I decided to tackle sorting out my mess of DMC yesterday. I've never settled on any one way to organize it and I can't say I'm any closer now. Some of it is wound on bobbins that are filed numerically in plastic boxes which was my go-to method back in the 80s when I first started cross stitching. I also have a cabinet with little drawers that I use to organize skeins in. There was a lot that wouldn't fit in the drawers so all of that went in numbered ziplocs which then went in plastic bins. Then there's the Joann's bag with odds and ends because I'm too lazy to check if it needs to be wound on a bobbin, stuck in a drawer, or shoved in a ziploc. I'm telling you, it can be overwhelming!
I did manage to get through the bobbin boxes and made a list of what's missing. In the process I ended up getting all nostalgic about my stitching "journey". I remember wanting every color of DMC back when there were only 360 colors and you could get them for a dime. Every time Michaels would have a sale I'd run over with my list on my lunch hour and stock up. My late husband would help me wind it onto the bobbins, and I still have some with his writing on them!
I remember my subscription to Cross Stitch & Country Crafts was quite the splurge for a young couple but I loved every issue and would sit out in the back yard on my chaise lounge (remember the ones made with the plastic tubing?) and read every word. I still have all my issues and ended up sitting on the floor with Aida, paging through them. There were quite a few designs I had stitched and even more than I had wanted to.
Before I knew it I had picked a pattern, pulled the DMC from my newly organized boxes, found some linen, and got started on a project from the July/August 1986 issue!
I might need to hit up some garage sales this weekend in search of 80s decor! How can I not?
2 comments:
I could have written this post! I don't have all the CS&CC issues anymore but many projects saved and in a three-ring binder as well as "Best Of CS&CC book. I have all the DMC colors, all wound on flat plastic bobbins, stored in a carpenter's tool cabinet with the duplicate skeins kept in a two drawer Coats and Clark store cabinet. I even have your pictured project saved. Can't currently do much stitching because of two shoulder surgeries but enjoy reading about your efforts. Please post when you finish this sweet little piece. From Sandy in Kentucky.
Good for you on getting your DMC organized. I have mine on heavyweight cardstock bobbins with my main set in an original Jammer box and the extra laid out flat in several Plano tackle boxes. Isn't fun to go through past magazines (or binders with ripped out pages)? Have a wonderful weekend!
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