Stitching Blogger's Monthly Question.

The lovely Lee (Lake Stitcher) has taken up the torch of the SBQ, and this is the first:

Suppose we say that there are two types of stitchers.   

There are those who enjoy the “process” of stitching.  They stitch for stitching’s sake and if something gets finished, so much the better, but it’s not necessarily the end goal.   Primarily, it’s the application of needle and thread to cloth that makes them happiest.

Then there are those who are “project” stitchers.  They move steadily through their projects, certainly enjoying their stitching time, but finding their greatest joy in the completed stitching.  

If you had to pick one to describe yourself, which type of stitcher would you be?  I imagine that we could all say that we fall somewhere in between, but really think hard about this and try to pick just one.  And once you’ve decided whether you’re a Process or Project stitcher, tell us if your recognize that approach in other parts of your life.

I think I've changed as I've aged. The reason I had/have so many UFOs is that stitching was a process thing for me - the stitching was all, and even if I didn't particularly like the project, I had to stitch with whatever resources were available at the time.

As resources increased there was more available to my taste, and I wanted to make things to decorate my home, even if it was just a rented room in a shared house. And as my skills increased, I wanted to make gifts for people - and of course, gifts come with deadlines...

And now I'm older, I'm more conscious of the use and misuse of resources and the impact I have on the environment, and so I'm working through my stash, and deciding what I want to finish. I think I'm also more aware of wanting to enjoy what I have, and what I've worked on. A project stuffed in a drawer isn't filling its potential ... which is partly what the Year of the UFO was all about.

As a knitter, I'm much more of a project person, and always have been - which is rather bizarre, but I put that down to knitting mostly practical items which I need and will use.

SBQ

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Terri and is:

What items do you consider essential to your needlework that you keep in your stitching bag?

I only have a small cosmetic bag which I take on my travels, but it's surprising how much fits in there:

- current project on a hoop
- threads for project
- chart for project
- scissors + fob + pocket
- magnetic needle case - usually containing size 26 John James Petites, but quite often an assortment
- stitch unpicker
- sewing cotton in a contrasting colour (for gridding, or to mark boundaries for borders etc)
- crochet hook (to give back to friend at next stitch and bitch)

If I'm nearing the end of a project, then I pack in the next one too, with it's own hoop. If I'm going to be travelling by plane, then the scissors get subbed out and I add my Clover cutter.

SBQ

Today’s SBQ is:

Are you starting something new to celebrate the New Year or participating in “Guilt Free January?” If so, what are you planning on starting?

I'm making several new starts this month, but they are all obligation pieces - a sampler I've been commissioned to stitch, a gift, and two cards, plus an exchange piece!

SBQ

Today's SBQ was suggested by Nancy
(http://crossesnkisses.blogspot.com/) and is:

Do you do anything special to your threads before putting them through
your fabric to make them more manageable?

For ordinary or overdyed flosses, no. For rayon, I swipe it with a very slightly damp make up sponge - it helps stop the kinkies. For metallic braid, I don't use anything, but for metallic stranded floss, I use Thread Heaven (when I can find it). Also, for metallic floss, I use shorter lengths and knot it to the eye of the needle.

SBQ

When you have to frog out stitches, do you reuse that thread or do you
start over with a new strand?

It depends how much I have frogged - if it's only a few stitches, and the thread looks in good condition, I will reuse it, especially if it's a specialty thread or an unidentifiable thread from a kit and I'm worried about running out.

I don't tend to reuse thread if I've frogged more than a dozen stitches, or if it's a metallic thread, as the wear on the thread can make the restitched area look shoddy.

SBQ

As asked on Stitched With Love and Cat Hair:

Would you ever stitch one of your BAPs a second time? (This does not include starting over because of mistakes, bad fabric, etc., rather stitching something from the first stitch for a second time.)

I don't really stitch very big projects, and I can't conceive that I would stitch them twice if I did! However, I'm going to be stitching another version of the wedding sampler I made for my sister (although in a different colourway) at her request - for her sister-in-law. And I have a large blackwork sampler my best friend always admires, and one day I will stitch her a version too ... she deserves it after nearly twenty years of love and support!

SBQ

How did you get started stitching? Was there a person that inspired you?

I've always been "crafty" - I could knit before I went to school, and I had my first stamped cross stitch kit given to me when I was 6 or 7 - it became my first UFO :o)

My mum, especially, was and is a stitcher, and my gran and great gran were very good knitters and dressmakers. Mum taught me the basics at a very young age, and was quite unhappy with the way we were taught needlework at school - and the fact that the standards expected were rather lower than hers! I think because of the way stitching was taught, and because I never felt I could match up to my mum, I didn't serously do any embroidery until I was in my early twenties. I bought a kit (of Piglet, from Winnie the Pooh) for my sister's birthday, intending for her to stitch it. My mum said to me that it would be a waste of money, as my sister would have no interest in it. I was broke, and had no money to buy her another gift, so I set to and - up against a tight deadline - finished the kit! And from that moment, I was hooked...