If you’re an inveterate arts & crafts sort of person, then perhaps you have a Bucket List of projects that you dream about getting to some day.
I do.
I have a Project Bucket List. They’re not all embroidery projects, but a whole lot of ’em are!
But see, my Project Bucket List has one Mighty Big Flaw.
And this is the flaw:
There is no one bucket large enough to contain my list.
And so I often wonder if I will actually ever achieve anything on that list. Knowing myself, my life, and my circumstances, I often tell myself rather practically that it isn’t likely I’ll get to one of them, let alone all of my BLPs (which I pronounce “Blips”) – Bucket List Projects.
What kind of attitude is that? I argue with myself. As my Mom used to say, “Say you can, say you can’t – either way, you’re right.” In other words, it’s really up to me.
I’m here today to tell you that right now, at the end of January in 2025, I have taken One Step towards One BLP.
I hunted down and bought a Thing.
Specifically, it’s a printer’s tray, or a typesetter’s tray.
I know! I know! If you’re in the cross stitch world, you might perhaps be saying, “Oh, Mary, that’s so 2010!” And I would agree with you.
Back then – some 15 years ago – printer’s trays were a Thing in the cross stitch world. They afforded the stitcher a structure for stitching and displaying a Lot of little projects, in a kind of “broken sampler” format. You have but to look up “printer tray cross stitch” on Pinterest to come up with a gazillion examples.
They’ve always appealed to me, these old printer’s trays bedecked with small samplers of stitchery and other delights.
They’re the ideal shadowbox, of course. But I find them extra appealing when they’re loaded with small bits of stitchery and other stitch-related delights that draw the eye in to explore one right after the other.
Often, the drawers are a bit bulky and unattractive near the drawer-pull area. This particular sample that I found is in really, really good shape, with a simple drawer pull on the front (or top, if it is to be hung on a wall).
The back is in great shape, too.
In my quest for a decent tray of this caliber, I’ve come across innumerable samples that were ok on the front, but rotted through, split, water damaged and so forth on the back.
Being a Kansas gal, I like the fact that this one is from a business in Kansas City.
Printer’s trays come in big sizes and small. Mine is a medium size – about 22″ wide by about 17″ high, with 81 cavities.
Those cavities range of 1.25″ x 1.5″ (38 of those), 1.5″ x 2.75″ (26 of those), 2.75″ square (8 of those); 2.75″ x 1.5″ (9 of those).
That’s a lot of little projects!
I still have to clean up the tray a little bit, but I’m glad I took the leap and finally acquired one. I’m looking forward to exploring the possibilities for filling it up!
Incidentally, Anna and I both think it might be fun to stage some Eye-Spy puzzles (like the ones we do at Christmas – you can see one here) using printer trays. What do you think?
But do I really want to go on a quest for more printer’s trays?! It took me so many years to get a hold of this one! LOL!
I’ll keep you posted as I develop plans or projects for it. I’m not 100% committed yet, but I’m toying with ideas!
Do you have any pet project you’re nurturing on your Bucket List? Have you conquered any of your Bucket List projects? If you did, did you feel wholly satisfied and inordinately pleased when you finished it? I’d love to hear all about it! Feel free to join in the conversation below!
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