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The importance of knowing when to stop on a project.

"With a painting, it's important to know when to stop, to avoid overworking it," my artist ex-husband said. Wise words.

I could fuss over embroidering Claire's name forever, trying to improve it. Took a deep breath. Thought about Navajo rug weavers who weave an imperfection into a rug, to let the spirit of the rug get out.

I'm making a new Christmas stocking for my girl. For years, I have felt guilty for making Claire a too-small quilted stocking when she was five. Recently, I sewed a new Christmas stocking for her boyfriend Shane. Welcome to the family.

Claire has always loved the stocking I made for her cat Rosie when she was seven. I love the little felt portrait I made of Claire. Looks just like her. So, I'm changing the cuff on Rosie's stocking for Claire.

Embroidering Claire's name distracted me from anxiety about the presidential election.

How do you know when to stop with something you're making? What kind of projects?

LiterateHiker 9 Nov 5
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7 comments

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1

I am a quilter, and cross stitcher, and crochet, and knit. And a few other crafts as well. Quilts have a stopping point.... in theory. I started a throw quilt this summer while I was between jobs. It was to be made to cull out my fabric stash. Then I stated working from home. I use the guest bedroom. That bed has a quilt I made that was made with a former BF in mind when he was supposed to move to Nebraska to be with me. Well, he couldn't cut the cords holding him back. But I kept the quilt, and afghan that coordinated with it, and when I moved to my current home it went on the guest room bed. As I'm training for my job I kept looking at the quilt and I thought - I need to replace that, I don't like the memories. The throw quilt grew to a full size plus quilt and I kept buying more fabric for it. It is currently at the long arm shop and should be done soon. I made an afghan for the bed as well, and it ended up HUGE! I would crochet while talking on the phone with the boyfriend. They will both go to a any charity that will take it that isn't Goodwill. I'm not a fusser, when it is good enough I am usually happy to be done. Sometimes I use patterns, and sometimes I use patterns for general guidelines and meander a bit. I am kind of between projects and I've just decided I need to make a Thanksgiving quilt. Maybe wall hanging, maybe throw. I don't think it is going to be done for Thanksgiving 2020. I made a baby doll quilt for my granddaughter for her birthday/christmas (same day) She is getting a baby doll and cradle. She will be turning 4, and is getting a sibling in the spring. I am thinking about making some doll clothes as well. I'm never bored, I just can't decide which project to work on.

2

Not a trick I ever learned I am afraid to say, I always keep coming back to things and fussing. But I have learned to use it to my advantage to a degree, since with time I learned that, the reverse of the coin, is that big jobs can be broken down into small parts, making them less daunting. While my main interest is gardening, which suits that mindset well, since gardens are never finished and always in need of reworking and renewal.

@Fernapple

Exactly. Plants need continual care: watering, fertilizing, weeding, pruning, bug removal, etc.

2

You know this is actually going off somewhat at a tangent...but when I read your post I thought of those unfortunate women who become addicted to remodelling their faces by plastic surgery. I know men sometimes become addicted to plastic surgery too, but it is by far a greater problem amongst a certain type of insecure woman who keeps trying to improve what she believes to be imperfections until she becomes a grotesque caricature of womanhood. So sad.

Your needlework is beautiful, and I know you are sensible enough to know when to say “ it’s finished”.

@Marionville

Thank you, dear. I appreciate you.

Good point about plastic surgery. It's sad.

Yes that is so true

@RoyMillar I call it The Barbie Syndrome.

2

After years of coming to grips with the conflict of " what I'm satisfied with" versus, "how much labour the customer will pay for", I've finally developed a sense of, "good enough", although that was not without a great deal of angst.

That is a tough one to get around if a person is a perfectionist in there work as it usually takes a lot more labour to do it and the person works slower ,There is certain jobs where that perfection is wanted and chrished and paid well for but the average Joe it is not really appreaciated to that extent,just looking for a good job at a reasonable price

1

That's my sister's problem. She paints a superb picture or creates a superb ceramic, then decides she can still improve it - again and again - until it's worse!

@Petter

Exactly.

@LiterateHiker I, of course, do not have this problem. My originals are so awful that nothing can worsen them.

1

I'm a dab hand at modifying and painting prop replicas, but I'm not going to post any pics here since what I'm into are science fiction sidearms, which I know are probably not to your taste. 🙂

@Paul4747

I love your old-fashioned "dab hand" description. Haven't heard that in years.

Thanks for your respect and sensitivity for my feelings about guns. I appreciate you.

@LiterateHiker Part of being a responsible gun owner and collector is not throwing my hobby in other's faces. That's why I do not support open carry, and I believe the so-called "militia movement" are a bunch of man-children who never got over playing with their GI Joe dolls.

1

My mom has an afghan I made her of 600 granny squares where the outside is all the same royal blue color.....it fits a king size bed...took years. Yeah, No way I should've done it that big. It weighs about thirty pounds.

@Larimar

Wow!

"When I crocheted Claire's baby blanket, I got hotter and hotter as it grew on my lap," my mother laughed. "It was summer." Mom lived in Florida. She crocheted an intricate, exquisite shell pattern with white and light pink yarn.

I gave it to Claire to take to college. At 19, Claire got a puppy who clawed and chewed that precious crocheted blanket to shreds. Grrrr.

@LiterateHiker

@Larimar

Beautiful!

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