New and need inspiration

[irelandshs]

Hello everyone! I joined this forum over the summer but never posted. I'm more of a lurker I guess. I just wanted to thank you all for the awesome tips and tricks you all give. It has made my stitching far more enjoyable and I've been able to branch out and try new things.
I recently started a new project, the largest by far I have ever attempted and I've already hit a wall. I'm hoping to get inspired again, since I love the project in theory... just not liking stitching it at the moment. Thanks again for being such a fabulous group of people!

Jamie

[tiffstitch]

Hi Jamie, it sounds like you joined before I did. I've had a big resurgence of my interest in cross-stitch just from joining this forum. Can you post us some pictures of what you're working on? Or describe what has you blocked? Is there maybe something small you could stitch before you tackle your big piece again?

Cheers!

[pamelam]

Hi Jamie and welcome to the forum! I hope whatever is keeping you from enjoying your stitching gets worked out soon. I think we've all been there ourselves and any way we can help you just let us know.

[irelandshs]

All I have are not to so awesome cell phone pics of it, but its a Super Mario Bros afghan. I saw a blanket made with Tunisian crochet and it was gorgeous! I am a huge Nintendo fangirl and knew I had to make one, but I don't knit or crochet. I started with plastic canvas when I was 5 and moved up to cross stitch quickly, so I figured why not try to cross stitch that. Sure it will take forever, but it will be unique.

The biggest thing I've ever stitched is a Dimensions Gold kit. The problem I'm having is I had this bright idea to stitch the whole thing. I figured 63 90x90 panels would give me lots of space to play the game out on the blanket, if you know what I mean. If you think about it as 63 smaller projects, its not so scary. That works in theory, but when you're looking at all that blank cloth in your lap its a little overwhelming.

I want to put a backing on it, so I don't want to leave the background blank space, and I bought a black anne cloth afghan. Black stitching on black fabric is so not my favorite thing right now. I started a panel on Christmas eve and finished about a week later. The panel I'm working on now is one of the ones with a black background and after 100 stitches in I'm just done with it for the day and don't want to continue. I think maybe wearing my reading glasses would help, but I hate them with a passion.

There's other little snags I've run into, most I've been able to fix or work around. I worked out the pattern for maybe 4 months to get it right, so now I feel like there is pressure to make it as perfect as I can. Thread color choices has been a nightmare just trying to get it as close as I can to the RBG values for the official Nintendo palette.

So blur aside, this is the first completed panel, top row, 7th block.

This is my wall. First row, 1st block.


The colors are a little washed out, I have bad lighting in my living room.
I had thought about switching to stitching something else. There is a reason why I want to keep with the blanket. Last January I got really sick and in the following 12 months I lost 160lbs. I still have about another year to go of losing to get to my goal weight, and stitching over the summer helped me keep my focus. I thought it would be nice to have something for me at the end of it all, besides my health of course. I don't want to give up on either things if that makes sense. I hope the pictures post alright and sorry for the wall of text. This is another reason why I don't post to forums often, I tend to get carried away.

[dwitt]

I think your blanket is looking great! Any Nintendo fan is going to be extremely jealous. You may want to start another project that you can work on when you hit that "wall" as you described it. A lot of us on the site have multiple projects "on the go" right now. Me personally, I have 3 that I am working on right now. All completely different from the next

[~threadbear~]

Hello Jamie,
It's lovely to meet you.
Shame about the stitching block, but happens to us all at times.

I adore your project, we all love Mario in this house and are nintendo fans.

I agree with Dwitt, I have three large projects on the go which I've temporarily left. All three have had issues and I felt I couldn't face them. I've just been doing a couple of small fun projects and can now feel myself itching to at least start one of them again.
So sometimes we just need a bit of a break when we've had a problem. Maybe that could help you?

Glasses though would be a real boost for you if you're struggling to see. I have got two pairs hanging round my neck as I type. One for seeing the computer and one for stitching ... oh and then if I look round the room at anyone I have to wear none.

[irelandshs]

That might be the way to go then. I have a mini lighthouse kit in my stash that I could do. I'm a gamer, so usually I just take a stitching break and either play my consoles, or maybe world of warcraft with my other half. For some reason I just have the blahs, so many a nice short project will get me going again. Thanks for the advice.

[karen4bells]

Great to meet you and I do love your ongoing project!! What a fabulous idea and great side benefit of it helping you to lose the weight you want to lose too. I think we all hit walls from time to time, especially when we are taking on bigger projects, so go ahead and take a break when you need to, either go on to another smaller project or just have a good time playing video games--that's something I love to do too!!

[Mystonique]

That's very cool. I find switching to something small and easy or alternatively a totally different project for a little while can get me back into my main piece =}

[Squirrel]

Hi Jamie and Welcome from Australia.

What a wonderful project you have and I agree with the others that when we hit the wall, and we all do it at times, its great to have something small around to stitch and then we can go back to the biggie one.

Good luck with it. I like the idea of the lighthouse one and do wear your glasses or you might damage your sight and then where would you be?

Sally

[Mabel Figworthy]

Hi Jamie, glad you decided to "de-lurk"! I'm a fairly small-project girl myself so can't help, but I hope all the good advice you're getting will help you out!

[vanessanjf]

Hello and welcome

[tiffstitch]

Wow Jamie, that looks amazing!! I'm a bit of gamer myself, especially with my DH, so I understand the temptations. Can I ask what you hate about the reading glasses? Are they prescription or over the counter? Could it be you need to change the power? If you feel like you're having to hold you stitching either too far away or too close your reading glasses may be the wrong prescription. Feel free to PM me if you want more info.

[Nachstenliebe]

This idea is awesome!!! I love the idea of your afghan... I think devoting a thread to this design will really help your inspiration.. Getting comments and can help keep your focused
Faith

[Angel]

Hello and welcome to the forum

[coffee_freak]

welcome!! I looove ur current WIP! hope you get unblocked ..what helps me is browsing everyone's project posts...

[irelandshs]

Can I ask what you hate about the reading glasses? Are they prescription or over the counter? Could it be you need to change the power?

They're over the counter and the power is fine. I can only really see out of one eye, they other is a complete blur and I can see light and vague color. When I was a child I had glasses to help the strain off my good eye but they didn't help me see any better. I get tired when i read without my glasses so I was thinking maybe part of the wall is straining to see the holes in the black fabric and to see where the black stitches are. I hate glasses because I hate anything touching my face. Those glasses I had as a kid were destroyed by my dog. When I got home from school to see the plastic frames all chewed up I yelled YES! YES! YES! My mom got the point.

Coffee_freak, I love seeing the SAL threads you guys do. There is some great stitching going on in there. I think I'm going to work on it today. I woke up to snow, again, so I'm staying inside today. Thanks for the feedback, I truly appreciate it.

Jamie

[kerbear879]

Welcome to the forum..I'm coming off a really long hiatus from stitching and this was after I stitched nonstop for 4 months straight..it just happens. So I was reading a lot the last few months and now I feel like stitching again. It'll come back to you. Sometimes you just need a break from it or a different project.

[Parksfarm]

Welcome from Oregon - love your afghan!

[lisa2469]

Jaime, Welcome ! I'm pretty new to this forum myself, and I have found it very helpful and wonderfully friendly.

I completely agree with the others in just having some smaller projects that are easy and quick to break up the pace.