Progress Report: Families Photo Album, Part 1

Today’s article is late because I spent today stitching and wanted that to be today’s upload!

This is the project I talked about in yesterday’s article, How Many Days Until Christmas?!

I bought this photo album several months ago with the intent to give it to my grandfather for Christmas. My grandmother, who passed away two years ago from cancer, used to be an avid photographer. She always loved photos. I worked with him over the summer to catalog some of her older photos, as their photo albums were falling apart. So I decided to buy him a new album as a Christmas present.

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How Many Days Until Christmas?!

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Oh my gosh, it’s the middle of November already. Where in the world did all the time go? Can I have have time back, please? I’m not ready for Christmas!

I mean, I am ready for Christmas. I’m from a family where we start decorating as soon as Halloween’s over. I’ve already got Christmas music on the radio. I’ve done a lot of my shopping already. (A lot – but not all. I’ve still got a lot of gifts left.) The boyfriend and I are getting our first tree for the apartment. It’s the kitten’s first Christmas. I’m excited!

What I’m less excited about is that I wanted to do stitched gifts again for Christmas this year, and yet again I haven’t started on any of them. We all know how well last year’s Christmas gifts turned out. It seems like I’m always too busy to start on projects for Christmas this time of year… I’ve moved three times in the last three years and each time it’s been towards the end of the year. But I don’t want to start working on projects in January or February!

I think part of the reason why I’m so behind on gifts this year, more so than even last year, is because I’m not sure how much of my family actually appreciates the stitching, and I’m nervous to give them anything. Stitching something takes a LONG time, especially if you’re slow like me. I’ve been seeing more and more stitching horror stories lately about people making pieces for their friends or family and having the gift go totally unappreciated, and in some cases, thrown away or given away in donations. With the amount of time I spend rescuing pieces from being thrown away and from thrift stores and the like, I’m terrified my stitching will end up in the same place.

It’s like… I see projects all the time and I think, “that will be wonderful for so-and-so!” But do I really want to put in hours and days and weeks of work into something if the other person is going to think it’s cheap or not valuable? Look, So-And-So, I spent a MONTH working on this, for YOU, when I could’ve been doing a hundred other things!, is what I would like to say to this imaginary person.

I guess the easiest solution would be to ask the intended receivers of the stitched gifts if they would like to actually receive them. My mind rebels against that. I don’t want to ask. Don’t ask me why. Maybe I’m afraid that I ask and it turns out no one wants my stitching that I put so much time and effort into. Thousands of stitches a month, hundreds of words on the blog, devoted to this one subject, and yet no one in my family will take a stitched gift.

I know that isn’t true, though. I know several relatives who would love a stitched gift, and I don’t have to worry about them ending up in the trash or some thrift store donation box. So I suppose I should stop worrying about imaginary people and focus on the people I know WILL want the gifts. Make things for them. And if there’s someone I’m on the fence about, I can either ask or let them approach me about stitching something for them. I’m not so poor I can’t buy those people regular gifts, and take the time to make things for people who will appreciate them!

… Of course I have this epiphany now and once again I’m reminded there’s a month and a half until Christmas. And I’m a slow stitcher now on crunch time who does not do well under high pressure, as we learned last year. So… I should probably put my grand plans to bed until next year.

My Sweet Baby finish is definitely being given away for the baby’s first Christmas, and I have another project I’ve yet to start but is a very fast stitch as an insert for a photo album. There’s two. Same number as last year. I can reach this one manageable goal, right?

Right. I can do this. Christmas 2014, here I come!

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“Random Corner” is a place for all articles related to all manners of cross-stitchery and the cross-stitch community that don’t fall into the topics covered in the regular segments. There is no set schedule for Random Corner articles, they’re just random!

By the way – to keep up on Little Thread Crafts stitching news and get pictures, updates, and more that don’t appear on the blog until much later, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! I would greatly appreciate it!

My Stitching Organization! – Video Challenge Day 2

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Have a little sort of Random Corner video! I figured since I’ve got all my stitching stuff together and organized and my desk all set up, I’d show you guys what my stitching area looked like!

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By the way – to keep up on Little Thread Crafts stitching news and get pictures, updates, and more that don’t appear on the blog until much later, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! I would greatly appreciate it!

NaBloPoMo Intro – Video Challenge Day 1

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I can’t believe this is the first video I’ve uploaded to the YouTube Channel in several months… I’ve really been slacking.

So National Blog Posting Month has come around once again this year, except this year I’m prepared for it! I’m really seriously hoping I can get a video up every day alongside an article on the blog… wish me luck?

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By the way – to keep up on Little Thread Crafts stitching news and get pictures, updates, and more that don’t appear on the blog until much later, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! I would greatly appreciate it!

Term of the Week: SABLE

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We choose another very popular acronym out of our stitchy bag for this week’s Term of the Week! This acronym is much more well-known and popular than SINS.

Unlike SINS, SABLE is not a real word (okay I take that back, it’s some kind of animal) but to stitchers it is an acronym that has a pretty big meaning. SABLE stands for Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy.

The big thing about cross-stitch and stash is that stitching takes time, and any chart you buy may never be stitched. Even an extremely fast stitcher can take several months to get through large projects. And there are so many beautiful and adorable things in this craft beyond the stitching itself. From hand-dyed fabric to embroidery scissors to needle minders to scissor fobs to thread to lights to stands, a stash cupboard (or bins under the bed, as the case may be) can and will fill up quickly.

Between the charts for the stitching, the stitching itself, and all the lovely accessories to go with the stitching, the ability to stitch and use everything literally extends beyond the average person’s life expectancy. Hence, the word SABLE.

When is this most often used? In the phrase, “I just sorted through my stash! This is definitely SABLE,” usually accompanied by picture of the bed/floor/room being covered in fabric, thread, charts, and kits.

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“Term of the Week” is a weekly blog post highlighting a new word or phrase commonly used among cross-stitchers but not found in an ordinary dictionary. These posts are to help explain the words’ meanings in context and provide a resource for anyone wondering what a term like “frogging” means. Check back every Thursday!

Term of the Week: Finish

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Today’s Term of the Week is one used by all stitchers! It’s a lot like the term Kit by the fact that it is used as both a noun and a verb. It’s actually a very basic term used in hundreds of other applications in the English language, but I thought I should go over it regardless. 🙂

Noun:

A Finish is a term used to described a completed cross-stitch project. It can be used interchangeably as a noun and an adjective, like “my newest finish” or “my finished Love Bug piece.” Whenever someone talks about their finish or their finishes, they mean they have a project that’s been completed! I use it most frequently as “my finished piece”, because I refer to my cross-stitch projects as cross-stitch “pieces” a majority of the time.

Verb:

To Finish is exactly what it sounds like, and is the exact same usage as it would be for anything else. For example, “I finished my latest project last night!” It also usually encompasses a sense of pride because you managed to finish the project in question and create a keepsake that will last for generations to come!

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“Term of the Week” is a weekly blog post highlighting a new word or phrase commonly used among cross-stitchers but not found in an ordinary dictionary. These posts are to help explain the words’ meanings in context and provide a resource for anyone wondering what a term like “frogging” means. Check back every Thursday!

Term of the Week: Kit

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Term of the Week is back, with some brand new terms that every stitcher, beginner to advanced, should know!

The first term we’re going over this week is a term you will run across constantly in cross-stitch. The term has evolved to mean several things, and is also used as a noun and a verb!

Noun:

A Kit is a prepackaged cross-stitch supply. A kit comes with a charted design, aida fabric, needle, all the colors of thread you need, and instructions telling you how to get started, how to stitch, and how to finish the project. Depending on the size of the project, sometimes kits even come with sticky backing and a frame to finish the project yourself. Generally those who get started into cross-stitch start with kits, because all the supplies are already there.

Some kits are different than others. You can find kits for cookie jars, pot holders, picture frames, bookmarks, iPhone cases, hanging frames, and many other actual items. Other kits come with the charts and instructions like a kit, but gives you the option to choose fabric and colors.

Verb:

To Kit is a verb used to describe when someone has collected all the materials they need to start a project, such as “I kitted up my HAED last night.” Generally, people pick out the fabric they want to use, such as a hand-dyed aida fabric, pick out their colors, wrap them up in bobbins and organize them, pick out their needles, get their hoops or scroll frames or Q-Snaps ready, and get it all put together so they can begin working on the project. It’s the same principle as buying an actual kit, which is why they call it “kitting.”

The cross-stitch community is evenly divided on their feelings for kits. Some, like me, love kits because you don’t have to worry about buying any supplies, and they’re perfect for small projects. Others hate kits and will only ever buy charts and leaflets, because there is never enough thread to finish the kit and they don’t like having to buy everything, they’d rather pick out fabric and colors themselves.

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“Term of the Week” is a weekly blog post highlighting a new word or phrase commonly used among cross-stitchers but not found in an ordinary dictionary. These posts are to help explain the words’ meanings in context and provide a resource for anyone wondering what a term like “frogging” means. Check back every Thursday!

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