Do you know how irritated I am with myself?
OK, no.
Anyway, I was about half way through stitching the last turkey on my tabletopper, and I realized I was off. Not just off. Completely off. And since everything is the same on this one, it had to be picked out and fixed.
I could cry. I hate stitching that bleeping turkey. I hate this tabletopper. I hate it. I hate nunstitching it. I nunstitched for two hours on Saturday night and I didn't get it finished. I got one more side finished. I don't want to work on this no more. ARRRGGGGHHHHH.
I did make some improvement last night in getting things organized. I consolidated some boxes, and ended up with an empty one to put my sale items in. That way I can get them off the bookcase in the livingroom. This is a vast improvement. I am trying to decide how to best sell it. I don't know whether a stash sale would really work. It seems to me that is a lot of hassle to sell. I don't know if Ebay is better. I could either set up a store, or just sell it little by little. The other option is to take it to the sell for you Ebay store.
10 December 2007
09 December 2007
The price of stitching
My friend Kathy told me in an email on Friday that people were paying 46GBP for Cross Stitch Collection 144, which happens to be the one with the cute baby in it. People are crazy. That is $52USD. That is a tank of gas and a half. That is a load of groceries. Or an outfit. For a magazine . . .
I paid $10.99 for it.
I paid $10.99 for it.
07 December 2007
hmmm--what to stitch
The state fair has a contest for designs that are 's' and I need some help choosing an s subject. It can't be something that the viewer would have to use difficult logic to see the s. I want to steer away from doing ships or seashore, because there are classes for those at the fair. So what should I stitch? It can't be something that will take months to stitch, because, as you know, I don't have patience for big projects and the fair is 9 months from now, not to mention, I do have to work, eat, sleep, MOVE households, and work on other projects in this 9 month period. So what do I stitch?
I am liking sheep for some reason. And snowmen . . .
I am liking sheep for some reason. And snowmen . . .
06 December 2007
SBQ Questions
I recently attended a stash sale organized by friends of a stitcher who had passed away from ovarian cancer. I didn’t know the stitcher, but I quickly learned things about her, such as who her favorite designers were and that she was much better organized than I am (she had almost no duplicate charts!). In talking with her friends, plans were to donate the funds collected from the sale to the hospice which cared for her at the end of her life.
The friends had organized everything, from going through her stash right down to what they were doing the day of the sale, because her family really had no idea of the value of her stash or what to do with it.
It was a rather somber experience; I even felt tears in my eyes a few times thinking of the woman who had once bought these charts in her LNS with plans to stitch them someday, gone home and lovingly filed them away, and then been unable to complete everything she wished to do. I felt guilty I was benefiting from her death and her losses. I felt honored to be offered the opportunity to take care of some of the things she had once loved. I felt like I knew things about her from the kinds of things she liked to stitch.
I realized if something happened to me, most of my stash would languish in my home because it wouldn’t cross my husband’s mind that he should do anything with it, and he’d have no idea *what* to do with it, either.
This experience made me think of lots of questions which would probably be great for an SBQ …
* * *
What would your stash tell others about you?
Most of us stitchers joke about having reached SABLE (stash acquired beyond life expectancy), but have you thought about what you’d like done with your stash after your death? Do you want it to reach other stitchers who will love it, too? Would your family know what to do with it or recognize its value?
How well organized is your stash –would someone be able to come in and put together a sale easily, or would it require lots of organizing work ahead of time? What would you like to see done with the funds collected from such a sale, i.e., should funds go to your family, to a charity or charities of your choice, to a charity or charities of your family’s choice, etc.?
Are there certain items in your stash which are rare and highly desired by stitchers that might make a much larger amount of money if sold on eBay? Have you done anything to designate which items these more valuable ones are to guide your family in how to handle them? Who would you tell your family should handle such a sale so that they don’t have to do it themselves? Have you done anything to make these thoughts known to others, either through discussions or through a codicil to your will?
Have you ever attended a similar sale of a passed stitcher’s stash? How did it make you feel? Did it encourage you to make any changes in your stitching lifestyle?
This is a really hard SBQ to answer, for a lot of reasons.
I have bought lots from people who have passed away. I think the one that affected me the most was the one I bought where she had filed everything neatly away. She even had copies. I could tell that they were old copies, because most of the charts were very old, so I couldn't automatically say, "Well, gosh, I have to throw these away." because you could tell that she loved them enough to put them in a folder. I have a thing about getting rid of things people loved, because doing so seems like it takes something from their memory. So I have her copies, tucked away for now.
What would my stash say about me? As an overall person, it would say I don't do anything half way, LOL. You hear me complain about what a job it is for me to stash dive, right? But I think it also shows that I do try to acquire things with the idea that I am building an archive. I decided a few years ago that, if something happened to me, I wanted my stash--well the patterns and things, the fabric and floss can just be given away--to be donated to my university to start a needlework collection. I think the College of Fine Arts would be happy with that. But I've collected a bunch of stuff, all different kinds of things, and it needs a repository, and there isn't one that I know of. But it would also say I have so many interests, and I do. I love animals, I love the beach, I love cars, I am even chatting with a designer about charting tattoos--we think that would be a cool design. I am not a simple person and my stash reflects that.
The friends had organized everything, from going through her stash right down to what they were doing the day of the sale, because her family really had no idea of the value of her stash or what to do with it.
It was a rather somber experience; I even felt tears in my eyes a few times thinking of the woman who had once bought these charts in her LNS with plans to stitch them someday, gone home and lovingly filed them away, and then been unable to complete everything she wished to do. I felt guilty I was benefiting from her death and her losses. I felt honored to be offered the opportunity to take care of some of the things she had once loved. I felt like I knew things about her from the kinds of things she liked to stitch.
I realized if something happened to me, most of my stash would languish in my home because it wouldn’t cross my husband’s mind that he should do anything with it, and he’d have no idea *what* to do with it, either.
This experience made me think of lots of questions which would probably be great for an SBQ …
* * *
What would your stash tell others about you?
Most of us stitchers joke about having reached SABLE (stash acquired beyond life expectancy), but have you thought about what you’d like done with your stash after your death? Do you want it to reach other stitchers who will love it, too? Would your family know what to do with it or recognize its value?
How well organized is your stash –would someone be able to come in and put together a sale easily, or would it require lots of organizing work ahead of time? What would you like to see done with the funds collected from such a sale, i.e., should funds go to your family, to a charity or charities of your choice, to a charity or charities of your family’s choice, etc.?
Are there certain items in your stash which are rare and highly desired by stitchers that might make a much larger amount of money if sold on eBay? Have you done anything to designate which items these more valuable ones are to guide your family in how to handle them? Who would you tell your family should handle such a sale so that they don’t have to do it themselves? Have you done anything to make these thoughts known to others, either through discussions or through a codicil to your will?
Have you ever attended a similar sale of a passed stitcher’s stash? How did it make you feel? Did it encourage you to make any changes in your stitching lifestyle?
This is a really hard SBQ to answer, for a lot of reasons.
I have bought lots from people who have passed away. I think the one that affected me the most was the one I bought where she had filed everything neatly away. She even had copies. I could tell that they were old copies, because most of the charts were very old, so I couldn't automatically say, "Well, gosh, I have to throw these away." because you could tell that she loved them enough to put them in a folder. I have a thing about getting rid of things people loved, because doing so seems like it takes something from their memory. So I have her copies, tucked away for now.
What would my stash say about me? As an overall person, it would say I don't do anything half way, LOL. You hear me complain about what a job it is for me to stash dive, right? But I think it also shows that I do try to acquire things with the idea that I am building an archive. I decided a few years ago that, if something happened to me, I wanted my stash--well the patterns and things, the fabric and floss can just be given away--to be donated to my university to start a needlework collection. I think the College of Fine Arts would be happy with that. But I've collected a bunch of stuff, all different kinds of things, and it needs a repository, and there isn't one that I know of. But it would also say I have so many interests, and I do. I love animals, I love the beach, I love cars, I am even chatting with a designer about charting tattoos--we think that would be a cool design. I am not a simple person and my stash reflects that.
05 December 2007
Still no time to stitch, but it's snowing!
i got home last night and the last thing I wanted to do was pick up my stitching. It was supposed to snow today, and I still maintain that childish wonder about snowdays. Except that I have to drive in them now and I don't like it. Fortunately, my tank was full so it wasn't a bad morning drive, just very long. It took my guy 3 hours to drive 50 miles, but he will be on the road all day. I just have to figure out if I can get to my part-time job.
I have decided I hate the turkey tabletopper. It's time that it was finished, and i still have another turkey/pilgrim hat combo, another bible to fill in, and THREE Mayflowers. This is going to take me forever. I want another project. I want to start something new and seasonal.
I have decided I hate the turkey tabletopper. It's time that it was finished, and i still have another turkey/pilgrim hat combo, another bible to fill in, and THREE Mayflowers. This is going to take me forever. I want another project. I want to start something new and seasonal.
04 December 2007
Found it! Found it!
I found the magazine with the baby design in it today in my bedroom. It had fallen behind the bed and I was changing the sheets out and found it. Woo hoo! I found it. I am awesome. I can do this design.
Anyway, I am not getting much stitching done. I went Christmas shopping last night to get some headway on my gifts. I mostly bought stocking stuffers. My guy is hard to shop for--what does one buy a man who buys himself whatever he wants? The answer would be, a pair of sleds. They had them at Target and they were $10 each. They are more like saucers, but I think they will work pretty well if it snows. I am surprised that no one has invented a sled that is shaped like a cafeteria tray, because trays make awesome winter implements. They are great sleds, and can also be used in a pinch to dig a Ford Escort out of the snow. So I have those, although it is kinda hard to find a place to hide them. I also found him some Peppermint Pop Rocks and some candy. I decided that I can also give him scratch off lottery tickets, put a little excitement in the day. I am not good at the stocking thing, really, but I figure with a couple other little things, that ought to be enough. Money is tight this year, and I have a huge shopping list. I am getting his nephew a copy of Puff the Magic Dragon. He's almost 3, so he won't pick up on the drug references, which I still don't understand at 30. For him, it will be a book about a dragon.
So I got home at 9:30 last night and stitched for a little bit. I am still plugging away at that bleeping tabletopper. I finished another turkey last night, and started on an Indian basket and a Pilgrim hat. And did some Nun stitch. Nun stitch is dreadfully boring. I really have to say that. I am hoping to get more done today and tonight.
Anyway, I am not getting much stitching done. I went Christmas shopping last night to get some headway on my gifts. I mostly bought stocking stuffers. My guy is hard to shop for--what does one buy a man who buys himself whatever he wants? The answer would be, a pair of sleds. They had them at Target and they were $10 each. They are more like saucers, but I think they will work pretty well if it snows. I am surprised that no one has invented a sled that is shaped like a cafeteria tray, because trays make awesome winter implements. They are great sleds, and can also be used in a pinch to dig a Ford Escort out of the snow. So I have those, although it is kinda hard to find a place to hide them. I also found him some Peppermint Pop Rocks and some candy. I decided that I can also give him scratch off lottery tickets, put a little excitement in the day. I am not good at the stocking thing, really, but I figure with a couple other little things, that ought to be enough. Money is tight this year, and I have a huge shopping list. I am getting his nephew a copy of Puff the Magic Dragon. He's almost 3, so he won't pick up on the drug references, which I still don't understand at 30. For him, it will be a book about a dragon.
So I got home at 9:30 last night and stitched for a little bit. I am still plugging away at that bleeping tabletopper. I finished another turkey last night, and started on an Indian basket and a Pilgrim hat. And did some Nun stitch. Nun stitch is dreadfully boring. I really have to say that. I am hoping to get more done today and tonight.
02 December 2007
Santa pics
Today was the day I took 5 of the 6 pets in this house to see Santa; Felix Anne and I have an agreement that he does not go to see Santa Claus EVER. It was pretty fun. This is a Christmas tradition for me, and I love doing it. Robbie ate everyone's cookie and asked for more. Chancey wouldn't put her ears up for the pic, Nikki got shy. Gussie peed on Santa's helper, which embarrassed me, because she was quite a tabby fancier; she said he was such a pretty color, and he wet on her. He did not, however, do the traditional ninja foot pose in his picture, just wailed for someone to rescue him from the hell his mother had put him in. That is why this photo cracks ME UP.
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