Wednesday 25 June 2008

WOW I AM AMAZED

I have just had to post tonight to say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. Fifteen wonderful, wonderful people left a comment regarding my reorganisation of my rota. I really did not expect any comments at all. The main reason for writing that post was to set it in concrete so to speak before I changed my mind yet again.
Many of you said you admired how organised I was (oh how little you know me LOL). I started stitching about 14 years ago with a little kit I bought whilst down in sussex, it took me about a week to stitch. When I came home I wanted to try again and my son and his then girlfriend (now wife) bought me the DMC Mother & Child Chart. This was really the start for me. I didnt want it in the blues that the chart called for so i spend a good hour or so kneeling on the floor of the shop with all the blues in my hand and every shade of pink they had in front of me until I thought I had the equivelant shades in the alternative colour. I came home and hardly took my coat off before I started and for the next month I did nothing (and I mean nothing) but stitch. I was completely and utterly hooked. This one completed I went to look for some more charts and there was so many and I wanted to do them all now. I started one, but could not settle because another one was calling me, that one started and I knew I should have done the other one first, I am sure many of you will know exactly what I mean, before I knew it I had about 20 projects in my draw, all started but little hope of getting them finish - I had the worst case of startitise you could ever imagine, and I was still buying charts. At the back of my mind I felt guilty I knew I was spending money that we did not have a lot of, on things which were not satisfying me as the minute I started something I was in my mind looking for the next project. I read an article about someone who sounded just like me and she worked on a rota system. I took about 6 things out of the draw, wrote a list and started. I timed myself, 10 hours I only had to do 10 hours and then I could start the next one,
each time I got the end of the rota I took another out of the draw and added that, and I started slowly to get finishes. The day came when I got to the end of my rota and there was nothing in the draw - I got to start a brand new project. For me it worked. Even now I will be stitching away and planning what will come into the rota next, will it be this piece or will it be that piece. But I stick with the rota because I do get to start new projects but I do get to finish things too.
So you see its not a matter of being organised its just a way of coping with an addiction for me.
Sue asked how long I spend on each project. Well that is hard to say because I stitch while I am enjoying it to a great extent. I do try to work on a project for at least one whole day - but sometimes I may get 4 or 5 hours to stitch in a day and others I may be lucky to get half an hour. Also I work my rota Monday to Friday -saving the weekends for SALs and anything that takes my fancy- and I try never to carry a piece over the weekend but I may have worked on the piece for the whole 5 days. However it goes away Friday night and the new week brings out a fresh piece. In the past I have only ever started a new piece at the end of the rota round, so this time putting a new piece in where a piece is finished is just a completely different way to me. It also means if I have two finishes then next time I will have two new starts lol.
Once again thank you to all you wonderful people your comments were so kind and so encouraging as always, it is truely a privilege to have you visit me.

xx
may your frogs stay in their pond.

17 comments:

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

You are such a sweetie! I just love to look at your stitching. So beautiful!

Angela said...

Your first project is beautiful! I love all your stitching and the rotation idea is new to me and such a fabulous idea. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me wonderful comments.

Veronica said...

That's a lovely Dimension piece! The conversion is perfect. Hard to believe that's your first time.

I love all the projects you've chosen. For me, stitching with a rota doesn't work for I hate restrictions. However, I do have a goal I have to complete each time I pick up a piece before I can move on to the next I have in mind :)

Anonymous said...

From a little kit to that ...Wow Helen!! I did lots of little ones first ,I am not as brave as you and it turned out beautifully!

Nicola said...

Oh Helen you sound just like me except that I'm not just disciplined enough to stitch on a rotation basis. I'd break out from it, I know I would.(LOL)I have stopped buying kits and charts of pictures though, limiting myself to charts for things like biscornus and needle rolls. Your mother and child is beautiful with the colour conversion.

Chiloe said...

I don't do rotation but I admire those who do ;) I have a lot of stash too ( I almost got all the Lanarte I love now so I should stop stash shopping soon - because I'm hoping designers will stop making such great designs : yeah right !!! lol )

Erica said...

Helen, I so admire your system!
It takes an enormous amount of discipline to stick to that. When I started stitching, (years and years ago) I found that I wasn't completing things. I would put them aside. Then I would lose parts, they would get soiled, etc. Long story stort, they would fall by the wayside and never get completed. I had to force myself to finish each project before going on to the next (well except with my quilts - I must have at least 7 or 8 that are unfinished)!

Lately I have been under a lot of stress and it helps somehow to stitch. I may not be able to solve any of my current problems, but somehow completing a project seems to give me a certain sense of accomplishment.
Erica

Karan said...

Love your colour changes to the mother & baby piece, it's beautiful. Only your second project too - stunned!
I can so relate to the serial starts. I do try to only ever have 5 projects on the go at once. Doesn't always work, especially when some fall by the wayside, but I have got better over the years. Thankfully Julie & Mr Stick have helped get some of those fallen UFO's finished. ;0)

Christine said...

I hear you! I have so many unfinished pieces I don't even dare count them. One of them is a Lavender and Lace baby one I started when Eloise was born and she is 14 now (hangs head in shame). Perhaps I should try a rota.
Love the changes you made to the mother and baby design

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

What a lovely story on how and why you started your rotation...still I think it is SOME organization, because with me I just can't seem to stay on one! I just make a list of things I have to get done and find joy in marking them off one by one as I finish them...come on Helen admit it your organized! :)))))
HUGS, I think no matter how you stitch...your doing it FABULOUSLY!

Lisa said...

I love the story of how your rotation came about!
I am seriously thinking of trying a rotation once again using your advice from before, but adding in some of the new starts I've been wanting to do for a while.

Julie said...

A wonderful story Helen, thanks for sharing. Love the mother and child piece, what a stunning thing for your son to buy you.

Mylene said...

Your first piece is absolutely beautiful! That's a wonderful story about your rotation. Wish i can be organize as yours.
Have a nice weekend.

staci said...

Mother and Child is gorgeous, and how impressive that you changed the colors to suit you!

I cannot stick to a rotation, I just don't have it in me!!! You have some really lovely things in yours!

Lainey said...

Your Mother and baby piece is gorgeous Helen.
Like many others I just don;t have the patience to do a rotation.
You have so many beautiful pieces on the go. Happy Stitching!
Hugs
Lainey

Cyn said...

Hi Helen,

You mother and child piece is beautiful!

I enjoyed your description of how you designed your rotation system. I've done different things over the years depending on what else is going on in my life. Now that the kids are getting older, I'm back to rotating between projects and I'm making lots of progress this year.

My thoughts on different rotation and non-rotation systems are that stitching is supposed to be fun not work! So whatever works for you is what you should be doing!

You asked earlier about why people don't post comments when they visit a blog. I think the main reason is that there are too many blogs and not enough time. Also, not everyone is comfortable with writing. In addition, I've had problems with some visits that the blogging system is having a "difficult" day and won't let me post. I then try and return to add a comment if possible.

I try to leave a positive comment every time I visit a blog as I know how much I enjoy reading comments. Hopefully as visitors become comfortable with a blog and get to know the person writing the blog, they'll be more willing to comment. Even if it's just a brief note.

Have a great weekend!

Enjoy reading your posts and thanks for visiting my blog. I always enjoy reading your comments! :-)

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

Karen said...

your Mother & Child finish is lovely, I am glad rota's work for you :O)