Any cheerleaders out there?

I'm having one of those days when I wonder why I stitch. Nothing I do
is ever going to be as beautiful as some of Dianne's work or as
challenging as some of the MLIs. I have decided I am not and am never
going to be talented enough to do the Hardanger my current project
calls for, I look at catalogs and dont' see anything that appeals, or
I just don't think I can handle the complexity, or afford the
specialty threads, and I wonder why I bother. I still WANT to stitch,
but don't think anyone appreciates it or ever will.

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?

Stitch something that appeals just to you -- perhaps because of the colors, or
the style of the design.

Relax, and just enjoy the stitching.

It's not a race, it's not a competition -- this is for MY enjoyment. That's
how I get through it.

I am about to start a gift for a friend's daughter. It's a quote about horses,
and it couldn't be simpler -- straight cross stitch, just lettering, and only
two colors. But when I contemplate the joy it will give, that's heart warming
and motivating.


Jere

Dukkum wrote:

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?
I agree with Je
It's not a race, it's not a competition -- this is for MY enjoyment. That's
how I get through it.
I stitch for my own enjoyment. If the recipient likes it, that's just
an added bonus! Unless you're counting the beading, MLI's designs are
pretty much just straight, full cross stitches. Big, but all full
crosses. I'm on my third large project (each approx. 12x17-- currently
Dream Lover). Each of them has taken me a full year to stitch.
I never used to like Hardanger. Still don't like most of it, but there
are a few designs that have called to me. Maybe some of the freebies on
some of the sites might attract your eye and give you some practice
before working on your bigger one. That would also give you a more
immediate sense of accomplishment. There are some he
http://www.victoriasampler.com/ClubVS.asp
Sweetheart Tree is another one that has some small ones:
http://www.sweethearttree.com/page4.html
Lesa Steele has some nice ones, but their site is currently on hiatus.
HTH!
--
Joan

See my first-ever design he
http://www.heritageshoppe.com/joan.jpg

"Stitch when you are young and poor, frame when you are old and rich."
- Elizabeth's (rctn'r) sister's MIL (Barbara Marr)

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?

A massive infusion of chocolate couldn't hurt ;-) --
http://www.godiva.com/welcome.asp

The stuff I stitch is definitely not 'heirloom' quality. Some isn't even frame-
worthy. Never the less, I enjoyed doing most of the projects and my family and
friends tell me they like it ;-) Win/win all around

Linda ,
I appreciate your very kind sentiments, but you are judging from where
you are now, not from where you WILL BE. There isn't a
designer/stitcher alive who doesn't worry about the quality of their
work. The important thing is that you are creating, challenging
yourself, and doing an artform that is not exactly on a list of
dominance in our culture. Good for you! You'll get better as time goes
on. But you won't get better if you don't stitch. huge grin

I have decided I am not and am never
going to be talented enough to do the Hardanger my current project
calls for,

Don't do that to yourself. Hardanger is one of the easier embroideries
to do. It just LOOKS hard. Start with a very small beginner project -
one you don't care what it's for, you'll just do it for the practise.
Don't worry about how it turns out. Don't worry about how many times
you count wrong, or rip out stitches.

WE ALL DO THAT!! It's just that you're imagining some of us placing
every single stitch correctly everytime we thread a needle. HAH! I wish!!

I look at catalogs and dont' see anything that appeals, or
I just don't think I can handle the complexity, or afford the
specialty threads, and I wonder why I bother. I still WANT to stitch,
but don't think anyone appreciates it or ever will.

Tell us what you want to do and we'll tell you what threads you can do
it with.

As for having others appreciate it: Most of mine is in drawers. I
stopped - long ago - giving away my stuff because it's unappreciated. I
do it for my OWN challenge and enjoyment, or for a very small, select
few that DOES appreciate it. I can tell by that sparkle in their eye.

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?

Do something simple that you KNOW you can accomplish, then tackle the
more difficult stuff as you feel you can handle it. Do some
experimental stitching by taking a piece of striped fabric and seeing
how you can vary the texture by how many different stitches you can put
on those stripes. Take some gingham and see how many different types of
flowers you can put in every other square. You'll be learning some new
stitches and the end result doesn't matter. Or, for fun, try some
chicken scratch. Or Swedish weaving on aida. Either are so simple with
big results for the effort. Think about small projects for ornaments
for next Christmas. Heck, I'd love to see a chicken scratch ornament.
Anyone every try one?

I've seen your work and you do some lovely, creative things. It's just
the end of January. Not enough sunshine. g You'll feel better come May.

Hugs!!!
Dianne

Hi Linda,

My stitching is stress relief. My very first piece was one of those "learn how
to stitch" kits from Walmart. I still have it!! Over the years, I continued to
stitch ONLY what I thought would be easy and stress free. I started eyeing an
MLI one day and examined it carefully. Hugh, mostly full cross stitches.
Don't look too bad.....so I gave it a try. Now, I'm on my third MLI,and I've
done a couple of Paula Vaughns. I love traditional samplers because I think
they look easy. My rule, I seldom stitch living things like flowers and
animals because they have too many colors, half stitchs, and WAY too much back
stitching. So I bypass on designs that I think are beautiful and I would like
to stitch, but I realize that it would add to my stress. (smile)




Subject: Any cheerleaders out there?
From: (Linda Wright)
Date: 1/30/2004 4:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

I'm having one of those days when I wonder why I stitch. Nothing I do
is ever going to be as beautiful as some of Dianne's work or as
challenging as some of the MLIs. I have decided I am not and am never
going to be talented enough to do the Hardanger my current project
calls for, I look at catalogs and dont' see anything that appeals, or
I just don't think I can handle the complexity, or afford the
specialty threads, and I wonder why I bother. I still WANT to stitch,
but don't think anyone appreciates it or ever will.

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?

Rhea from KY, USA

Rhea, stitch for yourself, because you love the colors, because you love
the feel of the threads, because you love the challenge of improving,
because you love the piece, because of the pleasure it give you. Do it
entirely for yourself.

Most of us will never achieve Dianne's level of expertise but that's OK.
For every Picasso there are a million artistic dabblers out there who
enjoy the process and are pleased with their results. If the hardanger
on your current piece is giving you a problem, put that big piece away
for a while, get yourself several small pieces of fabric, and create
small hardanger ornaments using the stitches you must master for the
larger piece. That way, if you mess up a motif, you can do another
without much loss of time and materials. ( I prefer this method to
"doodle cloths" because I can actually end up with something
pretty/useful/small.) No only do you end up with a finished project
(always cheering) but you will have practiced/mastered the stitch/motif
that was troubling you.

Crewelwoman


Subject: Any cheerleaders out there?
From: (Linda Wright)
Date: 1/30/2004 4:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

I'm having one of those days when I wonder why I stitch. Nothing I do
is ever going to be as beautiful as some of Dianne's work or as
challenging as some of the MLIs. I have decided I am not and am never
going to be talented enough to do the Hardanger my current project
calls for, I look at catalogs and dont' see anything that appeals, or
I just don't think I can handle the complexity, or afford the
specialty threads, and I wonder why I bother. I still WANT to stitch,
but don't think anyone appreciates it or ever will.

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?


Rhea from KY, USA

(Linda Wright) wrote in message . com...
I'm having one of those days when I wonder why I stitch. Nothing I do
is ever going to be as beautiful as some of Dianne's work or as
challenging as some of the MLIs. I have decided I am not and am never
going to be talented enough to do the Hardanger my current project
calls for, I look at catalogs and dont' see anything that appeals, or
I just don't think I can handle the complexity, or afford the
specialty threads, and I wonder why I bother. I still WANT to stitch,
but don't think anyone appreciates it or ever will.

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?


There are days when I too wonder why I stitch. For me, it's the
thrill of trying something new and having it turn out like the picture
on the pattern. It took me a very long time to try doing cross stitch
on anything but Aida. I took the plunge last fall and stitched 2
patterns from Good Huswife on jobelam (one was Merry Christmas done in
a DMC varigated red and the other was Live Simply in a Needle
Necessitie overdye). Both came out lovely IMNSHO.
The suggestions to try a small project are excellent ones. I got some
quilted potholders from EBay and I'm doing them in some leftover
flosses - you know those threads that there's too much to put in the
ort pot, but not enough to use in another project.
Another suggestion is to try spending just an hour or so on the
project that's pushing your buttons. I have a band sampler that's
doing that to me now. My goal is a band a day...sometimes I don't
finish the band, sometimes I start the next one!
But the best suggestion is the one for chocolate....
Lisa

I'm having a nice, slow day, watching the snow sift down onto our dry
pasture. It's so nice to have trees! (Colorado's high plains are dry
enough that property with trees is comparatively rare.)

Linda, you sound depressed. I like to do two things.

I'll try count my blessings, sincerely, to make me grateful for what I
have. That doesn't always work.

I'll look around for something small and lovely, like a flower or a
snowflake or a picture I like, or even a nice cup of coffee, and remind
myself that these are little love notes from my Higher Power.

And if THAT doesn't work, I call the doc to change my medication! :-/

***

As far as Hardanger goes, I bought a book called Heirloom Christmas
Ornaments, Hardanger Snowflakes and Christmas Flowers, Designed by Linda
Driscoll. I think it's published by Needlecrafts Unlimited. It has 3
small ornaments, nice large charts, and very large stitch diagrams. I
plan to use it for my first essay into Hardanger. I can't remember
whether I got it at my LNS, or at Hobby Lobby.

***

Do you have a committee in your head? A sort of background babble in
your mind, criticizing and carping? Listen to them and divide them up.
Give them faces. They are all aspects of yourself, *trying to keep you
from getting hurt.* To the one that says "You'll NEVER get it right,"
say, "Thank you for trying to protect me from being wrong. At this time,
I no longer need your help. Please be quiet."

***

Remember that you'll never be as good as Diane. As you progress, so does
she, so she'll stay ahead of you/us. The thing to remember is that we
all started in the same place - a needle, a thread, a piece of fabric.
You WILL become fluent. I, too, am on my way to fluency. I'm working on
my first biggish XS project. At first, it made me feel totally
inadequate. Now I feel - - - less inadequate. I estimate I'll have to do
at least 3 big ones before I feel even minimally competent. My manual
dexterity is fine, but my counting skills.... ecccch.

{{{{{{{Linda}}}}}}}}

Ruthie in Colorado
alowan atty earthlink dotty net

Linda Wright) wrote

I'm having one of those days when I wonder why I stitch. Nothing I do
is ever going to be as beautiful as some of Dianne's work or as
challenging as some of the MLIs. I have decided I am not and am never
going to be talented enough to do the Hardanger my current project
calls for, I look at catalogs and dont' see anything that appeals, or
I just don't think I can handle the complexity, or afford the
specialty threads, and I wonder why I bother. I still WANT to stitch,
but don't think anyone appreciates it or ever will.

Thanks for letting me whine. But I'm sure we all have days like this
- any suggestions to get through the blues?



There are days when I too wonder why I stitch. For me, it's the
thrill of trying something new and having it turn out like the picture
on the pattern. It took me a very long time to try doing cross stitch
on anything but Aida. I took the plunge last fall and stitched 2
patterns from Good Huswife on jobelam (one was Merry Christmas done in
a DMC varigated red and the other was Live Simply in a Needle
Necessitie overdye). Both came out lovely IMNSHO.
The suggestions to try a small project are excellent ones. I got some
quilted potholders from EBay and I'm doing them in some leftover
flosses - you know those threads that there's too much to put in the
ort pot, but not enough to use in another project.
Another suggestion is to try spending just an hour or so on the
project that's pushing your buttons. I have a band sampler that's
doing that to me now. My goal is a band a day...sometimes I don't
finish the band, sometimes I start the next one!
But the best suggestion is the one for chocolate....
Lisa

--
ÐÏࡱá

Ruthie had such nice comments for Linda, then she said:
Remember that you'll never be as good as Diane. As you progress, so does
she, so she'll stay ahead of you/us.

I wish people would stop doing that. When I first answered Linda, I had
another paragraph that I deleted. What it said, basically, is that none
of you have seen my stuff up close and personal (well, a few of you
have), and you have no idea how "nice" or "not so nice" my stuff is.
JPG's hide a multitude of sins, and photographs and graphics on the web
don't tell the whole truth.

There are PLENTY of people that do FAR BETTER work and are more
MASTERFUL than I am. I just drool when I see their work. I had in my
hands an Ayrshire dress and tried and tried to mimic their work - to no
avail.

But you know what? These were PROFESSIONALS who did this ten hours a
day, 7 days a week. You get better at anything you do when you spend
that amount of time. So, if you only have 15 minutes every few days,
you grow more slowly. But grow you will.

Don't try to reach perfection. That's an impossible goal. Try to reach
for a better *tomorrow*. That's attainable. And moods affect us all:
lousy mood, lousy stitching. Know that in advance, stitch anyway for
the practise, don't give a hoot about what anyone else thinks.

By the way: Several masters at this craft taught me to never just "pick
up" and start stitching. You lose your rhythm from yesterday and today.
Start stitching on a piece of scrap. When your rhythm is there, THEN
pick up the project. Something to think about. If a *master* works
this way, why can't we novices????

Double Hugs, Linda!

Dianne