Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Blog Hop #7 - Leftover Floss

Stitching the Night Away Stitching Bloggers Blog Hop


Here's the question for this edition of the Blog Hop:
What do you do with the floss, thread, beads, and other elements you have left over from full project kits?
Hmm.  I usually avoid kits like the plague but there are times when you just have to purchase one, mostly because it's the only way to get a certain pattern.

Any leftover floss that I have from a kit, I toss.  Some kits seem to have an inferior floss that feels rough to the touch so I definitely wouldn't want it for any other project.  Other kits don't have DMC (or Anchor) numbers so finding their matches would just take too long.  Even if I know the numbers, I worry about variations between dye lots.  The little bits, aka orts, that I have left when I finish a length of floss, I sometimes save.  They're not kits, but I am saving the orts from two of my projects (separately):  God Speed and the Sistine Chapel both from HAED.  When I am done (years from now) with one of these projects, I plan to either cover a simple glass ornament with all the orts or stuff them in a clear glass ornament.

Beads?  This is interesting that it's part of the question because I just had to think about this yesterday.  I just finished one of Mill Hill's Charmed Santa Faces and they are very generous with the floss and beads.  I tossed the floss but dumped all the remaining beads in a small jar.  I currently have at least three more of these kits that I'm going to do and I thought I'd keep all the extra beads together.  When I have a good number of beads in the jar, I think I'll make a small beaded bag with them.  I won't have a pattern, just whatever bead I grab next out of the jar.  It should be interesting to see how it turns out.

Needles from kits I always keep.  You can never have too many needles!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

P.S.  After reading a bunch of comments about letting kids use the leftover floss, I think in the future I'll save mine for my nieces.

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3 comments:

Meari said...

I've let my nieces use leftover pieces of floss to "stitch". I've also used longer pieces to do punch needle. Sometimes, I will use them to make ornaments.

Kasey said...

I, too, am keeping the left-over floss to let my daughters play and learn. It's been great!

Loretta said...

I have quite a handful of leftover beads from Mill Hill kits, they are seriously generous with their kit supplies - thank goodness, because I'm a clumsy girl and I'm always dropping beads!