Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Stitchers Guilt- Real condition???





I am not sure if I am the only one who suffers from Stitchers Guilt but  I do!!!!  Stitcher's Guilt is where you have started several Big Projects and you really want to finish them but there are other Big projects calling your name!!!  So, do you start a new BIG project or do you finish the ones you have started before starting something new????  


I have some stitching friends who have 10 to 20 Big projects in their rotation and do not think twice about it.   I am not sure I can do that.  I think it is the teacher in me.  I see a project, I start it, and then I finish it.  


I have other friends who suffer from Startitus - They have no problem starting new projects and do not care if they ever finish them!!!!!


So, My question is ...Do you suffer from Stitchers Guilt or do you just don't worry about it??  


Should I just go ahead and start some of these projects before finishing the UFO"s below?????  Just curious...which is your favorite????


Below are some BAP charts that I REALLY REALLY want to start.... (we'll get to the smaller ones later)

First:  My Thomas Kinkade Disney kits (the only one that isn't a chart is the center one)  The other 8 are in my stash begging to be started:

Thomas Kinkade Disney Kits
My Love of Pride and Prejudice just wants me to stitch Pemberely
Darcy's Pemberley  540 x 349

Then again...there is my new chart that I just received....
A gathering 331 x 212

This is my DREAM chart...Just love it!!!!
An Afternoon Embroidering  250 x 160

Once again, my love of Disney is begging me to stitch my Haunted Mansion portraits...
Haunted Mansion Portraits  242 x 704  Each Portrait!!!
.

Here is my love of Jane Austen again...I just love this house....It just needs to be stitched
Mystic Stitch - stitch count uncertain. (too lazy to get up and look)

This chart I fell in love with it the first time I saw it....Not sure why....
Musical Fete -HEAD  625 x 501
Then I have my UFO's!!!!  In my UFO pile of BAP we have:


A golf Pattern for my husband.....
Augusta #13  Mystic Stitch  325 x 216
My Victorian Ball scene....


Summer Ball by Sandy Little John  478 x 129
This is the SAL I started with my friend Kim...we have both stopped working on it. I think she got bored and I was iritated because of the trees at the top.  They are a pain to stitch!!
A wintery Heirloom   HAED   450 x 360


My love of Faery Tales made me buy this one.... but for some reason I don't enjoy working on it...probably because I am only in the top left corner which is very dark threads.......

Faery Tales HAED  575 x 453
So there you have it my guilty confession.  I have tons of HUGE projects to start...others to finish.  Am I the only one that suffers from this condition????

22 comments:

shutterbug (Elaine) said...

I'm not going to be much help because I suffer from both Startitis and Stitcher's Guilt! I have a few baps (not like your baps!) going and one that I really, really want to start. It's kitted up and just tempting me. But...I have all those UFOs that really need to get done. Once I start them I can't just not worry if they never get finished. They have to get finished! When I first started stitching I never even thought about starting a 2nd project until the one I was working on was done. Then I discovered Yahoo groups. I found out that people actually worked on several things at once! That was the beginning of the end. I guess I would have to say Yes, start another one, at least one. :) I'm an enabler and you seem good about getting the baps finished. I can NOT choose which one though! You have so many awesome ones to choose from! I do really like the Thomas Kinkade Disney ones. (btw are those Disney parks exclusives like the others they had or can you buy them other places?) Is it just me or is there no pic of the Haunted Mansion? I'm curious about that one. I've never seen it or heard of it before. So there you go. Probably absolutely no help at all. Except yes, go for another one. :)
Hugs, Elaine

Patty said...

Good grief - my head is swimming!! I try to finish at least 1 before I start another so I'm not much help. If it were me I'd put them all in a bag and pull one out - then I'd put it aside and pull out another - lol

Unknown said...

As you have one that you really are not enjoying stitching why dont you start one that you know you will truly love stitching and then have a 5 rotation group of UFOs and promise not to start another until you finish one - you only have 4 UFOs on the go after all ----- says she who has no trouble suffering from startitus!!!

SoCal Debbie said...

Oh go ahead and start a few more! I would pick a Kinkade Disney and a Haunted Mansion portrait. Faery Tales should be funner to stitch after you get out of the dark corner. I'm watching another blogger who is close to finishing it (charbella).

You can tell Elaine that I have seen the Kinkade Disney kits at Hobby Lobby for $42, but only $27 with a 40% off coupon they offer every week, in stores and on their website.

Kathryn said...

Hi! Those are all great looking patterns.
I have been looking for ages for a Pemberly cross stitch. Where did you find this pattern?

dulcinella said...

ooohhhh, you've got some wonderful projects! can't be much of help with your stitching-related diseases:-( but you definitively made mine worse: love those haunted mansion portraits and that mystic stitch design and all the cross stitching girls and ....:-)

Berly said...

I have both Startitis and Stitcher's Guilt, but I don't suffer from them - I roll with them! Go ahead, start a new one!

WhitneyL said...

Vickie

I also suffer from both Stitcher's Guilt and Startitis so I understand your dilemma-and while it's easier said than done- I would do what feels right to you- if you want to start one (or more) do it- if you would feel too guilty try making some good progress on one of your BAP's. I am continually reminding myself that this is a hobby and not an obligation- either way, I love seeing your progress on whatever you are stitching!

Whitney

Debbie K said...

I'm inclined to suffer from Startitus but I have to say that I don't suffer too badly from Stitcher's Guilt. I have a number of UFOs but I know I'll get back to them eventually. If I don't, we'll it's likely that over the years I've found that I don't like it as well as when I started it, so if it doesn't get finished, I'm not going to worry about it too much.

As for starting a new one, I'd suggest what I've started doing. I limit my starts to the number of frames I have in the house. If all of my frames are full, then I can't start anything new (no fair going out and buying a frame). But as soon as I complete a project and free a frame, I have permission to start something new. As for which one? Judging by your comments, I'd go with "An Afternoon Embroidering". If it's your dream chart, the odds are good you'll finish it!

Meari said...

I don't suffer from Stitcher's Guilt. I'm happy if I finish one large project a year. Since you've been on my case about JG, I'm making a diligent effort to get more stitching done on it, and told myself this year I wouldn't start anything new until I finished up some old UFO's/WIP's. Since I accomplished that goal, I'll be starting one or two or three new projects right shortly! (and rotating them with JG)

If I'm lucky, I'll get JG done this year or close to it!

I say.... start a new project or two if it makes you happy!! Btw, I love those disney kits!

Anonymous said...

I don't know if this will help you or not. I only have 2 BAP started (I started one of them 2-3 yrs. ago, & the other at least 1 yr. ago). I have many others that I want to start too. What I have decided to do is finish at least one of them. Probably the one that is closest to being done & finish that one. Then I won't feel so guilty starting another one. The other thing I do is put them in a closet somewhere & then I forget about them & then I start another BAP. You could try that one. That would explain why my BAP are so old. I even tossed one away when I realized my grand children (who I was stitching it for) would probably have grandchildren of their own by the time I finished it. That was Fish City. I only had 1 page of it done so I didn't feel so bad tossing it. You could also see if someone else would mind finishing some of your BAP for you. Like I said I don't know if this was any help or not.
Betty in AZ (ILCS)

Shelleen said...

I also suffer from both. But this year have made a challenge to myself to finish what I have started. You also could do a rotation like this http://www.shakespearespeddler.com/nomoreufos.html I tried it a long time ago and loved it. Go with your UFOs and then add 6 more starts and do the rotation that way.

Linda said...

Hi Vickie. I too, use to be a one at a time stitcher until I discovered blogs. I started 62 projects this year, mostly mediumn, and had 29 already started and will continue to keep starting this year until I reach at least a 100 new starts. My thinking is, I will never live long enough to stitch what I want to stitch, but at lease I can say I started some of them.

Please tell me where you got the Disney kits. I know of the 6 from Hobby Lobby, but please, where did you get the others.

Thanks for your help,

Linda

sandy98221 said...

I love all the suggestions. I don't have anything nearly as large in my stash as you do. I would be afraid to start one so large at least for now. I've just started stitcing again after a 15 year plus break. What I use to do in December every year is make a list of every UFO I had. I would not start another project until they were finished! It worked very well for me until I realized that I gave my self permission to not do anything if that is what I chose. So now I will let myself have 2 projects going at once now. Good luck in whatever you decide. We'll all stand behind you no matter what!

Susan said...

I too have Startitis and Stitcher's Guilt. Should I confess that I have over 50 projects started and unfinished? They're not all BAPs, some are quite small. It's just the lack of stitching time (I work full-time) and many other gorgeous things to stitch! (Not to mention I also do crochet and I have lots of baby projects I want to make for my granddaughter.)

Here's what I suggest to help you out. Start a rotation (lots of help determining your rotation at the rotation stitchers yuku board) and give yourself 3 UFO's and one new project to start. That way you're satisfying both the guilt and the want of a new project. Also, my suggestion for that piece that you have trouble stitching on. For a week, make yourself pick it up once a day, the first one to work on. Put one length of thread into the project and put it away. Then reward yourself for working on it by picking up something you're enjoying stitching on. The second week, pick it up first and put two length's of thread in it then put it down for something else. If you keep this up you'll have moved past that dark part before you realize it!

Vicky L said...

Everyone had wonderful ideas. I like Susan's idea for Faery Tales, putting in a length of thread daily or every other day. You probably like it when you get to the colors. A 10 hour rotation will be a good thing for you. Didn't you use that kind of rotation before? It helped you to finish the other golf piece you did for your husband. As for starting, go for it. I will be starting a new big piece next month. I do feel guilty doing so, but when a project is calling you, you have to do it. Wish you luck!

Shaunterria said...

Don't feel bad, you have picked some really beautiful projects to work on. The Susan's rotation method will help you move towards finishes and once you have one done, you'll have the motivation to complete more. Good luck, and just keep stitching!

Cindy said...

You know what I'm going to say Vickie. I do not have a problem with stitcher's guilt. I have 10 HAED's in my rotation & on April 1 I will be starting another one. I don't worry about when I'll finish them. I start them & stitch them for 2 reasons. 1. Because I can &
2.Because I love stitchig them.
Cindy in MA

sharine said...

They are all beautiful. I can't help much but to say Faery Tales does get more colorful once you get onto the second row so if you could count your way to it maybe that will help your motivation. Now I'm of to sweet talk DH about those Disney kits.

Rachel S-H said...

I have great guilt over the stuff I've started and let sit unfinished, but what can you do? Just try to do a little better next time.

I love the Thomas Kincaide Disney stuff. The Peter Pan one really tempts me, but then again, I fell in love with the print of that. Only time I think I ever seriously jonesed for a TK print.

mdgtjulie said...

I have a thing for big charts and have twenty projects in my rotation. I'm a serial starter, and that's a big part of it. And I'm totally a BAP girl. I love them. I think if you're comfy with a one at a time, then that's what you should do. Not everyone wants to have a rotation, or is comfy having several projects on the go.

Ewa said...

You're definitely not the only one. I have a bunch of BAPs in my stash and I want to start each and every one of them - and finish them, too! And then there are the charts I want to buy but feel too guilty buying because I have so many other charts in my stash. I think it's a stitcher's curse.