February Topic: How do you overcome that feeling that you’re in a rut with a particular project?
Wait, you’re supposed to overcome that rut feeling? You mean you don’t just say, okay, time to move to the next project in the rotation and put that one back in storage?
Eventually though that time comes when that not so fun project comes back up in the rotation. That’s when that feeling of dread comes into play. I can slog through 5 to 10 hours on any project doing 2 threads a night. What I do in those situations is find something I really want to work on an promise myself, I can work on the fun project after I finish 2 threads on the boring project. It’s that same principle of “you can have your pudding after you eat your meat.” The thing is though that often, the 2 threads turn into more and, in some cases, I may even fall back in love with the dreaded piece.
The next analysis comes with why did I fall out of love with the piece. Sometimes a piece gets put up because I made a mistake and can’t find where it is and I start thinking if I let it sit then I’ll find it the next time I pick it up. Yeah, unless I leave a note, I forget that I put it up needing frogging and I’ll start stitching and have even more to frog.
Another reason for falling out of love is boredom. I don’t really like doing large blocks of the same color. Doing those large blocks is good for gauging if my tension is correct. However on the other end, too much confetti gets boring too. The bests designs have a mix of confetti and large color blocks.
On some occasions, I can no longer remember where I plan to hang the finished piece, or I have a falling out with the person to whom I was gifting the finished piece. I know that’s the case with “O Christmas Tree.” The person who chose it, called a silk and linen ornament “kitschy” not realizing the time and money I spent making it. Since then, I haven’t stitched anything for her.
Sometimes, I’m getting too close to finishing a piece and completion anxiety sets in. See I spend so much time with my pieces that they become friends and it’s hard to let them go. Those are cases where I just need to power through it and think about how lovely they will be completely finished. Knowing how they will be finished and visualizing them in their final space helps with that.
So why do you stop working on pieces?
Just So you Know 
Mindy
/ February 7, 2015I can definitely relate to all of these. I have a needlepoint project that is so close to being finished, but I’m working on the ribbon embroidery and it’s daunting. My ribbon embroidery skills aren’t up to par with my needlepoint skills, and I’m afraid my ribbon work is going to detract from the rest of the piece. I need to just suck it up and do it, but not yet…not yet.
shondratasha
/ February 7, 2015Try doing the ribbon embroidery stitches on a doodle cloth before doing them on the piece. Practice makes perfect. If you try, the doodle can become a small design.
suzemo
/ February 9, 2015I just burn out. I’m one of those people who likes bright and shiny new things, and while I still like the piece overall, if it’s taking too long, it gets buried. And then why would I work on it when there are new shinies!
I really would like to finish off those old pieces, and I’m slowly working on it. I think having a goal of the things I’d like to do in a year is helpful actually, because when I’m done with my new BSOs on the list, I can get back to the old stuff on the list (for that theoretical ‘sense of accomplishment’)