1. Cross-stitching is easy.
2. Cross-stitching is therapeutic.
3. Cross-stitching makes a sane person crazy.
Both #1 and #2 could have been true if you add the adverb “supposedly” before easy and therapeutic. It is NOT easy and NOT therapeutic. And if you check the interview records of the mental hospital patients, they will probably tell you that they’ve tried cross-stitching one time or the other and that that IS the reason they are in the said institution.
Seriously, exaggeration aside, I do think that cross-stitching is fun.
And I say this after putting about a month’s worth of effort into it, tracking against a schedule to ensure that I don’t get off-track, getting my index finger pricked at least two dozen times and having 2 scars on each side of my inner leg (don’t ask me how stupid I was to have gotten that scar in that area particularly in the first place), one of which is actually 3 inches long… All things considered, I still think that the whole cross-stitching experience is still fun.
In fact, it’s so much fun that I managed to finish one whole project! (GASPS) Will wonders never cease?
Prerequisites1. A whole lot of patience! (If you don’t have this initial requirement, just read the rest of this blog for your information only. Forget about completing even a teeny-weeny cross-stitch project.)
2. 10 needles (If you’re clumsy or forgetful like me, trust me, you’ll need at least 10 needles. I lost about 6 or so within 4 weeks.)
3. Pattern of the “thingy” you want to cross-stitch (Choose something that’s simple like Precious Moments design)
4. DMC threads (different colors obviously based on the pattern)
5. Fabric (varies in color, size, counts)
6. Basic knowledge in full stitches, back stitches and French stitch (Both full and back are required unless you want your stitch to not have borders or shapes. You can get away without knowing what the heck a French stitich is. I still have no idea at this point.)
7. Supplier for framing (Look for framing stalls in Tutuban – it costs 25% of the prices that the mall boutiques charge. Plus they can even finish it in a shorter time frame.)
8. Basic supplies like scissors, envelope, pencil or markers
Nice-to-Haves
1. Project schedule (Begin with when you want it to be completed then work backwards.)
2. Friends and loved ones (They alternately cheer you or taunt you when you feel like giving up.)
Success Factors
I have not managed to complete ANY past cross-stitch project in my whole life. EVER. Either I just conveniently pushed them aside, or outsourced (i.e. wheedled somebody) to finish it for me.
This is actually the only time I’ve finished it from start to end, by myself, within the schedule and below my allocated budget.
What can I say? *shrugs shoulders* Unusual circumstances call for unusual results.
1. Having a deadline
Similar to managing a real project in work, having deadlines is more bonus than curse for me. It forces you to sit up and realize that your work is due in less than 8 hours and you haven’t done a single thing yet.
Better yet if the deadline is immovable – example due to legal, financial or emotional constraints. In this particular case, the deadline happens to be the birthday of a friend of mine, which helped push me to complete it on time. If not, I can't guarantee to produce the same results.
2. Formulating a schedule and sticking to it
Don’t laugh. It really does work. Not that I used Microsoft Project to make this particular schedule (I don’t think I’m that nerdy yet), but I just applied the basic concepts.
When do I expect to give the gift (equals end date)?
What other work do I have aside from cross-stitching (equals constraints)?
What are the different sub-sections I can break it down to (equals work breakdown structure for milestone check)?
How much “extra” time do I give myself in case something unexpected comes up (equals slack)?
Factor all of that in and you know when you should start to finish on time. And you will have a target end date for each section as well (eg. face, hair, bathtub, dog, so forth), to help bolster your confidence since you can see results from the completion of the sub-sections and to track as well as to whether you’re on track to meet your target date or not.
One lesson I learned though is that you can never make the schedule too tight.
Silly me, I forgot to factor in the probability that our attic might catch fire (reference: blog entry on April 17, Tuesday). This is the reason why I virtually spent the whole weekend doing nothing but trying to finish this darn thing. I ended up just having approximately 3 hours of sleep as well. This is also the same reason why my cross-stitch ended up not having the flower and birds borders all over it. I had to remove some scope in order to meet the original timeline.
3. Having an “X” factor
In this particular case, knowing that you want to do something special for a certain someone IS certainly enough incentive enough to complete it.
I'm reapplying risk, scope, time, human resource, cost, quality, procurement and integration management principles... Wow! I guess I did learn something from my PMP (Project Management Professionals) certification exams!
When will I do this again? . . . Probably when the same unusual circumstances materialize again. Which reminds me: Two close friends of mine from way back in high school are getting married this year. Hmm… I might be persuaded to give them cross-stitch as my pre-wedding gift. We’ll see how it goes.
Post-Assessment: True or False
1. Cross-stitching is easy.
2. Cross-stitching is therapeutic.
3. Cross-stitching makes a sane person crazy.
I'm still sticking to the same answers :)
But it is fun. Try it.
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