ufo

Originally posted 2009-03-18 06:39:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A major contributor to messy stashes are our piles of unfnished and unstitched projects, I know it is for me.

Once a year, at least, you should go through the piles of this stuff and organize them. It’s kind of like a treasure hunt. Yesterday was that day for me, occasioned by finding the two underbed boxes of stuff I had stored over the summer.

Begin by sorting stuff into four piles:

unstitched canvases
projects you are actively working on (WIPs)
started projects you aren’t working on (UFOs)
projects you don’t want to do anymore

I sorted my unstitched canvases into large and small (small is by far the biggest. The large ones went back into one of the storage bins. The smalls got organized by subject and put into a straew tote bag whixh ia easily accessible for when I want to start a new project.

My WIPs are stored in zippered project bags in open baskets under some of the thread stash. These projects are one stretcher bars. Some of them, like the CyberPointers President’s Challenge are long term, some, like Maple Leaf Rag, are almost done. I’m hoping that new projects won’t get added to this pile until an old project is done.

The UFOs are more problematic as I don’t want to waste stretcher bars, thumbtacks, and zippered bags on things I won’t be stitching for awhile. So I use plastic bags for storage and put threads and canvas into the underbed unit.

The stuff you don’t want anymore and what to do with it will be the subject of next week’s article.

Now instead of two underbed units, I have one. I’ve reduced the number of WIPs to ones I can handle and have the small pieces I love somewhere where I can get them fast.

All in all not a bad day’s work.

See the rest here:
Organizing WIPs, UFOs, and Unstitched Canvases

My Stitchy Resolutions

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

I had a realization yesterday — I’m going to have to stick up on long stretcher bars. Thinking about the projects I have planned and the models for classes I need to stitch, I’ve got lots of big things to work on.

They fall into three main categories, so here’s what’s on the plate:

Models for Classes

I have on stretcher bars a charming alphabet from Art Needlepoint that will be a different sort of class, more like a teacher-led group project. They’ll be lots of interesting techniques and unconventional uses of materials here.

I am also actually stitching on the model for another class, soon to be announced.

Then I have two big canvases for models that I haven’t even gotten on bars yet.

UFO’s

I always ay to myself I’m going to finish a ton of UFO’s and never do. But this year I am serious about finishing two large Maggie geometrics that have been in progress.

One is so softened that I have had to put it on stretcher bars just to get it finished. Even then it’s pulling away in areas, so I’m going to need to redo it.

Year-long Projects

I counted them yesterday. I am going to do the ANG SOTM for 2012. I haven’t picked colors for this yet because I’m going to do it as a stash project and need to put away threads to see what colors to use.

Then I’m taking part in Shining Needle’s Society Kimono with John Wadell. These are both big.

The later in the year I’m doing two projects with CyberPointers: PLum BLossom Kimono and Liz Morrow’s Bargello piece.

None of these is small, in fact for someone addicted to projects that fit on stretcher bars smaller than 10″, this is a HUGE departure.

But I’m hoping by the end of the year to have conquered my fear of charted needlepoint, made two more lovely pillows for my studio, and increased my knowledge of color and stitches.

Plus use up even more of my stash.

What are your stitchy resolutions?

See the rest here:
My Stitchy Resolutions

Is there an Island of Unwanted Projects?

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Remember how in Rudolph there was an Island of Unwanted Toys?

The toys there were unloved or missing something.

We have unwanted projects too. Maybe it was a class and we learned what we wanted to and never finished the project. Maybe your taste or decor changed. Maybe it’s too late to give that gift.

Whatever the reason we all have projects that have been started but won’t ever be finished.

Marlene asked about what to do with them. Here are some ides:

Do you have stitching friends? Arrange a “needlepoint swap.” Everyone bring 5 items to trade. The hostess should arrange for food and maybe goodie bags to entice people to come. This is like a pot luck, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Are you in a guild chapter? Donate these projects to your guild for a chapter auction. My chapter has funded our education auction with these for decades. Chapters take different tacks with this. Our chapter goes with bargain basement pricing, but other guilds go with higher prices. If you aren’t in a chapter, look for one nearby and ask.

Work with a local shop to have a garage sale. People buy tables, with the money going to charity, and on a given day the sale is held. The shop does some of the marketing so there are plenty of sellers and plenty of buyers.

Sell it in eBay. There are some shops, such as Fireside Stitchery and The World in Stitches, who will sell your items on eBay for a commission. They will take most things (email or call to ask) and have better luck than you would yourself.

Sell it through and independent reseller such as Canvases Begone or Stashing Destashing. From what I see as a buyer, they are more strict about what they take, but I’ve found great bargains in both places. Many stitchers visit their sites.

Donate it to a thrift store. I sometimes see needlepoint at local thrift shops and Northern California has one thrift shop that only has craft items.
Donate it to charity. You might know of a local charity looking for craft items. There are also some organizations that take donations from everywhere. The ANG Yahoo group has a list of these.

If it isn’t a UFO, you have more options for donation. Rittenhouse Needlepoint has a wonderful charitable program for teaching needlepoint. Local youth organizations and schools might welcome yarn and thread. Knitters who knit for charity might love uncut skeins of yarn.

There are enough places to place those unwanted projects that maybe we don’t need an island after all.

See the article here:
Is there an Island of Unwanted Projects?

Organizing the UFO Pile

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

For me, if the UFO’s are more or less corralled then I feel as if I am keeping the forces of chaos away from my door.

Deciding what constitutes a UFO instead of a “project on hiatus” what you store with it, and where that all goes can be a complex process, different for each stitcher.

Here’s how I do it and along the way you might find some tips to help you organize.

I would love to be one of those organized people who keep things neat and only work on a project or so at once. But I’m not and never will be, so this at least keeps me somewhat in control.

Triage

Deciding what kind of UFO a project is makes a HUGE first step to getting organized. When you go to the emergency room they call this triage, we can apply the same idea of quick classification to our needlepoint.

There are three kinds of UFO’s:

Projects currently being worked on
UFO’s you’ll get to soon
UFO’s you’ll egt to “someday,” or projects on hiatus

I’ll talk about each one in turn and how I store them.

Current Rotation

I am never without several projects going on at the same time. And my current projects range from models for classes, new projects for the needlepoint clubs, projects that will be used on the blog, gifts, stitch guide projects, new designs, and Sunday stitching (stitching for me).

Each of these projects lives in a project bag and sits somewhere around the house. I know when there are too many of these and I need to clean up when my DH complains about needlepoint being “everywhere.”

As soon as something is done, it goes to my office with the threads, gets taken off the stretcher bars and the project bag gets used for the next thing. Sometimes I have used a basket to keep these together but at the moment they are just piled around.

I like having these in bags, then I just pick one up to go someplace. I’m happiest if there are only five of these floating around. Right now I think I have six, so I need to get one done and none are very close.

UFO’s

These are projects that aren’t currently in the rotation but will be as soon as a space opens up. I used to keep them in piles in the office, but now I have them put in a tote I’m not using next to my desk.

These pieces are on stretcher bars and in project bags. To start work on them I just need to add needles and scissors and go.

Projects on Hiatus

A project on hiatus is one I intend to finish but has no deadline or compelling reason to be completed. If I have taken a class and learned what I needed to from it, I’ll take it out of hiatus and donate it or give it away. So every project here is one I plan to do. This is one of those parts of my stash I go through about every six months to be sure I haven’t changed my mind about any of these projects.

These live in the same dresser drawer as the large unstitched canvases. Mostly they are in plastic bags although some are in project bags. Usually, but not always, if something goes into this pile, I take it off the stretcher bars.

In theory if I take something from my UFO bag, I take one of these projects and put it in. But usually, I’m afraid, a new UFO has intervened.

Planning – the First Step in Organizing

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Although you don’t need to plan before you organize your stash, you’ll be happier if you spend some quality time thinking before sorting and storing.

First, think about what you have to store. Is it UFO’s, canvases, threads, books, or just about everything. Write down the board categories and not if you already have storage for them.

For example thread is the main thing I need to store, which is fine, But much of my thread lives in a seed cabinet and two chunks of card catalogue, which may not be so fine. They take up a ton of space and any organizing I need to do has to take that into account.

Second, think about the space you have. Is it big or small? Does it share space with other things? Does it have furniture in it? What lighting does it have? Is there hidden storage space anywhere?

Finally, think about how often you use the things in your stash. Do you start projects often? Are you mainly working on your UFOs? Do you need to get to blank canvas often? Do you mostly work on small projects so long stretcher bars can live far away?

Now that you know what you have, how you use it and what space you have for it, you can start thinking about how you will use your space. Do you sit in a particular space? What needs to be near it to make stitching easier? Do you do your work at a desk? What needs to be close by? Do you have a door you can close?

Once you have thought, write down what you have discovered and write down what you like and hate about your space.

When I set up my studio I knew it would need to be a guest room, so I bought a daybed, but not the one I wanted that had storage. But I found that I hated pulling out the bins.

Re arranging our house last winter allowed me to move that daybed to another room and to get a daybed with storage. The drawers make me more organized and I am MUCH happier.

A final word of advice. You won’t get it right the first time, but with each reorganization, you’ll get closer to a space that functions for you. By planning you’ll know what is good, what needs to be changed and where there is untapped potential.

Follow this link:
Planning – the First Step in Organizing

Stitch your Stash Reminder

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Just a reminder today is the last day to register for the Stitch Your Stash contest and get the extra sign-up bonus (you can still sign-up after this but your get fewer points to start).

And new or already registered, be sure to submit the names of the projects on your list. You earn points for every project you register.
And for new projects you get extra points if it’s a UFO and when you finish, you get extra points for an all stash project.

New signups can be through the contact form (in the links on the masthead), via the comments here, or by direct email to me.

Finishes and new projects to register should be emailed to me.

Yesterday I worked on two UFO’s so I’m stitching along with you.

The rest is here:
Stitch your Stash Reminder

Stitch your Stash Contest

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

Fall is upon us and, if you’re anything like me, you are itching to do some stitching.

I’m anxious to stitch up many of the small projects in my stash and so I’m announcing a program/contest running from now until December 21 and the start of winter.

You need to register to participate and everyone who does will get some kind of prize. Prizes include thread packs, books, coupons good for my ebooks, discounts on classes and more.

Here’s how it works. If you want to participate, contact me to register. Just for signing up this week you’ll get a 25-point bonus, signups after Sept 26 get only a 10 point bonus.

The goal is to finish projects that are under 10″ square. For each registered piece you finish, you’ll get points. Points will be totaled prizes awarded after December 21.

For each registered piece you’ll get:

5 points for registering it
5 points if it was a UFO from your stash (must send scan to show it as UFO)
5 points if you only used stash threads to complete it
10 points for every completed piece (must send scan to show it stitched
10 points if you frame or finish it
15 points (plus project points) if you enroll in one of my classes for Art Needlepoint

These can be projects from anywhere: guild programs, UFO’s, presents — whatever. I have some new stuff that will be announced in the next few months and you’ll get extra points for signing up for them within a specific period.

I’m putting together some fabulous gifts for the top five point totals, but everyone who registers and completes one project will get a prize.

I’m taking this on as a challenge to myself as well and I’ll let you know how I’m doing.

Excerpt from:
Stitch your Stash Contest

June LAS Mitten

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

My May was entirely too busy and just now (June 6) did I realize I forget to do a LAS mini-sock.

I’m going to start it tonight (I hope) and will post it June 21.

Sorry about that!

Continued here:
June LAS Mitten

LAS for May Slightly Delayed

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

It’s been one of those weeks where things were just too busy.

My son was home for the week, we had to buy and install a new computer for my DH. Then wee took advantage of Thomas being home to break down my DH’s home office and install all the new furniture that had been in the garage.

Not that I was doing much of this, but standing by and getting interrupted makes it hard to stitch.

I have some areas done and had to pull out an almost completed area when I realized I was hopelessly off.

I’m shooting to have it to you Thursday. The name of the mini-sock is Double Cross because all five stitches are cross stitches with double in the name.

I think you’ll like it.

See original here:
LAS for May Slightly Delayed

Happy National Crafts Month

by NutsAboutNeedlepoint

in Nuts About Needlepoint

March is National Crafts Month and since I’m taking today off to spend with my best friend from high school, I want you to help me with this post.

In the comments share a needlepoint memory with me.

I have one to share about Maribeth. We met shortly after she moved in to my neighborhood. She was walking her poodle and I was taking a walk, we had both stopped to listen to another neighbor and both thought what that person was saying was silly.

We became friends immediately and have been that way for nearly 40 years.

I already was obsessed with needlepoint at the time and talked Maribeth into trying it. She decided to do a piano bench cover using a wedding kneeler chart from The New York Times Book of Needlepoint.

I did manage to talk her out of that huge project, and instead we settled on doing the floral wreath from it as a pillow.

Of course we changed the color of the background. She did finish it, but I don’t think she has done a bit of needlepoint since.

Along with our husbands, we are spending the day wine tasting and enjoying good food in Napa. We are going to visit Castello d’Amoroso, a 14th-Century Italian Castle recreated in the upper part of Napa Valley and have dinner at Market, one of our favorite restaurants.

See you tomorrow!

See the article here:
Happy National Crafts Month

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Models for Classes

UFO’s

Year-long Projects

Triage

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UFO’s

Projects on Hiatus

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