Update: Neverending Embroidery…

Quilty Life

Mar 23

Time to check in on this handwork project…is it done yet?

Well, it’s officially past the first day of spring (yay), so I thought that for this week’s blog post, I’d give you an update on my handwork project. This is Snowmen A to Zzzz, by Crabapple HIll Studios - and it’s been at the bottom of my UFO list since my first trip to Paducah - which makes it at least 10 years old. I have always loved it, but when I took it out of the bin to look at it, it always seemed so overwhelming in scope that I just pushed it aside. I had one block that was partially done - not an inspiring start.

With the onset of Covid, and an impending long winter looking at me last fall - I took it out, organized it and decided (and announced publicly that I would have this done by the first day of spring. Last Sunday, to be precise.

I have learned that handwork has an entirely different rhythm to it than machine work does - and I hadn’t taken that into consideration. I also hadn’t taken into consideration just how much work was in some of these blocks. So, no - I am not done. I am halfway done with it - and thrilled to be that far along.

Halfway done - Zen stitching works for me.

So how did I go from flailing and frustrated to enjoying the journey? It’s going to sound corny, but it also works… This is the first large project where I have tossed out the deadlines and just enjoyed it.

Since February 10, I gave myself permission to just stitch and enjoy each block. Just 20 minutes a day (I do use the timer on my phone), in the quiet of the morning - and when I am done with that, I’m done with that.

Since February 10, I have completed 7 of the blocks and I’m halfway through the eighth. On average, they are taking about 5 days.

I also stopped jumping around from one random block to another - that seemed to take more energy than it needed to. I began by working (and completing) the earlier alphabet blocks, then I finished B, C, D…and I’m currently working on the K/L master block. I’ve decided that I’m just working with the sequence, and not jumping around. That also has calmed me a lot.

The project will be done when it’s done. And when they are done, I will worry about the next steps. It’s nice right now to just enjoy each block, and the whimsy that is Crabapple Hill.

I probably will, after this, take on another handwork project…but that’s also something I’m not going to worry about…Just enjoying the journey. If you have a major project to accomplish, this ‘zen’ approach does work if you allow it to.