Ok, you win

Thanks to those of you who voted on my three projects.  Three out of the six commenters chose that I should try to finish Cinders by Marion Scoular.

So, here we go.  I'm doing a bit of a rotation, in which I can work on up to three projects each night.  I'll start with one length of thread on Cinders.  Here's where she stands now.  As some of you pointed out, there really isn't that much left to do on this piece.

After that length of thread, I'll stitch one segment---one section of a circle or one area of background---on Genny Morrow's Wheels of Color.

If I still have some stitching time after these, I'll work on How Great the Blessing from Catherine Theron.  I really want to finish this piece this year, since I've already stitched the date! 

My exception to this rotation will be the Thursday evening "open stitch" nights at my LNS.  For these, I'll just bring the sampler, simply for the ease of carrying only one (smaller) project.


If I get closer to the end of the year and the sampler is lagging behind, I may put the other two aside for a bit again, but I'll cross that bridge if and when I need to do so!

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Erin update:  We had a visit to the orthopedist, one month post-cast.  The right hip is still in great shape, and the left is still out.  She'll continue with the brace, since she's tolerating it well.  We don't go back again for four months.  Her next surgery will happen when she's 18-24 months old, which means we have at least 9 more months of squishy baby!  Speaking of which, somebody's trying to get my attention through the baby monitor...

Rotation trial: Over already!

I really, really appreciate some stitchers' dedication to their rotations. It does take dedication to put down a piece you're enjoying and pick up something else. If a rotation works for you, that's wonderful!

I've tried a rotation for a couple of weeks now, and I've decided it's not for me. I need to be in a certain "mood" to work a given technique, and I can't schedule that. If I'm enjoying a certain piece and making good progress on it, I don't want to put it away until its next "turn" in the rotation. I'd rather ride the momentum on the project until I need a break on it or until my mood changes to work a different technique.

Aaahh! I feel better.

For the last few days, I've been "cheating" on my rotation (or, to be more honest, I gave it up a few days ago but just didn't "officially" end it by posting here). I've been having fun with the Bargello motif on Catherine Theron's Examplar IV. I also worked the first color of the spiral trellis stitch on a couple of the flowers.
I'm going to continue working on this piece until either ScottLee or Cinders starts calling my name! I'll keep these three as my "focus pieces", and still plan to start something new in each of my three categories (linen, canvas, and uncounted) when the current piece in that category is finished. That little incentive will hopefully keep reminding me to work, at least occasionally, on each of these.

WIP progress

So far, my rotation has been working! Unfortunately, I don't make much progress on any given day, so I'm uninspired to share it here regularly.

Cinders is nearing completion. I still need to stitch the vest, her hair, some random bricks in the background, and finish the coal scuttle and outlining. I'm thinking of stitching the vest in the darkest green from the wall. What do you think?
I've been making good progress on ScottLee, too.Note: I've removed any comments/pictures about Gay Ann's mystery at her request, to be posted at a later date. If anyone was upset by my early posting of this photo, I apologize. It was a lack of judgment on my part.

Attempting a rotation

On Sunday, I stitched on Examplar IV. Monday evening, Jean Hilton's Scottlee found it's way onto my stand for the first time in six months. Yesterday, after prompting from Cynthia and Joanie (thanks for keeping me honest, ladies!), Cinders was unearthed.

You know, it felt a little strange to be working on something different each day, after so many months of concentrating on one project at a time for a few weeks, but I enjoyed it! I used to have a "screaming rotation", wherein I worked on whatever project screamed at me loudest. That's how I ended up with so many WIPs and UFOs!

I've decided that I'm going to take this as a lesson. I like working on a focus piece because I feel like I make a lot of progress, but I also like the way working on something different each day alleviates boredom with a single piece. I find I actually stitch better if I'm not tired of a given section or a given piece.

The result? A three-day rotation! I'm going to work on three focus pieces, rotating to the next each day. I often am able to stitch at least an hour a day, with much more time on the weekends, so I should be able to make progress on all three. I'll be keeping three types of projects in the rotation:

• a sampler or other counted linen project. For now, that's Examplar IV.
• a counted canvas project. That would be Scottlee.
• a non-counted project. Since most of the rest of Cinders isn't counted, it will fill the role for now.

I won't keep it so constrained that I have to keep these projects in the rotation until they're done. I know I won't stick to the rotation if I make a rule like that. For example, when the next part of Mystery in a Corner or the next Jim Wurth ornament shows up, Scottlee will be set aside for a bit.

I am going to try to stick to the rule that I need to finish two items in a given rotation slot before I start a new one. The exception is for this first round, where I'm giving myself an option to only finish 1 in each slot before pulling something from my stash.* I think I've been pretty good at limiting my starts this year, and a few things are calling loudly!

Here's where the rotation pieces stand now:

Examplar IV (Catherine Theron) - sampler

Scottlee (Jean Hilton) - counted canvas

Cinders (Marion Scoular)

*(Oh yes, of course the Jim Wurth ornaments and new class pieces are exceptions too, but I'm only expecting two more ornaments and 1 class piece for the rest of the year.)