I stitched this week!

Yes! Really, I did! I've barely touched my embroideries since early/mid February, but I actually got on with the narrowboat this week and am enjoying it. I suppose if I was enjoying the others, I might get one with them too!! Still, enjoyable or not, finished they must be and so I've set myself the goal of completing the water violets and fish one within the next fortnight.

After that's done, I'll move on to getting on with the goldwork viola and have hatched a plan for moving that one forward as well. I might enjoy it better when I see progress - it was constantly fluffing one small bit and thus getting nowhere that got me annoyed with it and led to neglecting it in the first place. Once I get the WIPs done, then I can see what I want to do in future and can see myself doing more counted work for a while, but I'll take it as it comes. It's supposed to be a hobby, so when it feels like a chore, it's time to re-assess what place an activity should have in one's life. We shall see.

I don't believe in UFOs - UnFinished Objects - so I insist upon completing what I've started. There are two other thing that rather need the same treatment hanging around awaiting completion - an easy tiny cat cross stitch and a City & Guilds sample that got neglected as it was a bit long-winded. Yes, I will complete them both. I love the sense of achievement that comes from a finish - even one I haven't really enjoyed (but still feel proud of later), and also from having cleared the decks and my conscience). I know others work differently and feel differently about it, but this is how I work best and what I know I'm going to do.=) No need for 'don't do what you don't want to' comments as I DO want to, and I shall, whether or not someone else would. =)LOL! I remember one lady commenting that she'd never finished a project in her life! I am quite happily at the absolute opposite end of the scale and intend to never fail to finish a project.=)

So, that's the stitching gospel according to Lizzy Dripping (as I was rather absurdly called as a child sometimes!!). I don't mind not doing a craft or hobby for a while, or even giving one up completely, but I will not tolerate half completed things hanging around. Just ain't in my nature.

Anyway, off the soapbox and onto the current WIP:


So, it's coming along quite nicely and I seem to have finally finished about four of the colours and approx half of the main stitching. The sky is supposed to be fully cross stitched, but I'm considering just doing half stitch in one strand for it, or perhaps even cross stitch in one strand. I like the contrasting sense of depth that gives.

Hope to have some freestyle to share next week as well as more on this one!=)

I've set up a Goals 2011/2 page over on Fluffy Little Idiot, which includes all my current WIPs and a number of other things. I really find these lists helpful and motivating. I just adore crossing tasks off a 'to do' list, it gives me a real buzz, so a good, long goal list like this one is just what I need to really get productive.=) If you think it might work for you too (I know it doesn't for everyone), then why not try and set one up? You can pick any timescale you like, i.e. this year, this decade (if you're really a long-term planner) and some have picked stuff they want to achieve by a certain age - 'Before I'm 30' is popular among active young bloggers. Having a dedicated page on a blog is a real help to me too as I not only feel I'm achieving stuff, but I'm also kinda telling the world how I'm getting along with it and there's a regularly updated (each Sunday) status report for me to check back with too. If you do one, leave me the link. I'd like to see what your goals are and cheer on your progress.