hobby. Here are the results after counting and organizing them:

38 in the Small Bin O' Shame

38 in the Large Bin O'Shame: 

11 in their own storage bins, 6 of those are Heaven and Earth Designs of various sizes and starts. :)

One queued up in my desk.

One in the Q-Snaps.

Total: 89.

Keep in mind that I am sitting on a 20+ year collection of stash and I have a chronic 'Ooooo, shiny!' condition that compels me to purchase and start more than I will ever probably complete.

The good news in all this, that because of that post my craft room got a wee bit more organized. I didn't feel like stitching last night as I stitched most of the day yesterday, so I went back through the Large Bin O'Shame and took a closer look as to what all was in there. Here are the results of that particular excavation:

1. Out of the 38 in that bin, 5 were removed due to no chart and/or I know I will never finish. I salvaged the fabric and put away the charts that I did have.
2. One more will need floss matching as it is a tiny kit from a UK mag with no DMC listed. I wound up using 2 strands of floss instead of the called for 1 and I'm sunk as to how it's going to be finished otherwise.
3. One tiny kit I found was converted to DMCs from another quite similar chart so it can now be re-stitched on a better fabric. The fabric that came in the kit is an 18 count fiddler's cloth and the pale colors just are not showing up. I consider this a fresh start as I had all of 3 (!) stitches in this piece and left it as the 347 disappeared into the fabric.

Additionally, I collated and counted the projects in the 'To Be Started' bin. 76 in that bin, 6 of those are Heaven and Earth Designs of various sizes. 4 of those were 'shop exclusives' which turned out to not be as exclusive as advertised as the designer released the charts within the same year as stand alone charts. Since the likelihood of my being able to sell these kits for what I paid is slim to none, so stitched up they will be. This will teach me to never, ever sign up for 'year long shop exclusives' ever again!

The projects that I have in the 'To Do' bin are a mix that range from the tiny freebie kits that come with the UK magazines to Heaven and Earth Designs that have 110 pages. Other than my motorcycle, cross stitching is really my only other hobby. I have some years that I have finished less than ten, and others where I have had a high of 35 projects. (Admittedly, none of those were HAEDs, haha!).

I have my bouts of organization. This last one was prompted, believe it or not, by this thread. It was an interesting question and I knew I wanted to take pictures of my Bin O'Shame for another board I am on. This just sort of snowballed, as is my custom :). And yes, it is a bit frustrating, however, the task needed to be done and I am very happy something spurred me on to do it. I had gotten lazy with my craft room. While neat, it just was not very organized, so I took this opportunity to do so.

As for the projects, sometimes I have one in mind, other times I just blindly reach in for one and that's the one that gets picked. The one that is in the Q-Snaps right now is one that I picked back up on the first day of the Chinese New Year. It's a long time UFO (Unfinished Object) called Oriental Fortune by Dimensions. I started this on the aida that was in the kit and hated it, so it was restarted on an evenweave. Right now I have the main portion of it done and just need to stitch the symbols surrounding it and then the borders. And a happy dance will be danced but briefly before I get the one that's in my desk out to finish that one. :)

As for the things that I have where the stitching has been finished, welp, I've taken inventory on that as well. Please bear in mind that I am what I refer to as a 'seasonal' stitcher. Other than my craft room/office, I only put out a few pieces at a time, and those with a seasonal theme, as I believe that this is my hobby, my husband lives here as well, and I am sensitive to that fact. While he takes pleasure at the things I stitch, we don't live in a stitching museum :). Here is the total breakdown of finishes in my possession:

LK Monthly Series- 12

Spring- 25

Summer- 39

Fall- 44

Winter- 41

Miscellany- 76

Total As of Tuesday, February 24, 2015: 237

Finishes by year since Blog Start:

1. Year 2008 finishes -10

2. Year 2009 finishes- 21

3. Year 2010 finishes- 49

4. Year 2011 finishes- 26

5. Year 2012 finishes- 35

6. Year 2013 finishes- 7

7. Year 2014 finishes- 19

8. Year 2015 finishes- 7

Total As of Tuesday, February 24, 2015: 174

I think the blog has helped in keeping me on track with finishing pieces, however, I am really hoping to break my record of 19 WIPs/UFOs in one year. I have a goal of 25 at the moment, so that I can then get back to my QS Maleficent. I miss stitching on her!

Well, I best be off. Tons to do today. Hope everyone is having a great week!

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Respectfully submitted,

C.