No longer disillusioned

I have been working overtime, but haven't had anything to show for my efforts.

Here's the story:

I was approached by a neighbor a couple of weeks ago and asked if I would embroider about 30 handkerchiefs. After asking some basic questions, I told her I would look around and see if I could find an appropriate embroidery design for purchase. I couldn't find one, but consistent with my nature, I also couldn't say no.

I broke down and agreed to do it. I have spent hours, days, and yes, more days working on drawing a design and then re-sequencing it in the bernina embroidery software program. I will be the first to admit that I naively thought embroidering was just so simple. I mean how hard could it be? You tell the machine what to do, hoop it, and let it go right? WRONG!!! Well, that is mostly true for embroidering just letters, but not with anything else. I don't think it is even possible to adequately describe how time consuming and tedious it can be to draw the design and get it to stitch out properly in the first place. Then, there are always adjustments to be made on where to start and stop the needle, so that it is in closer proximity to the next position for stitching. The material and stabilizer has to be put into the hoop aligned just right because they all have to look the same. Finally, you get it all set-up, then realize how long it is going to take to stitch out the design. Wow! If I take the time it takes to stitch one design and multiply that by 30....ummmm that isn't going to work! I guess I will have to re-edit the design because I don't have that kind of time to sit and watch the machine stitch. Yes, I could walk away and hope that it stitches everything out without a problem, but experience has shown that when the thread breaks, the bobbin runs out, or the needle catches on another stitch, the machine does not always stop. So, when I come back thinking the design is finished, it could be that the design is not finished, or worse, it is ruined!

When I finally get the handkerchiefs embroidered, my work is not done. I cut away the excess stabilizer, then the real work begins. I spend the next several hours, or a half of a day, in this case, cutting all of the little connecting threads of the design where the needle had to move to reposition. Lastly, I remove all of the markings I made on the fabric, iron, and lint roll them all. Exhausted, yet? Well, I am!!

In short, here is one of the Salt Lake Temple embroidered handkerchiefs that has

taken me way too long to finish!

They look so simple, don't they?

Do you ever feel this way at the end of a project?