Am I still sane... or how many kits do you own...

[LadyGisburne]

Hi there, first of all I want to introduce myself quickly. My name is Astrid and I live in the North-East of the UK. I think I am a bit of a cross stitch fanatic although I only started approximately 1.5 years ago. Not only do I love to stitch but I also seem to have the urge to possess every kit out there... To be honest, with me working full time, in my rare spare time I actually spend more time on Ebay hunting for new kits (especially anything fantasy, I am a Teresa Wentzler and Joan Elliott addict) than I do on stitching which can be frustrating sometimes because I really come home from work and itch to stitch but then I am just too tired and fall asleep....

I know I already have more kits then anyone could possibly stitch in one lifetime (currently around 200 ... ) but I just enjoy collecting them as well. I especially like to sort them, to feel the fabric and the threads, etc. That almost makes me as happy as stitching... almost...lol... But I am just curious if there's anybody else out there who has this guilty pleasure. Sometimes before I go to sleep I think about all the lovely kits I own and it really makes me happy. Is this still sane...lol...

I am currently working on the Spring Fairy by Joan Elliott which I enjoy immensely...

That's it for the moment, hello to all of you lovely stitchers out there

[karen4bells]

Hello and welcome to the forum

[kimkat_tkl]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Let me tell you that amongst the forum members here you are completely normal - as to whether any of us are sane?

There are many of us here who like to collect stash as well as stitch - to us it is a second hobby, and in the stitching world there is the term SABLE - Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy, which it sounds you're well on your way to.

[Mystonique]

I find I'm too tired to bother too but when I do make the effort I get more than I thought done and sleep better and wake up more refreshed - it's such a good escape.

I'm cash strapped at the moment so no buying anything. But I do have enough kits and projects to last me many years ... many, many years.

[cairee]

I have enough charts and kits to last me about, oh a hundred years or so. if I printed all the pfd charts I have I would have enough to last several generations.
welcome to the forum , and to the world of SABLE

[mauveme]

Hi from Canada'
I don't own any kits, don't like them. I have all the DMC threads so it's easier for me-unless I run out halfway through . but I love buying fabric when I can, not so much now being cash strapped...

[tiathyme]

I totally understand the pleasure you get arranging your kits. I love the feeling of fabric, and looking at all my thread... thinking of colour combinations. Sometimes it is more fun than stitching!

I don't have many kits anymore (I've sold a lot on) but I have an awful lot of charts... and fabric... and thread...

[meganh]

Hello from NC You are definitly not alone I.m not a big kit person but i have enough SABLE to last me two lifetimes , I think all of us love to sort and dream of our next projects-ther's so many possibilities

[Stitchinkitty]

Welcome to the real world.At least you have your priorities straight namely Teresa Wentzler and Joan Elliot..aren't her fairies just gorgeous.
The only thing you need to remember is there is no such thing as too much stash.And who cares if it never gets stitched.Just knowing you have it is enough.Believe me,my son says I need to live to be 712 to stitch everything I have!!!!

[Oriettait]

Welcome from Italy! as you can see you are not alone!

[Allyn]

I've only ever bought two kits and both of those were so I could get the chart. I've never actually done a kit. I have a lot of charts, but I regret all the money I spent back in my wild stash-acquisition years. My tastes have changed over the decades and the majority of stash I have now is just weight that has to be moved when I want to get into the closet.

[crosstitcher1]

Hi and welcome to the fantastic world of stitching from West Tn. on the Ark. border.
I've been stitching since 1983 when preg. with our last child.
I was taught by my neighbor, who at the time was my natural childbirth coach, and she started with Christmas ornaments and then we both switched to doing charts from magazines, then we started buying books, of all kinds of subjects.We organized the charts into categories into notebook binders. Between the 2 of us, we had over 40, 3-ring binders apiece. After the last child started kindergarten, I went back to work and over the years, 20+, started making baby and wedding announcements for people at work. At one of the places I worked at, I had a co-worker who had a daughter that was starting to stitch. I asked her if we could me, as I wanted another stitcher to talk with, and after our meeting, I decided I would give her all the binders that didn't "fancy" my "taste" anymore, mostly the "country look" charts. We never got into the fantasy charts.
So now, I only have my 30 yr. collection of baby/wedding charts, Christmas magazines, and I found different charts to do the 8 afghans for the family, which I "hopefully" will start in 2015. My "obsession" now is to keep my thread stash supplied, which are also stored into 7, 3-ring binders, and 3, 4 " "deep" plastic containers.
I buy my fabric as needed for the amount of people I have projects lined up for the current year of the projects to do. It looks like this year will be the "last" of the amount of people I have to do projects for. 15 total projects for 7 people.
After I get the 8 afghans done, planning on 1 a year, as they are "new" to me to work with, I have 3 projects to do for myself, The Lord Supper, by Leisure Arts, Angel of Cross Stitch, by Joan Elliot, and Flower of the Month Angels, by Joan Elliot, thinking of "either" this made on a afghan or made into a picture.
Again, welcome to the "fantastic" world of meeting people forum.
Just relax and sit back with your with "either" a or with or or whatever is your "fancy" and while you and don't let bug bite you.


HAPPY STITCHING IN STITCHING LAND.

[vanessanjf]

Hello and welcome Yes you are perfectly normal. I do exactly the same, I keep looking for new kits and charts when I have 100's already. I think I have about 200 in total but I am more drawn to charts now.
I am looking forward to seeing some of yours stitched up

[rcperryls]

Hello and welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world of SABLE from South Carolina. I don't have many kits since I am also one who prefers to buy the chart and then use my own threads. I have at least one complete set of DMC threads and with some surprise "donations" probably two complete sets + now. So I have discovered the world of fabrics and overdyed and silk threads and pearls. I think they are a completely separate pastime. And then I spend a lot of time here talking about all things stitching related. Does that make me sane or insane? Depends on who you ask. Since it works for me and hasn't put me in the poor house yet, I don't think it matters.

Hope you will post pictures of your projects. We love pictures! The next best thing to stitching is to see someone else's beautiful work.

Carole

[Fizzbw]

Nice to meet you

I have about 60 kits, and I recently got rid of another 10, that's all I could bear to get rid of!

I have a myriad of charts and mags as well, and more than the whole range of DMC plus a lot of anchor and speciality threads as well.

SABLE absolutely!!!

Niki xxx

[Rose]

Oh you are 100% sane we all do it and we all love it. I have a room full of stash and I still look at and buy new charts usually for a specific project now but occasionally just because I love. We will some day pass it on to others but hey that is ok as long as occasionally we stitch something then we are doing well. Enjoy your stash all you like it is not hurting anything and if it makes you smile and relax that is great for your health.

[MaggieM1750]

Hello from Minnesota- welcome to the forum.
While in college, I spent about 5 months in Alnwick, and running about that part of England on the weekends.

I am one of the rare ones that doesn't have many kits. I bought 6 or 8 little Mill Hill Santa kits in about October but thats about it for kits for me. Not too many patterns either- I may have a dozen, unless you count the ones I've already stitched, and the 4-5 I am currently working on. I am well aware that I am an odd duck in the stash department. But its the system the works for me.

I do spend quite a bit of time during the day on this forum or other stitch boards. Reading newsletters. Searching Pinterest and Etsy for project ideas. I am currently on the search for the right baby pattern- so I've been searching websites more than I normally do. I think I've got it figured out- now I just need to purchase.

[perftangel]

Welcome!!!

I must say that I'm not drawn to kits, I like picking out everything myself. That said, I did go on a buying spreed back in college where I bought a ton that were on sale... and I don't think I'll ever complete them. I should get around to getting rid of them soon, but not yet!

This is a very addictive hobby so I am not surprised when people come in telling me that they already have more charts & kits than there are days in a year!

[LadyGisburne]

Wow I am overwhelmed by all of the lovely messages I got so far, thank you so much, you made me feel really really welcome!!!! It's good to know that the Stashaholics are slowly taking over the world...lol... SABLE rules

I can understand those of you that don't like kits but rather pick their own fabric, threads, etc. Embarrassingly I've got a complete set of DMC threads and quite a few Anchor ones as well and some very nice Polstitches fabrics but my excuse is that I've got loads of Joan Elliott charts from my magazine subscriptions and I need to have material to stitch those one day... and you can never have too much stash anyway...

[Nachstenliebe]

Well if you didn't have a problem before... you will after joining this group We enable like it's an Olympic Sport! Welcome from Connecticut!