Save Time When You Stitch
I have just watched a TV advertisement for cider. It stated that ‘time is at its best when you lose track of it’. I agree with this – especially when I am stitching. I have known hours to fly past when I have been engaged in a particular project that has interested me. However, ‘time’ can be a luxury nowadays, when we all seem to have so many things to do every day. I have therefore thought of some time-saving tips for stitching; these will hopefully help you to complete projects quickly when you need to.
Store your stitching stash well. It is very frustrating to have to spend time looking through your cupboards and boxes for some essential stitching item. It’s therefore a good idea to spend a couple of hours organising all your stitching paraphernalia, so that they are easily accessible.
Travel with your cross stitch projects. Keep a small project carefully packed in a handbag or tote bag when you are out and about, and when you have time – waiting in a doctor’s or dentist’s waiting room, or travelling on a bus, you know you can have a few minutes’ stitching.
Spend an occasional evening with stitching friends. You can all stitch, have fun and talk together.
Try stitching all the left-to-right arms of your stitching first. Then, you can take your project on a train journey and fill in the right-to-left stitches without having to spread out a chart in front of you.
Stitch more than one project at the same time. Keep a large project – where you have to concentrate hard – for evenings at home. Take card or bookmark projects to work – or elsewhere - with you. You never know when you will have an unexpected five minute when you can sew just one length of thread.
If you enjoy music or listening to the radio, what are your hands doing? They could be stitching. And remember – hands that are stitching are not in that biscuit tin!
Do you have some tips to add to this list? I’d love to receive them.
Happy Stitching
Iona
