Yuku free message boards

That's what I'd do if I had to give up stash buying altogether. I know that because I've done it. It's far cheaper to allow me small purchases now and then than to say none at all.

I stop stitching if I have to be a OAATer - if I get bored with something I won't stitch. I've got over 30 WIP's - last year I had an average of at least one finish a month - which is really good for me. But I've talked about doing this or doing that to get my WIP's back down to my comfort level (which was 3 (at that time, for all I know it's different now) and I worked on all of them every day), or to finish more, or this that or the other goal. And in the end I've given up on everything except having fun. Every time I try to put rules into my stitching I get frustrated and bored and stop stitching as it's no longer fun.

So I've come to the conclusion that as long as I'm having fun it doesn't really matter. Although I do like to finish gifts for other people, so they do tend to get finished faster than ones for me. And I do really want to whittle down the WIP's as I'd like to see them finished (because I still really love them and want them finished). So out of all those WIP's there are only 4 that I've officially given up on and relegated to UFO status - which isn't bad going really. So I'm doing one night a week on a UFO and will get them finished that way.

The others I still have every intention of getting done - I just need to temper the new starts. What I'm doing is picking out up to 5 and having them as the ones I'm working on. It does help as I forget that I've got so many other unfinished ones so I don't get worked up about them. Then when I need a new one I can either choose another WIP or have a new start. I try to have some of both.

Basically all of this rambling I think is to say that each person is different - so you need to find what works for you. If one method doesn't work, then don't worry - try something else. It might help if you can think of when you were the happiest and most productive at your stitching - then you could have a starting point for trying out the different methods. If you've got too many WIP's maybe take out the number you actually want, and treat the rest as though they haven't been started. Then when you come to add this 'new' start into your list you can be pleasantly surprised that you've got so far in your first session with it

But the way I see it - if you're not happy then it's not going to work - this is a hobby not a chore so it should be fun.

Amanda