For me, hand embroidery is a “carrot,” especially when life gets hectic and my schedule fills up. When you get busy, do you still take time to embroider? I think most die-hard needleworkers do.
I don’t have the “luxury” of making my living with needlework (I wonder if it’s really a luxury – I imagine those who do, work pretty hard!)
This time of year, as school is getting underway again, I’m generally swamped, and the prospect of picking up a needle – as appealing as it is – seems rather remote. Oh, to have the time to just relax with a good embroidery project and stitch away, without anything else hanging over my head!
Alas, it isn’t to be. But I refuse to give up needlework during busy spells. Instead, I use it as a “carrot.” I plan out the things I must do during a given day, and, if I accomplish my goals, then I get the carrot – even if it’s just a half hour or so of embroidery, without feeling guilty about neglecting the daily duties.
The only problem is, I can’t start a project when I’m swamped with other stuff. The set-up of a new project always takes too long, and is most suited to weekend hours when I know I’ll have a good-sized block of time.
Since that won’t be the case for a while, I’m contenting myself with a couple needlepainting kits that don’t require any set up. I can slap those into a hoop and stitch contentedly for fifteen or thirty minutes, and still see some good progress on them.
So how do you schedule in your needlework when life keeps you extraordinarily busy? Do you give it up altogether? Or do you squeeze it in somehow?
Hello, Mary-I did send a comment in as a response to this article-but it has not been posted. Did you receive it?
Hi, Laura – no, I didn’t receive it! I don’t have any un-moderated comments in the queue right now…! Rats! I’d like to read it! But thanks for letting me know. I’ll keep an eye out, in case it suddenly shows up!