Comments | tanthe: Reflections On Unfinished Things

tanthe

Reflections On Unfinished Things

Dec 30, 2006 01:50

My aunt's passing earlier this year, and the subsequent need to deal with her posessions put a few things into sharp relief for me. Besides having to deal with the vast extent of her packratting and hoarding, going through the unfinished projects was a sad business.

( Reflections )

family, resolutions, cross-stitch

Comments 13

catdraco December 30 2006, 08:04:46 UTC

Thank you.

It's a timely reminder for me, too. I'm really good at starting projects...

tanthe January 1 2007, 02:34:38 UTC

I think it's something we all suffer from... Project Startitis et Unfinishitis ;)

And I think we all need a kick in the butt occasionally to remind us to go ahead and actually finish things, rather than leave a trail of unfinished projects.

vgnwtch December 30 2006, 09:17:30 UTC

The pattern is gorgeous. It will be a wonderful way to remember your aunt. I'm sorry that it was such a painful process of discovery.

I'm getting slowly better about finishing projects as I become more secure and confident, and I'm hoping to set myself attainable goals this year in sewing, crochet and knitting, and writing, along with upping my fitness levels. It seems to me that breaking it into concrete steps is the way I need to approach projects; otherwise, I become overwhelmed and paralysed by inactivity.

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished piece - I hope you'll post pictures.

BTW, I love the new LJ look.

tanthe December 30 2006, 19:52:18 UTC

At the moment I don't have the piece in my possession, it's amongst other things back in Holland awaiting shipment over here. My mother and brother are trying to find the cheapest option to send it.

I do have all the embroidery floss for the Jungle/Safari sampler for Dashiell (I'll take a picture and post that soon), I just need the cloth to embroider on, and I have two other patterns that came from a stack of my aunts things, along with the hand-dyed silk floss she'd already bought to make them. One is a Halloween Sampler, and another is a cat in a summery setting (not a realistic looking cat). Both pieces that appealed to me and suit me in a way.

Both of those were unstarted projects, and she probably picked up the patterns and the floss at a convention or maybe ordered online or something.

The Jungle sampler will be first, before Dashiell gets way too old, lol.

And thank you about the new layout. It's one from the Style Contest selection which I liked, called Fleur. I felt it was time for a change... just in time for the new

(The comment has been removed)

tanthe January 1 2007, 02:37:40 UTC

It really is a gorgeous piece, and while it may be years in the making (my part at least), I do look forward to one day seeing it finished, and having it framed and hung like the work of art that it is.

They're priced like works of art too, the materials are quite expensive to purchase. But, I guess that's true of all hobbies and art really.

For now it's still back in Holland amongst several other items that need to be sent to me at some point. I have a couple of other, simpler, cross-stitch projects around that I can do, including a cute jungle sampler for Dashiell.

abigailvr December 31 2006, 06:53:51 UTC

That cross stitch is gorgeous!

This is a good reminder for me too, on the yarn front. It's not that I don't finish projects, it's that I buy yarn for projects but then go and buy more yarn and more yarn, etc, and don't even start the other projects.Bad me.

tanthe January 1 2007, 02:33:14 UTC

Well, I've seen your blog (obviously), and you do finish a lot of projects, which puts you well ahead of me (one of my "resolutions" for the next year).

In my aunt's case, I think she had enough materials for projects that she could have worked on full-time until she was at least 100 or so, no joke.

I'm sure everyone has stuff lying around for future projects, and there's nothing wrong with having stuff for the future, and several projects on the go, but sometimes you just have to watch that those two things don't get out of hand and that you just make sure you finish things in a rate that closely resembles the rate at which you acquire other things.

Organisational stuff is similar really... you need to make sure you get rid of a similar amount of crap as that which you accrue at any given time.

Ah... the new year, a time for kicking organising and cleaning in the butt, lol.

abigailvr January 1 2007, 04:10:26 UTC

I've gotten pretty good at getting rid of yarn for projects that I know I'm not going to do. It's the non-yarn organization that I'm no good at!

And yes, the new year is the time for that. :)

tanthe January 1 2007, 18:19:13 UTC

Yeah, I'm working on my regular organisation too ( ... )

Thread 6

nikkles December 31 2006, 10:45:48 UTC

Oh wow! That is beautiful!! Such a shame that your aunt had so many things left unfinished.

I like your new years resolution (life change). I think I will also try and adapt that to my life changes in 2007. Instead of pushing things aside I will finish them! :)

tanthe January 1 2007, 03:15:11 UTC

It really was a shame that she left so many things unfinished. Luckily though, there are many talented people in our family willing to adopt many of these projects and finish them. I like the idea of having an item that was made by her as well as me, and I hope that my other relatives feel the same way about the projects they adopted ( ... )