Stash Sunday - Coton à Broder #25

I finally got around to getting out my entire Coton à Broder #25 collection and laying it out in colour groups to look at the spectrum available (and just because I enjoyed playing with them!!!).

As you can see, I merged the two brands together.  I don't have anything like all of the DMC ones as there are something like 180 in their selection of shades and, including the 79 (I think) Anchor ones I got, my whole collection is only around 125.  I might complete it one day, but as I don't really use them that much just yet, it's not likely to happen in the near future.  I fear that it may be a case of 'just for the sake of it', which isn't good sense either financially or space-wise.  Hoarding yet more thread would hardly contribute to my minimalist goal.  Having said that, many creative pursuits really aren't very minimalist, but there are degrees to which these things can be taken.  Some are happy with the core essentials at any given time, some want everything on the market.  Most of us fall somewhere in between.  I do have a tendency to horde stuff I like, but I'm aware of that and try to control it, at least!!!

Anyway, all that aside, I do like Coton à Broder #25.  It's a nice gauge, a nice texture and seems to be replacing the formerly popular #16 gauge thread, which I also have a collection of, but probably about half this many.  They're threads that seem to me to have a lot of potential and I hope to do some experimenting with them in the near future.  Have you used Coton à Broder much, or at all?  Which gauge(s)?

I've also just been doing an inventory of things I've bought this year so far and, apart from embroidery supplies, I'm doing really well at not buying stuff.  I've been given three books, but bought none (and one of the give-aways I won't be keeping), given one bottle of perfume and bought one cosmetic item that I needed, but returned it as it was terrible!!!  Embroidery supplies-wise I've bought one piece of linen (which I used half of for the recent L*K piece), 37 DMC Coton à Broder skeins, 19 balls of Anchor Pearl Cotton #12, 3 spools of Kreinik Cord and 23 packs of Mill Hill beads, mostly in the sell-off event at Hobbycraft.  Oh, I also bought two bumper cross stitch pattern magazines.  I'll be doing a Project Minimalist update on my lifestyle blog soon, which will detail the stuff I've cut down too.

I was brave and did an approximate thread inventory recently.  It turned out that my estimate of around 1600 threads was more or less accurate.  I can see myself letting go of as many as 400 in the medium term if I continue to not use them, but I'm not forcing myself to.  I don't plan on buying (m)any more though.  I ordered my ticket for the November Harrogate Show this week, but it'll be a pleasure and inspiration trip as much as anything and I hope to come back fairly empty handed.

I have been doing a bit of cross stitch - my big WIP and a card for Sir - recently and hope to show you both of those during the next week.  I'm still having headache troubles, although some days I can use my glasses OK.  Trouble is, they're usually days that I either haven't time for blogging, or just don't really feel like it.  How typical is that? LOL!  Anyway, I know what causes the trouble and am working daily on resolving the problem.  It takes time, but progress is being made, so I'm happy with that.  I've just managed to edit lots of photos and write 4 blog posts (3 in advance), so things aren't bad today.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2015