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Process vs. Product Stitchers

Last night a reader asked about stitching so many things at once vs. stitching on one thing til it’s finished.

For me, it probably has more to do with my short attention span but there are terms for this and they can apply to knitting, quilting, stitching, probably most anything we do.

A process stitcher enjoys the process. For me, it’s about choosing the chart, the fabric, the floss. Stitching a chart using the called for fabric and the called for floss isn’t nearly as interesting to me as choosing my own fabric and my own floss. About the only time I use all called for is when I’m stitching from a kit.

A product stitcher is one who wants to get to the finished product. Get it stitched, framed and on the wall.

Obviously, I’m a process stitcher. I have probably more than a dozen pieces that are stitched and on my design wall. There are frames here for all the ones that will be framed. Some will be made into pillows and I certainly have everything here to get that done. It just isn’t the finishing that thrills me. While I do love having them on the wall, even that isn’t enough to motivate me to get them in the frame and on the wall.

I think back when I first started cross stitching many years ago, and started knitting and quilting in that same era, I didn’t have a lot of disposable funds so if I bought a chart, aida and floss, I about had to stitch it and finish it before I had the money to buy something else. Same with quilting and knitting. I would buy fabric for one quilt and not buy more til that quilt was finished. There was no internet back then so I had to go to the store, with cash in hand, if I planned on buying materials for a new project.

Now we have the internet. I can be sitting in the car waiting for Vince to come out of Walmart and order new charts, linen and floss right from my phone.

Another thing for me is just the steps to get started.

  1. Enter the stitch width and height in a calculator to see what size the linen needs to be.
  2. Pull the thread in the linen to make sure it’s cut straight.
  3. Cut down the linen if it’s a large piece.
  4. Pull the floss.
  5. Make sure the floss shows up on the linen.
  6. Find suitable substitutes if some of the colors don’t show up on my linen choice.
  7. Decide, based on the width and length of my fabric piece, how much “margins” to leave and then get started. (Back in the old days, we all started in the center. Now, most of us do not.)
  8. Make floss tags if using floss not already on tags.
  9. Put the floss all on a ring.
  10. Make those first stitches.

I try to keep at least a few projects kitted up and ready to grab and go. In each kit, I have:

  1. The chart.
  2. A working copy of the chart.
  3. The floss.
  4. A package of needles.
  5. A small notepad or pack of sticky notes.
  6. A note I’ve written with the stitch count of the linen, the color of the linen, size of the fabric, as well as the size the stitched piece will be.

I do try to make at least a few stitches on each piece because to me, it seems so much easier to get started if I already know where I’m supposed to be stitching.

If I were to get a call tonight that I need to go out of town tomorrow for some reason, I can throw three or four project bags in my suitcase and know that I have enough to keep me busy for a good long while.

Again, we all do things differently. There’s no right or wrong way – just whatever works for each of us.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I think I like the collecting and getting ready too. I must be a process person. My least favorite part is the finishing. I haven’t fully finished a thing since I restarted cross stitch (except for one small pin cushion I gifted…have 2 more that I didn’t fill with shells yet) and I found a few unfinished pieces I never framed from over 20 years ago…lol One of my new starts will be The Raven with the Boleyn linen. I can’t wait for that one! I still need to make working copies of the new charts and have a few more projects getting the floss on rings. Right now I have more than 6 WIPs pulled so I will see what tickles my fancy on Saturday. 🙂

  2. I think you might need a third category for me – collector. I looked at some of the projects I stitched when I first started counted cross stitch many, many years ago – like in the 70s and 80s. (How did I get so old???) For the first year or two it was mostly Aida cloth, then I found linen and that was my favorite fabric – it was almost always white or off white. Now Aida is my least favorite fabric, I love the linens and even weaves with the mottled colors. I keep adding patterns as I see you and Denise post pictures. Between the linen and the patterns I have quite the collection. So far I’ve resisted jumping on the ‘thread’ bandwagon but there’s needlepoint shop within walking distance and they carry silks and over dyed threads. I see the handwriting on the wall. LOL

    • Oh, Karen. You made me laugh out loud and I had to read your comment to Vince. I think a lot of us, even though we do get a finish every now and then . . we’re more collectors. I know that even IF I manage to finish 23 pieces in 2023, I still have way more charts than I’ll ever get stitched so why do I continue to buy more??

      But just think . . we are helping the shops, designers, linen dyers . . we’re doing a great service to the cross stitching world. 🙂

      • I can always count on you to put a positive spin on my vices. LOL A friend of mine visited a few days ago – she looked at my shelves of fabric, patterns, yarn etc and told me I had enough to keep me busy for two more lifetimes. Truth be told it’s probably more like 3 lifetimes. But…..I love looking at my collections and they make me smile. Win, win for me.

        • More positive spin! 🙂 It could be worse. We could be doing all kinds of really not good things. Collecting fabric, cross stitch supplies and good things like that . . not bad at all. I have a couple of friends who have no hobbies. Both of them are always saying “I wish I liked to do the things you do!” No! They don’t need to like the things *I* like . . they need to find what they like and do it. I cannot imagine life without my hobbies. If I knew I would never make another quilt, I would not get rid of my fabric. I love going into the sewing room and seeing it. It makes me happy. I still pull fabric now and then to make a dog pillow, or a backing for a little pillow. It makes me happy and at this point, it costs me nothing to keep it.

  3. I am more of a process person. I just love doing the cross stitch and not that interested in what it turns into. I do have lots of finished items around the house. I’m the same way with my quilting and knitting. But there is always something to pick up and work on. Hugs,

    • Me too. I just need to keep my hands busy. It wouldn’t really bother me if I never finished anything.

  4. I started cross stitching in Jan 2022, .I have 2 large 3 ring binders full of charts, one just for Christmas and Praire Schooler. I must be a collector! Just like when I quilted my closet was full of fabric. I have finished at least 5 pillow tucks for each season, but have not as yet started a sampler. Judy, could you explain how you start a project in the corner?

  5. I’m joining the collector/ process person club! Now I can explain to my husband why I have so much fabric to look at and admire and so many quilts (about 17) started and not finished. I did finish 6 last year, so that is not too bad. We travel a lot now and he is always happy to stop at quilt shops for me to browse so he is kind of an enabler. He just really didn’t realize how much I actually have stashed away until he retired. He also doesn’t understand the concept of “I’m not ready to cut it up, it’s too pretty and I’m not finished just looking at it.” Thanks for helping me figure it out, haha!

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