Some Cross Stitch Plans and Organization

I have hated how I have my cross-stitch stuff organized.  I tried to keep everything in a mini file box.  Then I kept it in a place that didn’t allow me to get at it very easily.  Then finally one day it dawned on me that the file cabinet next to my computer was full but two of the drawers were full of old childcare curriculum.  Well, hey.  I don’t need that anymore.  Why not give that away and use one of the drawers for cross stitch?

So about a week ago I cleaned it all out.  I gave all of the goodies to a gal in town that started doing childcare.  Then I had an empty drawer just for cross stitch.  I’m so happy!!

Early last week I transferred the files from the box they were in and then started organizing my other stuff.  In the middle of all of that, I decided to pack away anything I had pulled that was leftover from Fall stitching that I didn’t get to and pull out some winter and Christmas.

I have plans that sometime in the next two weeks that I will go to The Stitchery Nook in Osage, Iowa.  It’s a great cross-stitch shop.  In light of that, I started checking to see what I had threads for and what threads I needed.  I don’t necessarily kit things up with everything I need but I do pull floss for the projects.  I’m not so picky about linen and have several pieces that I can always choose from so I don’t put linen with a project unless it would be some type of colored linen bought specially for the project.

Oh, this is so much nicer.  I have them sorted by designer and seasons mostly.

I really went down a rabbit hole with all of this…but it was long overdue.  I have projects that I had finished but didn’t put the floss away.  I had charts that I bought on a stash unload Facebook page that didn’t have put away.  I really needed a day to just do a reset.

I had kept my potential Fall stitching pieces in a project bag.  As much as I wish I could have, I didn’t get to these so they got filed away.  There is always next year.

Then I started pulling a few Christmas and Winter things as options to stitch.  I am under no belief that I will stitch all of these.  Hopefully two Christmas ones and two winter ones but we’ll see.  I did pull threads so I have options.

I love this one.  It’s small and I think I can finish it before Christmas.

This one is AMAZING.  Look at those wonderful colors.  I’d like to stitch this one too but I’m not a fan of stitching with white floss.  There is just something that makes it seem like the stitches don’t lay as nicely.  Technically it’s not white.  It’s DMC 3756.  I have come gray fabric so I could start this anytime.

When I say I went down a rabbit hole, it’s so true.  I even wound all of the floss onto bobbins.

If you are new to cross stitch and plan to wind bobbins, here’s a tip, ALWAYS, start with the end of the thread that is on the NUMBER end of the skein.  It doesn’t knot that way.

Kelli stitched this and then gave it to me.  I likely won’t get to it but I put it in the pile of possibilities.  I will leave off the bottom row of crowns if I stitch it…

And I think I’ll pick darker colors.

This is at the top of my Christmas stitching…

The original calls for several different reds but I am going to stitch it only with this Cranberry silk.

I even found a scrap piece of linen.  I kitted it all up with its own bag, hoop, scissors, and everything.  For me, that means a start is imminent.  This will be great to stitch during Advent.

For further proof that the start is imminent, I even made a working copy.  I get asked why I do this.  I get frustrated when my stitching transfers from one page to the next.  I always end up off a stitch or it takes a lot of time while I second-guess myself.  This way I make a copy, cut the edge, and tape the pieces together.  Easy Peasy.  No second guessing anymore.  For me, it’s totally worth it.

From there I pulled two of my “I have every intention of stitching these” projects but I am stitching Christmas first.  I am stitching Joy & Good Cheer once I’m done with Christmas stitching…then I’m stitching the Seasons of the Heart Spring pillow after that.

It just so happens that the two pieces use many of the same threads so I put them together on one shower curtain ring and labeled them.

While I had all of this out, I pulled things for a project from this Blackbird Designs book In Friendship’s Way.

I really want to stitch the piece that is attached to this box.  Isn’t it pretty?  I’ve decided that I want to do more smalls this year…or even a few more smaller samplers that are 10″ x 10″ finished.  This one fits the bill.

I always get so sucked into a huge sampler and don’t take much time for smalls…or I only stitch seasonal smalls.  I think I might try to make sure I always have a non-seasonal kitted so I can grab it anytime.  I for sure want to go back to stitching on Blackbird Designs stuff the first weekend of each month.  I did that for a while and really enjoyed it.

Here is everything, including the working copy, ready to go.

Can you believe I kept going??  Next year on my list to stitch is Though He Seemeth Sleeping.  The cover photo is awful.  Cynthia Brew from Stitching in the Light FLosstube stitched this and it was so pretty.

I’ve had the chart for a bit.  I was going to start it immediately but then I got looking at the chart and no specific colors are given.

It comes with four papers with color options from Classic Colorwoks, Gentle Arts, Weeks Dyeworks, and DMC.  Then a blank paper is given.  UGH.  You’re supposed to pick your colors from those lists.  I hate this option and because of that, this never got started.

I ended up going through the list and picking whichever color off whichever list I had.  I vaguely remember Cynthia Brew saying in her floss tube video about the piece that she picked other colors that weren’t even on the list.  I think I might find her post on Instagram about it and use her finished piece as inspiration for color selection.  I do remember that she said she added one more swirl heightwise and then the piece fit in a traditional 11×14 frame…but I don’t remember the count of linen she used.  I guess I’ll go back and rewatch the video.

I also pulled thread for this.  I had picked this out last year as one I wanted to start…but that never happened this year.  I want to get more serious about actually starting it.  I’m thinking of starting it on my birthday.  I have a silly idea to start it and then every week make a goal to stitch one line from right to left each week until it’s finished.  I really don’t think it would take a long time to stitch as letters go pretty fast…so I just need to start it.

I don’t like to have too many projects going at a time but if I don’t start it, something else that’s all new and shiny will get started instead, and then next year at this time, I still won’t have it stitched so…I’m committed.  This will get started on my birthday or the day after if the family comes over and I don’t get a chance to start it on the actual day.  That would be December 14th.

I pulled two patterns to potentially stitch for Valentine’s Day.  I like this Stacy Nash pattern.  Thanks so much to the blog reader that sent it to me.  The colors are pretty drab so I might change them.  I didn’t have the called for colors either so we’ll see when the time gets closer.  I might change up the colors.

This chart was gifted to me too.  They picked a reddish-orange-brown for the red.  I didn’t like that either.  I put that in the bag without colors picked for it.

I pulled this as a to-do for 2023 too.  It says, “I choose joy”.  Oh my, I love it.  But…again the colors are drab.

All of the colors are VERY earthy browns and drab colors…not very joyful at all!!

I ended up going all out and pulling threads I liked…or at least I hope I like.

You can’t see it the best but there are two dogs at the top of the piece…one in each corner.  I’m going to stitch one as Rosie so needed beagle colors and one as Izzy so needed black.

I’m really excited to stitch this one.

If you read my cross stitch update you might remember that nothing appealed to me to stitch one night and I needed a break from the big piece I was stitching…well, if that happens again, now I have options.  I have several things ready to go.  I have lots with threads pulled and two with linen, threads, and everything ready.  I am so glad I took the day to do this.  I feel so much better.

…and I have my birthday start planned.  YAHOO!!  I love having something to look forward to.

For now the small things I pulled threads for all in this bag.

It’s a great project bag made by Deborah Harry.  She upcycles old linens and cross-stitch pieces to make project bags. Her work is top ten!  She has a Facebook page.  You can visit it HERE.  If you like the page, you’ll see that she puts out notifications about when she will be hosting a sale.  I absolutely love her project bags.  They are the only ones I buy.

I’m off to go get something accomplished today.  The day is ticking away…already 4 pm as I write this.  So far, I’ve only written two blog posts and did all of the sorting, cleaning, and organizing of my cross-stitch stuff.  It’s a good job to have done but I have other things that need attention and I want to stitch tonight…so I’m off.

I’m just thrilled to have this job done.  That happy dance is happening!!  Hmm…maybe I should start one of the Christmas smalls tonight.  Check the blog on Friday and see if I did.