Overwhelmed

[fiddler]

Do you sometime get overwhelmed by the amount of stitching you have to do when stitching a large project, I am stitching Joan Elliots Poppy Fairy and I love it but last week I had a bit of a panic about how much I still had to stitch. I think it started when someone at my sewing group work how many stitches there where (36800+) not including the back stitching and the beads. I left it for a few days and then decided to take small steps 10x10 at a time and am now back on track. Do any of you feel like this sometimes or is it just me?

[karen4bells]

I think that is a pretty normal feeling. I can easily get that feeling when working on a larger project, and usually what I do is to find a small project, like a card or bookmark and work on it. Usually by the time I finish up the smaller project, I'm more than ready to get back to work on the larger one. I do like your method of tackling the 10 x 10 squares a lot!!
Hang in there, just remember this is a fun hobby

[Angel]

Oh ye, mine is around 32000 stitches excluding backstitch and a whole lot more confetti, blended threads, fractionals and colour changes than Joan Elliot flower fairies, plus I'm working on a deadline that cannot be changed. It' due in 29 day and I have been panicking on and off for it's entire duration! It's such low going as well because of the ammount of colour changes, confetti and fractionals. I've done charts thi size before, but this one makes them look EASY!

Many times have I cried and got frustrated and completely overwhealmed! I'm now almost done and it' somehow even slower! I hate working in a 10x10 grid though. So for me I focus on the different ections. Get the hair done...ok, get the bed done... and so on until it's done.

[geekishly]

I handle it about the same as Karen does. I get overwhelmed sometimes. I sit there and think "wow, I've made a lot of progress, but there's still so much to do." and then I feel the need to *finish* something, so I go work on a small project.

[rcperryls]

I think I used to, but I tend to like the bigger projects (note my addiction to HAED charts). I am more focused on the process of stitching than the end result and find lots of little finishes that keep me going. When I have completed a section and see that its turning out like its supposed to, the colors combination etc. I take a photo every night so that when I'm done the next nigh I can look back and see how much (or how little) I have progressed. Usually I'm amazed. I think overwhelmed though is a pretty normal response to BAPs. And I have smaller projects also that I can turn to if I need a "finished project fix".

Carole

[Angel]

Oh yes! I do that too! Take a picture every single night I work on my project. It's really good to reflect on, and I also compete a little with myself. I think...well I've barelt got anywhere (confetti usually does this, or backtitch) so I'll do that gap there which is all one colour and can be done quickly (ie the floor >_<) And that moves things along a little faster.

[LadyS]

I get that sometimes, but mostly, it's an anxiety about wanting to start more projects and seeing how far I am to finishing a BAP to add another to the rotation. I'm always fighting the urge to develop start-itis, as with BAPs I'm afraid if I completely stop work on one, it will become a UFO.

[geekishly]

I take pictures every night, too. It's crazy to see the progression. And it makes it easy to see what you've done since the last time... I often forget where I was at in a pattern when I picked it up, so I might sit there and think "I hardly did anything." and then I look to the previous day's photo and go "okay, so maybe I stitched more than I thought."

[Solitaire]

I get frustrated when I'm 3/4 of a way through a large project, it seems to take for ever to finish

[wendywombat]

I think that's when the UFO box comes in handy...I do something small then go back to the Big Project!

There are a few Big projects lurking in my box right now!

[Rose]

I have only felt that way twice and both of those I had set a deadline and as it got closer I started to panic but since then I have refused to set any sort of deadline for myself and the panic has stayed away. From my stitching at least.

[LastingAllure]

Can't say I have ever felt overwhelmed since I started running before I could walk I guess you could say hehe. Joan Elliott patterns are fairly quick as opposed to other designers. I like to pick one area of the chart and say to myself "Ok I am going to get this section done today" and I will stitch along until it is finished. If I finish with a lot of time left in the night then I will decide what my next area will be for the next day and work on that and if I get tired then I put it down and go to bed.

I also find working on it a page at a time helps a lot, you don't realize how much you actually have to do when you are only looking at one part of the chart. And it feels nice when you can say that you finished the first page. Also I try to back stitch as I move along so once all the stitching is done there isn't much left to do besides attach the beads

[Squirrel]

I too frequently feel like that and try not to look too hard and what is still to do. I also try not to set deadlines for finishing because otherwise its panic stations time.

I have no easy solutions to it I just keep my head down and stitch as often as I can but I do like the idea of concentrating on 10x10 squares, or maybe concentrate on a motif in the design too would help.