The Next One Thing

When I was still in high school I was introduced to what soon became a love and then obsession: counted cross stitch.

As I was stitching the other day I realized, or maybe I was made to realize by God, about how Crosstitch is like life.

I Remember when I started how overwhelming it all was. What fabric do I use? Aida or linen? Do I buy floss and find a chart or buy a kit with everything included, even a needle? Isn't life sometimes confusing and confounding like that?

My first project was a beginner's kit of a mouse sliding on a candy cane. I have such fond memories of it. When you tackle a counted cross stitch you need a chart, a Bible, if you will. Something you use to point your way to your goal, completion.

The entire process is about working on certain areas of color and creating the project one stitch at a time. Life is like that. We live one minute at a time and as we advance we create a beautiful life. One moment adds onto the next moment until you can't believe how far you've come. 

The same goes with cross stitch. I am creating a green doorway design. And in the beginning it looked like a whole bunch of nothing. But as each stitch is added the bigger picture is revealed: the entrance to a building. 

Have you been wondering why your life isn't evolving fast enough or why you can't see your goal from here?  

It's all about baby steps, baby. Just like my cross stitch doorway Buildings weren't created in a day either. First you have to pour a firm foundation. And then the structure of the framing has to be created so the building won't fall over. And it all happens one step at a time. One phase at a time. One stitch at a time. You can't rush the process or you risk ruining the end result. 

So don't be overwhelmed by all you have to accomplish. Just focus on the next one thing. And then when that is accomplished focus on the next one thing. And then focus on the next one thing  And before you know it you have met your goal. It will be a surprise, believe me. When you come to the end of a project that took an entire year you look at what you accomplished and think I DID THAT!

That is the only way any cross stitch is completed, by focusing on one stitch at a time. One day at a time until the work is completed. 

I hope this helps you with your next big project. 

Blessings. 

Cross Stitch Projects - To Do Someday

Here are the kits that I have on my "Will Do These Someday" list.

Cross Stitch Tag

Gathering Eggs by Mirabila

Cross Stitch Tag!

I love Cross Stitch and have been doing it off and on for years. I started in the early 80s. Yes, I'm "that" old. lol  I came across this tag on YouTube and thought I'd add it to my blog

Feel free to consider yourself tagged if you love to cross stitch too.

1. How did you start or who introduced you to cross stitch?

Santa Claus introduced me to cross stitch. He left a little beginner cross stitch kit of a mouse sledding on a candy cane in my stocking. After that, I was hooked.

2. Do you have a favorite theme or designer?

Not really. I like to do all sorts of themes.

3. What floss brand do you use?

DMC

4. What is your fabric of choice?

I like 18 ct. Adia but I have used Evenweave and did an over two threads stitch before.

5. Do you use a needle threader or are you a "floss licker"?

I have this nice LoRan needle threader that is just a must have for me.

6. What kind of stitching frame do you use?

Plastic hoop. I have many colors of them around the house.

7. How many projects have you finished?

I have never counted. There are many I have given away and forgot about.

But there are quite a few.

8. How many completed works do you have currently displayed in your home?

One. It is a Mirabila design called Gathering Eggs. It's a vintage little girl with a big skirt holding an easter egg basket.

9. Do you do more stitching for gifts or keep them for yourself?

I just stitch to stitch. I am doing one project specifically for someone but usually I just stitch for myself.

10. What is your favorite project or finish you are most proud of?

I would have to say it's the Gathering Eggs project. I had stopped that for 5 years and put it aside because it was my first two threads up, two threads over project and I thought I had gotten myself off the design. Other than that, my Friedrich the Cat is pretty special to me.

11. What has been your least favorite or worst exp while stitching?

That would have to be working on that Gathering Eggs project. I was teaching myself to stitch by reading magazines and just learning by doing. And I think I messed up this poor little girl's skirt but you really can't tell I had any trouble by looking at the finished cross stitch. The counting of two threads up, two threads over got a bit daunting after awhile. This is why I like stitching on just basic Adia. It's easier on my mind. I like to stitch just to get my mind off the stresses of the day

12. What do you love and what do you hate about cross stitch?

I hate that I don't have more DMC floss colors. But I did win the entire line of floss back in the 90's. I subscribed to a new cross stitch magazine and I guess I won the big prize. I found this huge box on my door step and it was filled with floss. I was SO surprised!

Friedrich the Cat

13. Have you introduced anyone else to cross stitch?

Not really. People know I do it. At least, the people in my family know. But I don't go out of my way to show it to them. I have been posting stuff on Facebook about it lately.

14. What was your first project and did you finish it, if not what was your first finish?

First project was in my stocking in the 80's. It was a little christmas ornament of a mouse on a candy cane sledding. I think of it fondly. I remember thinking how much I really enjoyed it when I was doing it. I wanted to get a new kit immediately when I finished.

15. How do you store your cross stitch floss?

I have little cardboard bobbins that I wind my floss around. I have plastic cases where i keep the floss in order. But I only put floss on a bobbin when I'm actually using it. If it is new, I put it in plastic bags and store them in my cross stitch sewing case. For example, all the 400's in the color line are in one plastic baggie.

I hope you enjoyed my little jaunt down memory lane. Let me know what lovely things you are creating. They don't have to be cross stitch related.

Blessings. 

Here is a link to the Friedrich the Cat (Frederick the Literate) cross stitch kit:
http://www.amazon.com/Dimensions-Needlecrafts-Counted-Frederick-Literate/dp/B000U2Y13K/ref=pd_ys_sf_s_2617941011_a2_2_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FHCP08D73K9FQ1FBTZ3

Toni

One of those days

Have you ever had one? One of those days? You know, the ones I'm talking about. The ones where you are frustrated and you lash out at a perfectly nice person. And usually it is not for no reason, but for a justified reason in your own mind. Whatever it might have been, it has caused hard feelings and now said person on the receiving end of the tongue lashing is now avoiding you like the plague?

Yeah, well, that is me today.

I am not unjustified in my ranting, but I see myself in this younger person. This person, the nice one, is SO nice that they go overboard pleasing people. And the more they give, the more others take, and even that is not enough. Now they want perfection... no, they demand it of this person.

I have been there. I know. And this attitude almost caused me so much stress that I nearly gave myself an early heart attack.

So, when people, no matter how nice they are, want to pull me back into that world of stress, that world of perfection, that world of people pleasing, I do NOT want to journey any more forward in that direction. That means that my instinct is to resist. And resist I did today. I should have thought first, but I was in a mood, we all have them. I had to navigate yet another snow storm this morning, had to do the same the night before and I was just plain pooped by life.

Even though I feel justified in my actions, I am sorry I hurt this person's feelings. But it makes me think about all the things we do each day that we really do not want to do. Why do we do these things? Are we a secret people pleaser underneath all the attitude we show the world?

I want to escape this attitude but am constantly challenged by it nearly every day. I try to be the good Samaritan, but I am human and not perfect, I remind myself. But I want to do good, be good, act good. But there are just some days, those days, when perfection just misses the mark.

Psalm 119:96

To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.