Tag: Rotation

Thanks to a Yahoo group I belong to, and a great discussion thread, I’ve become very very keen to get my rotation back underway again – I tried to do this earlier in the year and continued illness kept putting things on the backburner … now I’m all fired up to start it up once again, and have worked out the following rotation for now.  The first project in the list is the current project to be worked on, with the following couple of projects next in line to be stitched (subject to changing my mind on a whim…):

1. Focus Piece
   – Boo Club by Lizzie*Kate
   – Egyptian Garden Mandala by Chatelaine
   – English Garden Sampler by Teresa Wentzler
2. Medium to Large
   – Acorn Needlebook by Periwinkle Promises
   – Summer Snapperland by Bent Creek
   – Halloween Fairy by Mirabilia
3. WIPs & UFOs
   – Love & Affection by JBW Designs
   – Wildflowers Needleroll by The Sweetheart Tree
   – Cottage Etui by CA Wells
4. Focus Piece – Boo Club
   
5. Small to Medium
   – Boo! Scissors Keeper & Purse by The Drawn Thread
   – Winter in the Square by Just Nan
   – Mermaid Heart by Just Nan
6. Large & BAPs
   – Enchanted Mermaid by Mirabilia
   – Golden Garden Sweet Bag by Forget-Me-Nots in Stitches
   – Bluebeard’s Princess by Mirabilia
7. Focus Piece – Boo Club
   
8. Christmas Ornaments & Freebies
   
9. Finishing – Trying to whittle down a pile of finished-unfinished objects … will be great to see them made into their final shapes!
10. Free Choice – whatever takes the urge at the time, but at this stage the following are screaming the loudest:
    – Ladybug Ladybug by LHN
    – Ghastly Ghostly Ghouls by Just Nan
    – Dragonfly Scissor Purse by Just Nan
    – Is it Too Late? by Lizzie*Kate
    – Quaker Flowers emery by Anita

Rightio, now I’m off to find all the charts, threads and fabrics, and make sure I have enough scrollbars etc for them all, then they can get organised in my stitching tub ready to start that rotation!  I’m just waiting until the end of this week so I can get my Quaker Round Robin out of the way (should be arriving any day now, hopefully), then it’s full steam ahead!  I want to get the Quaker finished as soon as it arrives, so it can be shipped straight off home to it’s Mum without waiting for the official posting date 😀

Oh shoot, I just remembered I have a couple of pieces that I “need” to finish first … hmmm, me thinks I might just have to start my rotation with the “Free Choice” slot and add those into the mix first …! 😛

I used to follow a stitching rotation and loved it immensely, but it fell by the wayside when I started housesitting last year and I became somewhat of a one-at-a-time stitcher.  I don’t feel I’ve achieved as much stitching as I have in the past, and wonder if getting back into a formal rotation will help.  I’ve been considering this for some time now (since my mojo kept disappearing), and Nicki published a recent post that has helped to spur me into action.

Following are my thoughts on my new rotation …

Half of my trouble is that I can’t decide what to stitch next as so many wonderful, awesome projects are all screaming at me at the same time, so following Nicki’s ideas, I decided to split my kitted-up projects into groups … then I’m using my old “UFO” method to decide what to stitch next – I used to have a numerical list of all my UnFinished Objects, then on Tuesday nights I’d draw a numbered tiddlywink counter/disc out of a pot, and whatever project matched the number on the plastic disc would get my attention for the evening.  This worked perfectly for those projects that I truly disliked, but one night was enough to get some progress happening … some projects would only get one length of thread stitched, but eventually those UFO’s on the list started getting whittled down in numbers.

Anyway, I thought I’d keep a numbered list within each of my groups of projects, and randomly draw a number out of my tiddlywink counters/discs whenever I need a new project to start … and I’ve kept a “Free Choice” slot for those occasions when I just HAVE to stitch something in particular and can’t wait for its number to be drawn.

Here’s the new rotation, all designed to be for 10-hour slots:

1. Focus Piece
2. Medium to Large
3. WIP’s & UFO’s
4. Focus Piece
5. Small to Medium
6. Large & BAP’s
7. Focus Piece
8. Christmas Ornaments
9. Finishing
10. Free Choice

As for what projects are on the list, I’ll post a separate post of all those little goodies in the groups, as at the moment it’s a “work in progress” while I find them all!  I may end up publishing it, then adding as I find more …

OK, I think I have a plan … I’ve worked out a kind of mini rotation that will see me working on a few of my favourite ‘new’ projects – this is what I’ve come up with for now and the great thing is that none of them are truly “big” pieces, so there should be a couple of happy dances before the end of the year too … hopefully …

My stitching plan/rotation I’m considering is as follows:

1. Finish the dratted Winnie the Pooh bookmark
2. Nicki’s Friendship Quaker RR piece (better to get my commitments over with first)
3. Blocks 1 and 2 of Snapperville (Bent Creek)
4. It’s Halloween (through to completion) (The Drawn Thread)
5. Side 1 of Sailor’s Valentine (CA Wells) – need to make a start on this to get it finished in time for the next project arriving
6. Block 1 of Sea Life (Lanarte)
7. Free choice of any small project (Xmas ornie/SB Bee fob/needleroll etc)

Then back to the beginning again …

1. Katrina’s Friendship Quaker RR piece (or earlier, depending on how quickly I stitch all the above list)
2. Blocks 3 and 4 of Snapperville (Bent Creek)
3. Autumn Arbor – through to completion (The Drawn Thread)
4. Side 2 of Sailor’s Valentine (CA Wells)
5. Block 2 of Sea Life (Lanarte)
6. Free choice of any small project (Xmas ornie etc)

Round 3 would then be:

1. Blocks 5 and 6 of Snapperville (Bent Creek)
2. Garden Recipe – through to completion (The Drawn Thread)
3. Side 3 of Sailor’s Valentine (CA Wells)
4. Block 3 of Sea Life (Lanarte)
5. Part 1 of Cottage Etui (CA Wells)
6. Free choice of any small project (Xmas ornie etc)

And finally:

1. Block 7 and the border of Snapperville (Bent Creek) (final part)
2. Crimson Fire Sampler – through to completion (The Victoria Sampler)
3. Side 4 of Sailor’s Valentine (CA Wells) (final part)
4. Block 4 of Sea Life (Lanarte) (final part)
5. Part 2 of Cottage Etui (CA Wells)
6. Free choice of any small project (Xmas ornie etc)

That rotation would see all the major projects to completion – I would have to amend it, though, to give more time to the CA Wells pieces if I don’t seem to be stitching through the rotation quickly enough … if that’s the case the rotation will temporarily go on hold until I get those finished.  Only time will tell if this would work – but it’s something that could work well with housesitting, if I’m still doing it by then, as there are only a handful of projects that will be carried around at any one time.  I’ve been avoiding doing any over-one stitching so far while I’m trying to get my mojo back again.  Fingers crossed my new rotation, with some beloved projects, will help kick me back into gear again as I have many more projects in the wings waiting to be stitched – these ones will keep me out of trouble for a short while anyway, and they’re all relatively simple projects without too many challenges, which suits my slow brain at the moment!

I’ll soon be starting 5am shifts again, so sometimes that gives me chance to get some stitching time in the afternoons – and Muffy is very easy care and doesn’t crave attention all day (she’s hardly moved off her bed all day today – perhaps she’s missing Mum and Dad a bit today, hmmm).  I’ll probably take her for a quick walk as soon as I get home from work, then settle down with my stitching for the rest of the afternoon.  I don’t know the area here whatsoever, and probably won’t do a great deal of exploring … I’m looking forward to having 3 lazy weeks of nothing but reading and stitching (and definitely not in that order!!)

 Anyway, better head off for work now – I’ve repacked the boot with an ‘overnight bag’ or three to go to Ali’s for 4 nights, and left my suitcase and the rest of my stuff here.  Now all I have to do is to try to get Muffy outside – she was extremely reluctant to move 1/2 an hour earlier, hence the reason I thought I’d sit here for a while longer to give her more time inside … but sorry Muffy, it’s crunch time and “it’s time for you to leave the building” … 😉

OK, if you’re expecting to see my Etui sitting here all finished in this post you’re seriously delusional – you might have to check back in about 6 months time teehee … but I just HAVE to give a great big plug for my CA Wells stitching buddy Georgie, who has completed this masterpiece in all its stunning glory already!  Georgie, you are most definitely my hero!!  And I know where to come when I come unstuck months in the future when I finally get my stitching completed 😉

Today I had a good day at work … yesterday was a shocker, and I had to put up with a senior member of staff in head office going off her nut at me before I left work.  Without going into details I have to say I left work fuming, with steam coming out of my ears!  It takes an awful lot to send me into ‘seething mode’, but she managed it yesterday.  Part of my job on the Hotline is to problem-solve and fix errors etc … yesterday I was copping it from the customer’s side of things, then copping it worse from an internal customer’s side of things … you could have fried a couple of eggs on my cheeks, as they were roaring hot (a good sign things are NOT going well LOL).  I came home and poured a big tumbler of bourbon and L&P and sat sipping it at 2.43pm … luckily this is not the norm, and I’m not about to become an afternoon lush haha. Today, however, I just had to speak to this woman and bring the issue out in the open – we had a very open discussion how it makes the job so much harder when we cop abuse from their department, when we’re just trying to rectify an error we’ve made … I hate conflict, but I also won’t just sit there and take it when I feel strong enough about the issues concerned, and I’ll most definitely stand up for myself … the end result is that we cleared the air, she apologised that it was never meant personally etc, and we’re back to being good work colleagues again.

You’d never have recognised me in my teens – I wouldn’t have said boo to a ghost!  Mum said the best thing that ever happened to me was working behind the bar of a rugby club in Auckland, as it really made me come out of my shell and stand up for myself.  Perhaps sometimes it taught me a little TOO well 😉  Normally quite placid, I will snap if my buttons are pushed enough.  A poor woman copped my wrath in Officeworks last week.  You may remember I felt pretty down when I got my car repair bill, well I drove straight to Officeworks after picking my car up for some overdue photocopying I’d been wanting to do – I’d just settled myself in at the copier when a woman came in and stood in front of the photo printing machine next to me.  She asked if I knew if someone was using the machine – my answer, sorry but I don’t know.  She continues, well did you see someone standing here?  My answer, sorry but I literally just walked in ahead of you, so I didn’t see anything.  Personally I think they were perfectly fine and appropriate answers.  As my copier had run out of paper in one of the trays, I walked off to see the clerk for a refill so I could start my copying … the woman started muttering as I walked past “well, you’re not very friendly are you?” ……..

At this point you could say I went from marginally upset and depressed to extremely irate in 0.5 seconds flat! LOL.  Most people would just take a deep breath and walk away … not me!  Let’s just say she picked the wrong me, on the wrong day!  I stopped and said “I beg your pardon?”  She repeated the statement, well you’re hardly very friendly, are you?  I could feel the lava bubbling up on Mt Shackles, and it was getting close to overflowing down the sides … I couldn’t help myself but to snap back … actually you have no idea what sort of person I am … I just walked in ahead of you, and answered your questions with the appropriate answers, I am just standing here minding my own business and doing my own thing, I am NOT an employee of Officeworks and I am NOT the bl**dy help desk … I’m sorry if that deems me as being unfriendly, mutter mutter mutter.  I tell you what, though, it got me out of that slightly depressive phase hahaha.  I told Mum the story when I spoke to her on the phone later that day, and she said she could just picture it – I said, yeah, you would have left the store in embarrassment LOL 😉

Hmmm, sorry, I hadn’t expected to waffle on so … do you think perhaps my blogging mojo is coming back too?  I haven’t waffled on so much in ages!!  Anyway, seeing as I don’t have any need to be lushful this afternoon, I thought I just might catch up on some TV programmes I’ve had taped for a while and … wait for it … start my rotation stitching again!! 😀

Yes, you heard it here, folks … the rotation is back in the building!  I actually put Egyptian Garden Mandala on my new 17″ Q-snaps last night in readiness, and it’s sitting here propped up against my stitching chair begging me to come over and spend some time with it … With any luck that’ll get me back into my normal projects again and I can start getting some of these darned BAP’s finished!  I have to admit, though, I was tempted to start with rotation slot #13 … free choice LOL … but then I figure there’s another one coming shortly in slot #3 so I haven’t got too long to wait (then I think it’s Snapperville here I come!)  😉

If you’re lucky you might even see a progress piccie by the end of the week … maybe … although it’s Bordeaux’s night coming up so that might hit the blog first!  Rightio, enough waffling on … it’s time to stitch! 😀

(BTW, I think you deserve a medal if you managed to get this far in reading … your stamina would earn you Gold, I think! LOL)

I was reminded at work today that the art of language has been well and truly slaughtered in this modern age … and I personally think Beverly Hills 90210 and shows of its ilk have a lot to answer for … I was reminded today by one of our younger staff members at work, of a discussion held between two girls on the train a couple of weeks ago – literally every 3rd word was “like”. I have never ever heard the word “like” so many times in one grammatical sentence … “… like, he went to, like, the doctors, and he, like, said he had to, like, have blood tests done … like, that’s so like scary ….” … like, OMG, I felt like slashing my wrists after like listening to like 5 minutes of that !!! ;P

OK, now it’s time to get back to stitching stuff … and back to the subject of my rotation … you see I do actually have a full rotation worked out, and it was in fact working pretty well until I started the CA Wells pieces – even though it’s quite a long list of project slots, I think I’m going to pick it back up again and continue where I left off … with a bit of minor tweaking.  Originally I had a total of 17 rotation slots (yeah, I know, a bit crazy!), which included 3 separate ‘smalls’ slots (that I’m going to keep), but also 2 slots for UFO projects, and one for ‘kits/classes’.  I’ve decided to put the Pyramid Etui into every Smalls/Ornaments slot for now, so it’s almost like having two focus pieces (the other one being EGM) – once my Pyramid is totally complete, then I’ll replace it with the Stitching Leporello and so on.  With my new rotation it still means I’m working on my main WIP’s with some scope on my ‘free choice’ slots to stitch something small and fun inbetween times …  As Andie pointed out, I think part of the problem is that the majority of my current projects are HUGE ones, and I can’t see the finishing line any time soon, so I’m getting the urge to stitch something that’s quicker to stitch.  Obviously, though, unless I put some stitches into those huge BAP’s, they’re never going to get finished so I just need to keep plugging away at them.

As far as the actual ‘type’ of rotation goes, I’ve found that shift work isn’t conducive to having a daily or weekly rotation, as it depends on what shifts I’m working that week as to how much stitching gets done.  I’ve found the 10-hour rotation works best for me … some weeks it’ll only take me two days to complete a 10-hour rotation slot, but some weeks it’ll take me a couple of weeks to reach that goal, but at least that way every project gets equal billing and a chance to get a few stitches into them.  Of course I’m not necessarily that strict on myself too … if after 8 hours I’m absolutely hating the project, then I’ll put it to one side, likewise if I’m loving it at the end of 10 hours I’ll keep going for a while longer (say 1-3 hours more) until I’m ready to switch.  All-in-all in the past it’s worked for me that way … and I think it’ll work again, I just need to pick up that first project in the list and get cracking and back into the rotation rhythm! 😀

So, to recap for my own purposes again, here is my updated current rotation (once again, I may tweak it slightly once I have chance to think about it a bit more, but I’ve already deleted a couple of the original slots out of it for the timebeing – and I’ve left out my two SAL projects seeing as they’re supposed to be worked on each week separately, namely Bordeaux Sampler and Macaw) –

1. Focus piece – Egyptian Garden Mandala
2. Smalls/ornaments – Pyramid Etui (then Stitching Leporello, then My Treasures Workstation)
3. Charity blocks/free choice (chance to stitch something smaller and ‘fun’!)
4. Canvaswork – Flight of the Bumblebees (then Sapphire Star, then Celtic Knot Quilt)
5. Focus piece – Egyptian Garden Mandala
6. UFO – either chosen or ‘lucky dip’ (currently Nature’s Resting Place)
7. Smalls/ornaments – Pyramid Etui, etc (as per above)
8. Mirabilia/L&L – Winter Queen (then Angel of Love)
9. Focus piece – Egyptian Garden Mandala
10. Band samplers/specialty stitches – Le Jardin Silk Sampler
11. Finishing items (may remove this and just use the FAL weekend on Focus on Finishing blog instead of doing both)
12. Smalls/ornaments – Pyramid Etui, etc (as per above)
13. Free choice (another chance for some ‘fun’ stitching)

The way I’ve been choosing my projects is that I’m working on those items where I’ve got everything fully kitted up, especially if I’ve bought beads/braids etc especially for it … no point paying all that money out and not actually stitching them!  My little financial breakdown last year put me into that frame of mind, and I’m glad it’s still in my head as it certainly makes sense 🙂

I’m soon about to have another different problem as well … I’ve found a friendly quilter at work … and she’s been bringing her latest quilts in to show me … I fear it’s going to be harder and harder to stave off the quilting bug … it’s compounded even more by seeing wonderful blogs like those of Nicole and Judith as well as numerous others where the most wonderful quilting projects are being showcased – I don’t think I can resist much longer … especially since I have my quilt design all created, I just need to get the fabrics … once I get that bank account stocked up again, I think I’llhave no option but to go shopping and feed this new urge!! I also have a great fabric shop to check out in Melbourne … according to Lena, it’s a must-see for quilters – it’s called GJ’s Fabrics, and the address is 443 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057.  I can’t vouch for it personally, and have no affiliation, except I hear it’s the ‘bees knees’ with patchwork fabrics from $8 a metre ………. Oh boy, I fear soon there will be no hope for me!!! ;P

One urge I did feed last night, though, was that I started the finishing of the And Many More needlecase … I actually got as far as ironing the interfacing onto both the stitched piece and the lining fabric, and basted around the edge of the stitching, plus stitched the Skirtex in place … while I didn’t complete it, I did make a dent in the start of it, and if I don’t do it before, I’ll finish the rest on the next FAL weekend on the Focus on Finishing blog 😀

Rightio, now I’m off to see what I can rustle up for dinner … I was super-dopey this morning and left my half-pan of beef stew sitting on the stove (I was supposed to be freezing it then got sidetracked and ran out of time … I’m on 5am shifts this week …) – it’s been happily sitting in the sunshine all day so I’ll have to tip it out for health and safety … I’m kicking myself ‘cos it’s such a waste of food, but also now I have to think about dinner again, b*gger … oh well, there’s always beans on toast LOL! 😉