Cross-Stitch Dilemma

Here are the thoughts that led me to suggest this week's Stitching Bloggers' Question of the Week:

"Do you stitch small projects one at a time that you can finish quickly, have numerous large projects going at once that you rotate, or both? How does your current system work for you and have you thought about changing it?"

* * * * * * * * * *

I am facing a cross-stitch dilemma. I am considering completely changing the way that I cross-stitch. No, I don't mean the actual cross-stitching. I still cross-stitch from the bottom right corner to the top left and then from the bottom left to the top right.

When I learned to cross-stitch back in 1999, I did one piece at time until it was finished. I didn't have a big stash back then and I was still learning the techniques. Before my enormous 2½ year break from stitching I had begun larger pieces that I never finished... Works in Progress, if you will. I worked on something until I got bored and then started something new. When I picked my stitching back up last October, I had 3 unfinished projects that I finished before I started anything new.

At that point I told myself that I didn't like those unfinished projects and in order to avoid having more of them in the future, I decided to only stitch small projects that I knew I could finish before becoming bored. And that has worked well. Since last October I have completed close to 40 small projects.

But here is the thing. I have recently come across some large complex patterns that I really want to stitch. I have not yet started them because I am afraid I will get bored with them before I finish them. And here is where I am thinking about changing my cross-stitch style.

Most other stitchers out there (at least those who blog) seem to have numerous large and complex projects going at once. In order (I assume) to avoid getting bored with one particular piece they rotate them. And that is what I am thinking about doing. I really want to do the "Passing Admirers" and would like to work some more on my "Cat in Garden," in addition to doing a couple of Pam Kellogg designs. But the thing is, I do like to finish my projects.

So, after thinking about it, I decided to begin a rotation with two projects and leave myself room to do small projects as the desire arises. If it works out well, perhaps I will add more projects to my rotation.