Monday, February 13, 2017

Summer Quakers - update #10

It's time for yet another Summer Quakers update! This picture's a little blurry, but...


Next post will be a finish! I just have one more large motif in the top left, then my initials, the year, and a few little bits I missed the first time around. SO CLOSE.

Once I finish this project, I'll get back to Beaded Dragonfly Tile by Chatelaine. One of my goals for this year is to finish by the end of March and... well, I only have a month and a half left. I need to get my butt (or rather, my needles!) in gear if I want to meet that target!

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Mindful stitching thoughts ahead:

Let's talk about excess. I've had a problem with wanting, spending, and having too much ever since I got my first job as a lifeguard at 14 years old. Ten bucks an hour was an incredible amount for a kid like me, and since I was working 30+ hours per week in the summer and had no expenses... whoa.

I can't even tell you what happened to all that money, though I suspect much of it was spent on trading cards and dolls from Japan. (I was and still am a big fan of Sailor Moon!) Incidentally, I still have most of these things and could easily sell them for a ton of cash... but I wasn't thinking of it as an investment at the time. I was just collecting what I wanted. And I wanted a lot of things.

The problem is, things don't make you happy. Sure, there's the initial rush of excitement, the thrill of finding something that fills a gap in a collection (trading cards are great for this), but then what? That fades quickly, and then it's on to the next. It's no different from an addict looking for the next hit.

I distinctly remember when I first got into polish and went crazy buying from tons of different shops. There was a point when I proudly thought to myself, I have so many orders coming, I can't even remember them all! People, that's a sickness. That was about two years ago and I can guarantee that I haven't yet tried every polish I bought in that initial rush.

Another distinct memory of mine was deciding with my wife that we would each kit up ONE large Mirabilia project, complete with hand dyed fabric, and work on them as a pair. So that's what we did. No excess shopping, just the supplies needed for a single project. Amazing.

A few years later, my mom died, my family gave me all her stitching stuff - which was a ton, because she was an ebay seller! - and I decided to get back into stitching. I started this blog, because back in 2010, this place was where all the stitchers hung out. And at some point, I discovered the culture of stashing and hauling, and immediately fell back into my old habits of excess.

And now my stash is out of control and frankly kind of disgusting. Just like everything else that I've ever been seriously interested in. :(

One of my major goals is to learn contentment, not just with stitching stash or nail polish, but all the stuff that surrounds me. I want to say "I have enough" instead of "I want more." So far, this month is going really well and I'm happy with my progress. :)

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for your transparency. I think many of us can relate, and hopefully be encouraged to follow your lead and know that enough truly is enough.
    As for your stitching progress, wow! Summer Quaker is almost an amazing finish, and based on the progress you've made, I don't think your goal for Dragonfly will be a problem at all. Kudos to you!

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  2. I am really enjoying your mindfulness posts, though they are sometimes challenging. I used to stitch one at a time, from magazines, and would only kit up as I was coming to the end of a project. I love how blogging has opened my eyes to so many new to me designers and fabrics, but I can't honestly say my stash makes me a happier stitcher.

    You have some beautiful things in your stash that deserve to be stitched (or stitched on in the case of fabrics).

    Summer Quaker is beautiful, and so close too! I look forward to seeing your Chatelaine tile come out again soon.

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  3. Summer Quaker looks fabulous and so close to a finish :)
    I too enjoy reading your mindfulness posts and I can assure you, you are not alone and somehow several of us can relate to the stash craze!
    Please don't find your stash disgusting (I'm mainly on about the cross stitch stuff as only use nail varnish once in a blue moon in summertime!). If you bought it in the first place, it's because you really liked it. I know taste changes over time but perhaps it could be a good idea to go through it all and put aside the ones that you really love & want to stitch and the one you no longer like. Those could be sold or gifter, it's up to you. That way you could feel more in control & get some money back on those... Doesn't mean go & spend it all on more, of course!!! It's just an idea, now it's up to you.

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  4. Your Quaker design looks great so far :)

    I had quite a few patterns a year or two ago. I did like Mii Stitch said and went through them to see which ones I still wanted to stitch. The others I sold to a stash buyer on Etsy. She resales them on Etsy. I figured another stitcher might enjoy them.

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  5. Your mindfulness is very interesting. I have binge-bought in the past but I've never really had the expendable cash to do it often. I remember a couple of years back one particular designer group on FB suddenly went into overdrive and people were "buy all the charts" but you rarely saw them stitching on them!
    If you ever want to destash please feel free to send them over to the UK! You have great taste in charts!

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  6. I'm happy you're good with your spending this month. To help with spending I would recommend a wish list. I'm an impulse shopper but if I put it on a wish list and wait at least a week that helps a lot because I discover I usually don't want it anymore. You could also sell stuff you don't want anymore. Great progress happy saving!

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