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Saturday, May 29, 2010

May SBQ: Process vs. Project

I’ve been way behind on my blog reading, so I’ve just discovered that Lee (The Lake Stitcher) has decided to adopt and restart the Stitching Bloggers’ Question series. This series died out a couple of years ago, and I’m looking forward to a new set of questions, and perhaps readdressing some I answered earlier.

Anyway, on to May’s question:

Suppose we say that there are two types of stitchers.  

There are those who enjoy the “process” of stitching.  They stitch for stitching’s sake and if something gets finished, so much the better, but it’s not necessarily the end goal.   Primarily, it’s the application of needle and thread to cloth that makes them happiest.

Then there are those who are “project” stitchers.  They move steadily through their projects, certainly enjoying their stitching time, but finding their greatest joy in the completed stitching. 

If you had to pick one to describe yourself, which type of stitcher would you be?  I imagine that we could all say that we fall somewhere in between, but really think hard about this and try to pick just one.  And once you’ve decided whether you’re a Process or Project stitcher, tell us if you recognize that approach in other parts of your life.

While I definitely enjoy finishing projects and showing them off to friends and family, I’m a process stitcher all the way. I think that shows in my blog posts.

I enjoy the process—bringing a plain piece of fabric or canvas to life with detailed stitches, learning new techniques and figuring out different ways to use them, and sharing what I learn here.

Do I recognize this in other areas of my life? I’ve never really thought about it before. I guess my engineering career applies. The projects I work on usually last for a year or more, and even once they’re “launched,” there’s still some ongoing work to address problems in the finished product. This might frustrate some people, not seeing the concrete result of your efforts for so long, but I really do enjoy the process.

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This question has reminded me of all of the projects I have completed since I started stitching 19 years ago. Many of these are not even framed or otherwise in a finished format, but I enjoyed them while they were in progress. I’m thinking of starting up a regular series of “Friday Finishes” where I post each week (providing life doesn’t get in the way) about one of my completed pieces. Some may be recent projects, and others may be from many years ago.

What do you think? Is there any interest in such a series? Does anybody else want to post their finishes similarly? Please let me know!

7 comments:

Karen said...

Jeanne, I like the Friday Finishes idea. I'd enjoy reading about your finishes and it's something that I might post about as well. It's not hard to think about finished projects and say to myself "oh, yeah, that was the first time I did such-and-such a stitch" or "that project always makes me think of someone". That would be kind of neat.

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

I agree. Looking back on our stitching is very interesting. We see what we learned and what we'd do differently. Since I have been blogging about my stitching for almost 4 1/2 years, I won't be doing this. Folks already have seen my finished pieces. But I would love seeing you do this!

Edy said...

I'd love to see you finished pieces, knowing what a talented stitcher you are. There are things you've done that I would never attempt, but I like seeing them anyway.

MeganH said...

I'd love to see some of your completed work.

I'm a project stitcher, while enjoying explaining the process and my design/technique decisions on my blog (I have a didactic streak a mile wide).
But I like the feeling of accomplishment. Especially lost in the wilds of a severe chronic illness, I like to be able to say "I did this"

Susan said...

I would love to see a series of your finishes. I really enjoyed seeing your WIPs and hearing about the techniques and why the project had been put on hold.

Rachel said...

I'm a bit of both. I enjoy working something out, but some of my finished pieces still make me glow years after I finished them!

Sylvia said...

Jeanne, i like the Friday Finishes idea and would love to read about yours and other finishes. I would also participate if asked. As for the the answer to the process/project question I am going to add that blog and answer the questions on my blog too. If you want to see my blog it can be found at http://nsaprof.blogspot.com. Thanks for the inspiration.