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Hello everyone-

While perusing the latest xs magazine, once again I saw a stitch where it was written "27 hours". The last thing which took this type of time commitment was smaller and less intricate. Generally, I multiply the time estimates by 3. Am I slow - or are there others out there that stitch at my speed?

William David

I've never measured. Never recorded.
I don't care if I am fast or slow.
Its not a contest. Things get done when they get done.
Some weeks, I have loads of time available and I get into the "zone" very quickly and force myself to put my needle down to go to bed.
These past few nights.. I keep dropping my needle, losing my place, and not paying attention to which color I just threaded. Might have done 100 stitches in the last 4 days- it is just not my time. Nowhere near finding my "zone"

If I didn't have an outlet for my analytical brain, I would do things like track percentages, hours, numbers of stitches, etc. However, I now have a day job where I get all of the numbers and analysis I could want, so when I stitch I have no desire to keep track of such things. It would just take away from my stitching time.

Not to say that there's anything wrong with keeping track of such things. I used to do something similar with reading, long before I was a stitcher. I still write down which books I read, but I'm much less interested in how many pages I read, number of books in specific genres, etc. I know that many stitchers keep very careful records of their progress/time, especially those who work on very large projects like HAEDs.

I do set goals for myself, mostly to get a rough timeline down for projects with deadlines (which are most of my current projects), but that's about it.

Like Maggie said, some days I'm fast, some days I'm slow. I don't really care as long as some stitches are getting put in.

I have been asked so often how long did that take you??? I have no idea. I usually know when I start and when I finish but actual time it took. I do 't bother with. Some of the smallest projects take the longest time. I think you are doing just fine.

I think you are stitching at a fine pace no matter what your pace is. I started keeping track of my stitching time when I was pretending I would keep my pieces in a 10 hr. rotation. Well, that lasted about 10 hrs. I stitch each piece until the next one yells at me which lets me know its time to switch. I do pretty much keep to the rotation I have set, but it is written in pencil so easy enough to change. I still keep track of my time, but more out of my own curiosity. Its not completely accurate, but its only for me.

Carole

I usually put a start date and a finish date on my projects, but that time frame of course will include the fact I work on rotation (mine consists of spending Monday through Friday with one large piece, Saturday and Sunday with a small one, and then the next Mon-Fri I work on a second large piece), that I go weeks or even months sometimes without stitching on anything, etc. I never counted how many actual hours it took me to stitch something, and sometimes I have a large project done in a smaller time frame than a tiny one, just due to rotations and whim. I don't think it really matters how long it takes to stitch something as long as you're having fun doing it.

I've never kept track either other than now to record the start and finish dates by making posts on this forum and the HAED or Chatelaine bulletin boards... I've had pieces in the past that took me years to finish because I either stopped stitching at the time (when my son was young) or I lost interest in the piece for awhile or whatever. The oldest UFO I have (that someday I'd like to finish) was started in 1996...

Enjoy the journey and don't worry about being fast or slow! As long as you're enjoying what you're doing, it doesn't really matter!

I think I am probably a slow stitcher, but I've never been concerned with that. I stitch for the joy of it and if I get concerned with speed, I'm afraid it would diminish the joy. Plus, like most of us, there is always stuff going on while I stitch...TV; change laundry; what's the cat doing; oh shoot where'd my needle go; oops, wrong floss...you get the idea.

It depends on what I have to do during the week in my life to sit down and stitch.
Normally, I stitch from 5 am-1 pm M-F. 5 am-2 pm Sats.
I have a list of people for the year that I do and I start Jan to the 2nd week in Dec of the starting year to finish. It depends on how big or small my projects are.
The projects I am doing this year is, 9 In Loving Memory Remembrances, 11 x 14 and are taking me 1 1/2 weeks to do 1.
Just "relax" and "enjoy" this hobby.

HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

I've never kept track. I stitch to relax and give myself an artistic outlet. I usually know about when I started and when I finished, but the actual number of hours spent on it varies. I can stitch faster by keeping one hand on top and the other on bottom, but doing it that way it starts to feel like a chore and less like my therapy activity.

Have never understood why people want to cross stitch quicker its supposed to be relaxing

And any way the quicker you are the more charts fabric and silks you will have to buy

Don't worry about being slow. It's not a race, it's a hobby.

I'm a notoriously slow stitcher, but it gets done to my satisfaction in the end. Craft takes time.

Serinde wrote:I'm a notoriously slow stitcher, but it gets done to my satisfaction in the end. Craft takes time.

Exactly!

Well I do get terribly upset that I'm so slow!

I'm working on "Christmas on the Beach" right now. It's 5"x7" on 18ct, a Dimensions kit. The background is mainly 1/2 stitches for texture and variations. I thought I could bang it out in a month. TWO months later and I'm still working on it!!!

I'm not tired of it, it's not hard (tho it is kinda tricky), there's nothing else calling to me, I am enjoying it. I just wish I was faster!!!

Another example of us all being different, I guess ... and yet all of us loving the same hobby ...

I gave up keeping track of how much time I spend on stitching on specific project because I have so much on the go during the day, shopping, errands to do, making meals, housework, laundry, etc...so I just stitch a bit until I have to do something else and then when I have time to sit down and watch tv. I will stitch at the same time.

socialsue

fccs wrote:

Serinde wrote:I'm a notoriously slow stitcher, but it gets done to my satisfaction in the end. Craft takes time.

Exactly!

Relaxing and enjoying the stitching is the main thing for me I don't keep track of the hours spent or give myself 'deadlines' anymore. It should be fun

I'm in the minority here. I DO care about my stitching speed and have worked hard to increase it. The main reason is that I have so many beautiful patterns and I want to get them all finished at some point, but I work full time and have a long commute so my stitchy time is limited.

What I found, though, is it is more a case of eliminating time wasters than the speed the needle goes through the fabric. The following have increased my speed immensely but have nothing to do with the speed of the needle and thread:

- starting and ending threads on the front so I no longer have to flip the frame
- stitching two-handed
- attaching the pattern to the fabric with magnets so I don't have to keep looking up at a chart holder
- gridding (I finally succumbed after an initial hatred of it)
- memorising the symbols so I don't have to keep referring to the key

I've now reached a speed that I'm happy with and it's just a case of finding the time!

Wow!!! Great answers - thanks muchly...

I am not really bothered at all that I might be a little slow at stitching. My question was almost tounge-in-cheek.

Yet it is a little frustating when there are just so many great motives / pictures/ projects to stitch and so little time to accomplish it all in.

What I was really wondering is if the magazines are unrealistic in their portrayl of how much time this hobby may take, for whatever reason they may be doing so, if only possibly because they give their sample work to professionals who are by their own nature rather speedy.

That I may be slow is not a problem at all per seas the stitching alone is really that which is enjoyable; especially seeing the development of a design come up out of the fabric - almost as if by itself.

Thanks for great responses!!

William David

You know I always wondered why they put a time on the pattern to begin with. I mean does the time really matter????? I have never taken into account how long something will take to stitch. My big question is how many colors or what fabric count is this on?????

I guess maybe some people that are looking for a quick chart would like a general idea of time but still it is a personal pace so it could take one person 10 hours and another stitcher 6 months???????