I’ll cross that stitch when I come to it

Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. It’s that project you started way back when you first started stitching, or that one you started three Christmases ago. It’s hidden somewhere in the back of a closet or at the bottom of a bag, but you still know it’s there. It’s the NEVERENDING UFO!

Sometimes you find a project that you love and just have to get, but once you start working on it, it becomes more and more of a chore. Eventually, you shove the thing somewhere out of sight, and try to forget about it. But, you can’t ignore it forever. Or it’s a present meant for someone else, and you never liked the pattern to begin with, and now you hate it more than ever! Here’s a few ideas to work through it.

Don’t Do It
Throw it out, rip the stitches out, burn it in the fireplace, bury it in the ground and dance on it. That’s right, stop working on it! It may sound drastic, but think about why you cross stitch. I (and most other people) cross stitch to have fun, to relax, to make beautiful things that make me happy when I look at them. If you’ve lost all love for the project, why put yourself through finishing it? If you’re making this for someone else, or while you may not like working on it, but think you’ll love the finished project, try one of the other two options.

Commit to It!
Just do it! Decide on a day to start working on it, and then do it. Say, “Self, I know this endless sea of green (or french knots or whatever) is no fun, but think of how pretty it’s going to look when it’s finished!” Sometimes it helps to involve other people - tell a friend/husband/wife/cross stitch group that, by golly, you’re going to work on this piece and you’re going to work on it til it’s finished! Promise yourself something nice at the end of it - maybe a chart that’s caught your eye, or starting a new project that you really want to do. Seem too drastic for you? Try the next option instead.

Rotate
Rotations are something I’ve talked about before. In general, you pick a selection of projects, and then you work on each in turn. You can work for a specified number of hours (maybe 10) or pick accomplishments (finish one color in the dress). Then, once you complete that, you put it down and pick up the next piece. That way, each piece gets worked on, but you won’t get bored or frustrated so easily on nitpicky projects.

Prevention
OK, Lauren, you say, now I know how to get rid of them, but how do I prevent myself from starting *more* of these darn things? I have one good tip for that:
Work only what you love!
Life’s too short - why spend time doing something you don’t enjoy? This is your hobby, not your job!

Now you’re thinking, sure, Lauren, that may be fine and dandy for you, but I have weddings/grandchildren/presents I *need* to make projects for. Well, that can be a predicament if the friend or relative doesn’t have the same taste as you. But there are ways you can compromise and still fill your family members’ houses with your handmade cross stitch. Instead of making a complicated Teresa Wentzler piece for the cousin you only see at Christmas, make a small card or ornament. If your best friend is having quintuplets, instead of making five 8×10 birth samplers, redesign a pattern to fit all five names or make five smaller samplers. If your sister who is getting married loves all things country, but you get hives just looking at it, instead of doing a monstrosity from Cross Country Stitching, pick a smaller Lizzie*Kate or other rustic quick-to-stitch design. Now, if your beloved daughter picks out some complicated Mirabilia pattern for a present, well, you’re kinda stuck Hopefully, the love you feel for your daughter (and how stunning it will look when done, even if it’s not your taste), will keep you going.

Well, I hope you’ve gathered some ideas about how to work through those painful neverending UFOs. Good luck and good stitching!