As much as I try to stay organized, like most things in my life, all my cross stitching stuff is in a state of disarray. Bit by bit, I am trying to get it all sorted out to the point that I have a steady inventory of all cross stitching necessities, an organized archive of patterns, a time sheet to keep track of how much time I spend on each project, and a cross stitching planner in which I keep track of the half dozen projects I usually got going at one time. This blog post will serve as a reference point for me in accomplishing all that.
Also, I got chewed out this weekend by my aunt and cousin for not stitching my signature on what are now family heirlooms. So I guess I gotta start practicing my… stignature.
Here are a few bullet points on how to be a diligent cross stitcher.
INVENTORY
- several hoops of different sizes
- at least one skein of every color of DMC thread, and I check inventory and re-up every six months
- several types of fabric: important stock are 14-ct white/black aida and a couple 28-ct evenweaves
- a small cross-stitching supply pouch in various locations (home, work, travel) that contains scissors, needles, tape measure, fine-point sharpie, anti-fraying stuff, and the plastic thread holder things
- keep track of all my inventory
PLANNING
- have a calendar for events, occasions, birthdays, etc.
- start cards a couple weeks in advance of the event
- start bigger gifts a month or two in advance of the event
- keep a list of projects I want to complete within the next year
- replace threads in my traveling thread holder every week according to finished and new projects
TIME KEEPING
- spend a couple hours on a couple different projects a day
- turn on a timer while I’m working
- keep track of time spent on each project in a notebook
- take progress pictures of bigger projects every week
- get all my materials together every month for upcoming projects
Hopefully, doing these things will help me be more efficient and finish more projects. I should try to start all these things right away. I’ll post updates on how it’s going.
For now, enjoy my newly finished needlebook.
