SBQ marathon

I realised that with all the moves and such I haven't replied to the SBQs in ages !!!
As i have a bit of time now... there we go. I highly doubt people will read it all through, but well...
http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/category/stitching/sbq/

When you have to frog out stitches, do you reuse that thread or do you start over with a new strand?

It all depend on the state of the thread of course. I try to be careful when frogging, so I can usually reuse at least part of thread. Especially since DMC threads are sturdy enough for that treatment !!!

If you were a cross stitch designer, what would your design style be?

At the moment, I'm very much into simple country style, like Little House Needleworks. So I suppose I would design stuff like that. Or things with speciality stitches.
Right now I try to design little things for ornaments, so it has to be small, and sort of sparkly.

Do you railroad?

No, I'm a rogue, I just let the threads do whatever they want. As the final result is nice, why would I spend extra time railroading?

What proportion of your stitching is for your own personal use versus gifts?

Most of my stitching is for me. Or, more precisely, with no recipient finality. I stitch gifts for birthdays and Christmas, but I feel giving a stitching project again and again looses a bit of its impact on people.
Many projects are still in a drawer, not in use...

What for you means to achieve mastery as a stitcher?

Is there such a thing as mastery?
Stitching bigger projects isn't very a mastery, it's just a proof of patience.
Maybe using speciality stitches? or designing your own projects?

What are your favorite online stitching supply sources?

Sew Discounted and Sew and So.

Would you ever stitch one of your BAPs a second time? (This does not include starting over because of mistakes, bad fabric, etc., rather stitching something from the first stitch for a second time.)

Not sure what BAP means... I stitched "Secret Garden" twice because my mom wanted it a second time. And I'm titching Garden Pleasure a second time as well.

How did you get started stitching? Was there a person that inspired you?

Needlework has always been part of my life. I did a bit in school, but I guess my mom and my grandma are my big source of inspiration. I've always seen them knitting, crochetting, sewing or stitching... So it's just natural.

Have you ever thought of getting a rider on your household insurance to properly cover your stash (some of us have quite an extensive stash that an average household policy wouldn’t fully cover) in the case of some sort of damage to your house that would destroy/ruin charts, fabrics, floss, etc?

Never thought of that, no... But part of my subconscious wishes to start from scratch, so... If such a house catastrophy should ever happen, I would be so distraught by the loss of irreplacable stuff (finished projects, memorabilias I have kept since I was 6...) that material loss seems secondary.

Which project (finished or in progress) are you most proud of? Explain why

Angel of CrossStitching. It was a nightmare to stitch, with all those colour changes... But because I stitched it for my grandma I made the effort to keep going, and finished it in the end, even if I thought about giving up at least a hundred times...

What do you love to do that many people hate? What do you hate to do, but do anyway?

Sorting out threads out of kits. Although now it's not as bad as before, they are removing the fun out of it.
And speciality stitches.
I hate backstitching those very detailled projects, but of course it's necessary, so.. I end up doing it anyway.

Do you consider yourself a “floss miser?”

I guess i will have to. I use the floss until it gets out of the needle because it's so small. It's not so much thread economy as the fact that you have to stop the thread, re-thread the needle, restart, etc...

When you start a new work do you look for something small, do you look for another huge project or do you consider your UFOs?

I usually act on impulse. So it could be anything. If I have no inspiration, I would turn to UFOs by default.

How do you store your WIPs and other projects that you have kitted up?

I don't realy kit projects. I keep wips fabric and patterns in a drawer. The threads are all on bobbins in 3 boxes, sorted by number. I use a smaller box to put the threads I'm currently using.

What has been your most challenging project and why?

dunno, they are all sort of the same... I suppose "Cinderella" is the most challenging as it's big, and I still haven't finished it... shame on me ;)

How many needles do you use during a project? Have you ever loaded up a needle for every color? Do you use a new needle for every project or recycle your favorite needle?

Usually I only use one needle during a project, unless I have a border needing stitching several colours at a time. But this is rare. I tend to use any of the needles on my pincushion, so I end up using the same needle again and again. I only take care of the size of the needle, to use what's most appropriate for the fabric I stitch on.

If you could only stitch one more piece what would it be and why?

whatever I feel like stitching at the moment. Or maybe a big Mirabilia project, so that it lasts longer ;)

How many WIPs do you have? How many UFOs do you have? When does a WIP become a UFO?

No idea. These days I try to stitch one project at a time... wip become ufos with time, but you never know, ufos might come back as stitched project...

How do you decide which stitching blogs are worth repeat and/or regular viewings? Are there certain things you look for in particular? Are there things you wish there were more of? Less of? Is your blog a good example of what you like to read?

Instinct? Obviously my blog is what I like to read. Otherwise there is no point writting it.
I'm first and foremost looking for blogs with projects I like. I like to be inspired. Discover projects I wasn't aware of. Projects that give me ideas. With original finishes.
Text wise, it's even harder to define. Some people have a writing style I like better than others. I don't know...

Do you use your needle, a seam ripper, or something else when you have to frog stitches? Why do you use the method that you do?

Needle. Why? well... I don't know. it's the thing I have in my hand already... and it's just small enough to go under the threads and be precised not to damage the thread...

Do you find yourself stitching faster when you are getting to the end of a design?

No, sometimes I even feel I go slower... don't want to part from the project...