Do you stitch in Rotation?

[rcperryls]

I have always worked on only one project at a time. But I now have two going and don't know how that will turn out. I have my fairy afghan (and need to start a SAL so ya'll can keep me focused on it) and just started the one of my grandson. It is sooooooooooooooo much easier to take places. Though I just got back from a visit to Florida and would have loved to spent the 3+ hours in the Atlanta airport stitching on it, but no needles or scissors allowed in carry ons I think. Read a book instead, which was okay, but my fingers were itchy to sew. Anyway, I guess I will find out if I can manage 2 projects at the same time. I don't know how some of you have as many going on at one time as you do.

Carole

[MaggieM1750]

I just got back from a visit to Florida and would have loved to spent the 3+ hours in the Atlanta airport stitching on it, but no needles or scissors allowed in carry ons I think. Read a book instead, which was okay, but my fingers were itchy to sew. Carole

I've stitched on airplanes several times recently.. this last time I even brought my small stitchy scissors through security.. no problem. But.. whenever I do go through security.. I always prepare to loose them. I pre cut my threads into 8-10" lengths and only bring 2 needles with me. Everything else is in my checked baggage.. or at home if I am not checking anything. Because I am like you.. if I know I will have 2-3 hours to kill.. my fingers would be itching to stitch.
When I was on my last flight.. a woman saw me stitching while in the waiting area but didn't want to bother me. She found me after I had borded the plane and sat by me. (flying Southwest.. no seat assignments) She was a very casual stitcher but wanted some tips.. and to know where to get supplies and such. I was working on my lighthouses at the time. I stitched and chatted the whole flight.

[rcperryls]

Think I will try that next time. I always have a long wait between flights. Partly because I will never schedule anything that is less than 2 hrs between them if I am changing planes in Atlanta. Have to allow for landing in "T" terminal and leaving from "A" and then changing gates at least once after I'm there!
Precutting the threads makes so much sense. thank you.

Carole

[Ketta]

Those of you that stitch using a rotation - do you find you get more projects completed or does it result in more UFOs?

I'd really appreciate any comments on your experiences of using a rotation system and the pros and cons you find with it.

My answer: yes, without a doubt. No matter how much I LOVE working on any project, I have to take breaks from it. It took me too long to figure this out, and many a project went unfinished from getting burnt out. I usually have 3 or 4 projects going, so something is always 'on deck' to relieve me of boredom or frustration.

While I do work on some big projects, I don't use rollers or hoops etc. I've tried them and never liked them.

I'm simply not the type of person who can pick up a project and power through until the end. So a rotation of sorts is definitely full of pros for me. The only 'con', and this would only apply to the speed factor, is it may take me a bit longer to complete a project than the next person. But the pro is that I actually finish.

[Carole]

I've got four projects on the go at the moment and have been trying to find a system of rotation that works for me. I've come to the conclusion though that it isn't necessarily a system that I need.
Sometimes I want to stitch while I'm half watching TV, and sometimes I have the house to myself and can have peace and quiet and can therefore work on something that requires a lot more concentration. So, I work on whichever project is most suitable to the conditions that I have at any one time. How that's working out is that I'm tending to work on the big complicated one at weekends, except for F1 weekends when I work on my McLaren one. Anything smaller or less likely to be messed up gets done in the odd hour I have after work.
I use Q-snaps and just move them from project to project as they're so easy to unclip. I've got the 8" ones as I find that the easiest size to work with.

[seedreemer]

Interesting thread. I'm thinking of starting a rotation as I have a couple of unfinished projects but would also like to start something new and can't make up my mind about which one, although I'm generally enthusiastic about being organized but fail to live up to my expectations.

Christy
WIP "Proud Peacock," Chatelaine freebie

[rcperryls]

Now that I am also rotating projects, I have a question about what ya'll do about the threads. I use bobbins and have one skein of each DMC thread on a bobbin which I store in plastic bobbing containers. When I "kit" a project I move the bobbins for that project to a seperate container.
Never confusing because I have always done one project at a time. When I "kitted" my econd project, I moved some of the bobbins from the 1st project container (LOTR project) to the second one (QS Cats which I am going to start a SAL on soon), rather than wind a new bobbin with a new skein. And I am also going to then start a 3rd one for the next fairy on my afghan because I don't want to put that one off too long. Its not that big a deal as skeins aren't that expensive here (@35 cents/skein at Michaels) and I have extras already, but I'm wondering what some of you do before I really end up with way more skeins than I want.

If this doesn't make any sense I am sorry. I don't know how to better explain it. I confused myself just typing it.

Carole

[Mrs Milkybar Kid]

Its ok - I know what you mean!! I'll tell you what I do - don't know if it will be any help though! I have a plastic box for each project with the threads on bobbins and a picture of the finished design stuck on the box so I know what the threads are for and also just for reference. I know what you mean about not wanting to duplicate too many skeins. With HAEDs you only need a few stitches in certain colours - so I will do a seperate bobbin for the project box rather than buying a new skein for the sake of a few stitches. Once my projects get completed ( way in the distant future!) I'll then make a 'master set' of DMC threads as at the mo I have no stash of these (but have a full set of Anchors).

Sorry if I've confused you more!

[rcperryls]

Don't worry. No one can confuse me more than I confuse myself.
I have a master set of DMC threads which are on bobbins. Then my extra skeins (of which I have almost another complete set of DMC threads, since I have been accumulating these since I started stitching ) are in little plastic skein bags (don't know what you call them) on metal rings. I have in the past only had one skein wound on bobbins at a time to keep the confusion down, which was easy when I didn't rotate projects. Not a big deal to keep more of them on bobbins. I did realize quickly that I needed to put something in the containers to specify which project was which. Right now I made a note on LOTR when I "took" bobbins from its container to Cats. But if I take some of the same ones from Cats to "Fairy" I will start having a really silly bobbin trail to follow. I'll need to hire Hercule Poirot to find where my bobbins are. I think it is easier and cheaper to just have an extra bobbin or two. I guess that means a trip to Michaels for more bobbins. And possibly to Walmart for more containers. I guess if nothing else this is a small way to help the economy get back on track.

Carole

[MaggieM1750]

My next 3 projects that I am in the middle of kitting are all Wintery/ Christmassy. So there is a lot of crossover of reds, greens, and snowy whites/beiges. One is a HAED, the other two are smaller designs. I know the smaller ones will be worked on first so when I have colors needed for both, the smaller design gets the skein in its project bag. Thankfully, other than black, white and 321 red, there aren't any colors used in all 3.

DMC has this chart which I keep in the front of my thread binder. It was hanging next to the thread at JoAnns and grabbed a bunch. I went through the list and marked off the colors needed for each project. Next to the number, I wrote H for HAED, S for Sleigh, E for Eskimos. After I purchased the skein, I checked the box. So if I am looking for a skein thats not in my binder, A quick check of the list and I'll know which project bag its in.

Confused yet? I have it straight in my head but writing that out has me spinning a bit.

[rcperryls]

You did not confuse me. That is similar to what I came up with but a bit easier. I have a similar, but older, DMC list and marked in the LOTR box which bobbins I had "stolen" for Cats. I think I will put my extra skeins on bobbins and when I start my third project, if I have to borrow I will note that and just make sure where I am in my rotation. the worst that will happen is I have a few more containers to look through and a few more skeins in bobbins than I would have otherwise. I don't think I want more than 3 active projects, though I still have the one on my grandson "kitted up" and have to make sure I keep track of those colors also. thank you both for your ideas. I will be taking from both of them.

Carole

[socialsue]

I have a master bobbin tray for all of my DMC. I then take what I need for that particular chart that I am doing. Then I put them all back into the master bobbin trays. I do have more than one skein of the same number but it doesn't matter because I have 3 HAED projects to do and I am constantly stitching different designs which means that the threads will get used up. Anyway, any threads that comes with the kits, I put into a bobbin to keep them secure and into separate bobbin tray until I am completed with the design. Leftover threads goes back into the master bobbin trays as some are the same color as the DMC threads. Or kept separate if not similar colors as in bobbin trays and use the leftovers for simple small designs like cards or ornaments.

socialsue

[destructiveernie]

Maggie the Link you've put up to the DMC Chart of threads is that the full list of DMC threads?

Cos if it is I don't think I need many more to have a full set!!!!!!!

[MaggieM1750]

I'm pretty sure it is. Its from the DMC site, they have a few different PDF file thread lists, in numerical order, by color family, this checklist, rayons, pearle cottons.. all sorts of lists

http://www.dmc-usa.com/majic/pageServer ... sions.html" target="_blank

[nachosmiley]

I am currently trying out stitching in rotation. I have two BAPs going atm which I'm going to rotate by page, and then have a little stitchy project inbetween BAP pages or work on my UFO...well at least thats the plan!

Don't know how everyone else organises their floss for their rotations but I have sorted out the flosses I need for the pages I'm working on, put them on stitchbows (for which I have the plastic binder holders) and have them in a ringbinder.

This is my first attempt at a rotation but if it works out I'm planning on starting a few more projects and adding them into the rotation too.

[nettie]

I'm having a go at a rotation too so far so good and I don't feel so bad about having so many sat around unfinished! All mine are kits so I don't have the issue with multiple projects needing the same colour thread.

[Fibreartist]

I have about 25 different projects. Large, small, kits, non-kits. I am stitching by a loose rotation. That is, I stitch as long as I want on one project, then start the next one. I have a box they are all in and they are all in separate clear bags. I use a master set of dmc (on bobbins at the moment but am rethinking that) and I just replace the color back into the master after I'm done with it. I used to kit each up separately but I ended up with so many duplicates that I decided to go back to the idea of the "master set".