Category: Crafts

Slow Progress Feels Like No Progress

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I’ve heard it said before that, “Slow progress is better than no progress.” Which is good in theory, but not so much in practice. If I were making no progress because I wasn’t doing anything, that would be understandable and not necessarily frustrating. It’s working for an hour straight and having almost nothing to show for it that gets irritating.



This was three days progress on the background. Closing that tiny hole took three days of work. Granted I only have a couple hours a day to work on this, but it is still disheartening to see it take so much time. Now that I’m on to the hair and skin, it feels like it is moving slightly faster. Only slightly, though. And I have to get this finished by next week to get it sent on time.

The Downfall of the Background

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In painting, colored pencil, basically any medium, a single color background makes the task easier. You just use one paint/pencil/marker/etc. and can use broad strokes to fill in the space more quickly.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way in cross-stitch. Sure, you don’t have to stop and change thread very often, except when you run out. But you still have to make each individual stitch. And thousands of single-color stitches at a time can start to drive a person crazy.

Fortunately, I am finally done with the background, but lack of motivation to complete the ocean of yellow has thrown me way off schedule. What started out as 300-ish stitches a day quickly became nearly 700. Which means I better find some more motivation as the picture starts to define itself. Or this birthday gift will become a father’s day gift.

I have go to start these gifts much earlier…

Multiplying Minions

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Seriously, once these things get started, they don’t seem to stop.

I got a request for this little guy to be made two weeks ago. I had about five days to make it and its partner hat:

Luckily, this was on my week “off”. Took no more than an hour for the hat and an hour and a half for the doll. I think I am becoming an expert on these minion things.