What do you do with your finished work?

[Sarah J]

I was just wondering what everyone did with their finished pieces of stitching? I've just been tidying up my workroom and noticed that despite having some work up on my walls, given some away as presents and sold some on my website, I still find I have a whole box of finished pieces with no where to go!

 

Do you make something for the love and joy of making it, or only if you have a finished purpose for it and what do you make your stitching into? There are only so many wall spaces to hang pictures!

 

A friend told me recently that she had actually thrown away one of her pieces (a piece she worked on her embroidery apprenticeship) because she no longer liked it! I know the piece and thought it was fabulous (and it took well over a hundred hours to stitch), but am I too precious about my work? Should we throw things away if we don't like them, store them away from posterity or pass them on to someone who will apreciate them?

[Elizabeth Braun]

Whew! Glad it's not just me, Sarah! Usually when I post something like this I get all kinds of sweet replies telling me to relax and do it for fun, to let myself do what I want etc, but it's just not about that with me. Nice to know I'm not alone and maybe it's even something in the Brit??=)

[Sarah J]

"Whew! Glad it's not just me"

It isn't!

I heard a fact the other day that we in Britain have the smallest living spaces of anywhere in Europe. Perhaps that has something to do with having a flow of embroideries through your house! I'm building up the courage to admit to be about to throw away some peg dolls...I collect them and sometimes buy a job lot. I do restore the ones I can, but some are past repair and I was hanging on to them because someone made them but I think they will have to go to make room for healthier ones! Oh no, what will forum members say? :~

In my defense, everything is transient...

[Sibille Kreideweiss]

Yes, it's adding up, and I'm not hanging every picture or use every doily. Some of the designs are not in the colours I'd normally choose for us, but when you design for a magazine, you also have do things which might not suit you perfectly. So the colours can be different to what we have. Otherwise, I could and would never throw anything away (it makes me cringe, especially with the costs for materials and the hours involved doing it) or give it to charity. I'm very attached to them, in all aspects.

However, family is exempt from the give-away ban of course.

Selling is out of the question, people aren't prepared to pay what I would have to ask.

I've a chest with big drawers....

[Sue Noble]

Like you I have some I have given away and some on my walls and some on the floor of my study, which I was looking at the other day. The same day I was dusting, I know everyone is saying what a waste if stitching time :-) anyway one of the pictures I dusted was a painting done by my grandmother and it reminded me of what she use to do. She had several frames with loose backs so that when she wanted she could change the painting in the frame so you got to look at more of her paintings. Lovely idea not sure how it would work with my embroidery. Another thing to do is move to a bigger house with more walls :-)

[Gina E.]

What a wonderful topic for discussion! Everyone has their own slant on how they view this, and we are all a little bit different. Me? I don't have the skills to create my own designs (apart from crazy patchwork), so most of my work is from kits or charts. We have a four bedroom house with lots of wall space, but my husband has stuff of his own that he likes to put on the walls too, so I've claimed ownership of one spare bedroom, and have all my framed pictures and wall hangings on display. There are a few special pictures in the lounge room that I did for hubby, so he doesn't mind them being in there!
I stitch what appeals to me, in colours or themes, and I also stitch gifts for friends and family - luckily most of them love what I do, so I doubt if many of my gifts will be thrown out at any time soon. But I also have a lot of embroidered stuff that other people have done. Two hundred plus tablecloths, aprons, teacosies, thousands of doilies and other small items... I just can't bear to see these items in opshops and garage sales; when I think of the work that some lady has put into them, I have to rescue them.
Hubby used to go crook at the money I spent on them, but I've stopped buying on eBay, and rarely add to my collection these days, as my Linen Room is full! In my dreams I buy a warehouse, turn it into a textile museum and put everything on permanent display. Dream on!

[Shirley]

I can't believe there are people out there who don't see the value in hand embroidered work. I hate it when I go to markets, and see people selling beautiful work their mother/grandmother has done and put their heart into and which is no longer wanted because it might be considered old fashioned. I just love old doileys whether crocheted or embroidered. I also like rescuing old dishes that someone loved for a lifetime. I do like the idea of a textile museum where we could bequeath all our left over work.

[Joyce D. Reed]

I have lots of finished projects and many more started but unfinished quilty projects. I would never throw them away if I have more than an hour or two or a dollar two invested in them - and none fit that category at this point. If I don't like it there is surely someone else who does and might even pay me for them. My guild has country store once a year, and we bring our "garage sale" - sewing related goodies and sell them at bargain prices to someone who wants them. Then we have a little moolah to take to our Local quilt shop to replace it with. :) Or it gets donated to Project Linus, however, I'm not sure crazy quilted items would be appropriate at this source. We also, have several senior centers in Mobile, some that do a lot of crafts on a shoestring, or no budget. They are always glad to have what we don't/can't use. Joyce

[Joyce D. Reed]

Gill Kriehn said:

There is a web site called Etsy on which you can sell crafts, embroidery etc. I don't know if this would be any good. I have not used it myself but know of people that have. My problem is an UFO drawer in which some precious items lay alongside the unfinished others.

Wish I just had a drawer of UFO's!! ;)

[Lynn Palmertree]

Some of my pieces are for myself, but some I sell on Etsy or locally. I make a lot of baby bibs and use vintage transfers for them. Also, I do boys and girls onesies, rompers and shirts. I am doing curtains for my kitchen right now, along with hot pads and towels.

[Sarita Jakhere]

I love this topic. I can never throw away my work. I use it in my patchwork bags or collages.

[Connie Berlin]

Sarah J said:

I think, like Elizabeth, I too need to have a purpose for making something. I'm not very good at finishing things without a deadline and if it is for something in particular there is usualy a deadline with it! This doesn't mean I don't enjoy what I'm stitching, I struggle to stitch it if I'm not inspired by it, but it makes it more enjoyable for me knowing there is someone at the other end waiting to appreciate it (whether that be for a class or a present etc) and it won't just go into the collection. I tend to be a bit too precious about my work, but I'm getting better at passing it on and finding that this is actually very rewarding.

Gill mentioned Etsy for selling your work. Etsy is American, the English equivalent is Folksy. I have a shop on Etsy and be warned it is very difficult to sell on Etsy without alot of dedication. There are many thousands of products on there all competing for attention and you have to work very hard at getting yours noticed (this costs by the way and you will have to do the work, Etsy don't help out much). Don't forget also, due to Copyright, that you can only sell original designs, so no kits you have bought and made up, or items from knitting patterns etc.

That doesn't mean don't have a go there though! There are some lovely items for sale and a great place to shop for presents. You will get something handmade and truly unique and it's great to promote handmade and traditonal crafts.

[Connie Berlin]

Hi Sarah and Elizabeth and everyone! Phew, a topic after my own heart. I live in the US and have been on Etsy for one year. I make felted brooches, bowls, vessels, and what I call, Felted Art collectibles.

Anyway, I get caught between what I really want to make and the Etsy push to list and list items for sale. Last year I drove myself crazy with Christmas and Etsy. I get caught up promoting which does take alot of time and computer work. Everyone has sales and buy one get one free, etc. (I have too) and it seems like artists are practically giving their work away.

I have not thrown any of my creations away so I have all these little bits and pieces and bowls that didn't work and tons of different projects that don't involve felting. I do become attached to my pieces and when I started selling and packaging them up, I did feel a twinge.

I have displayed two things in my home - wallhangings I have done. I value my work and put alot into many of my pieces. Pricing for sale is difficult because only I (we) know the total process it takes to create something and the price may be way too high for most people nowadays to buy.

Ever a quandry but in the end aren't we lucky to be artists!