Stitching thru the years...

Today I was adding a few freebie charts to my Excel file inventory and decided to take a look back at my stitching life. Most of the time I keep the list of charts and leaflets in alpha order by designer and title, with columns for publisher, chart size and subject/use. I have a column for supplies needed and as each project is started and finished I make note in a final column. Today I indexed the Date Done column and it was eye-opening! It took a while to enter all the charts, kits and leaflets still in my possession...the magazines are nowhere near entered, and some few old kit charts are long gone, but looking back to 1978 when I first learned to cross stitch (after having learned some crewel and needlepoint as a child) I spent the next 20 years until 1998 stitching about 50 different projects, mostly as gifts for friends and family. In 1998 I attended my first stitching "event", the Spirit of Cross Stitch, in Knoxville, TN and concurrently discovered the online world of stitching message boards. A obsessive stitcher was born!

Fast forward to today, more than a decade later, and I have reached the 400 project milepost! Frankly, I'm amazed! Keep in mind that does not include stitched projects from magazine charts, but I hope to get them added in time.....nor does it put much of a dent in my stash of charts/leaflets/kits that I want to stitch "someday"! It seems I have reached SABLE....*Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy*!! I need to stitch faster or grow another arm to be able to get to the end (not withstanding future Stash additions), and therefore my future retirement is secure in that I will never be without something to stitch, as long as they still make DMC!

Now, back to the task at hand.....stitching my newest acquisition, Chatelaine's Chinese Garden Mandala! Progress pics to come......