Ask yourself, will you ever use it all?
I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while.
That moment of clarity when I realized I had reached my saturation point with various creative pursuits, including the purchasing of quilting fabric, quilting patterns, and machine embroidery designs, marked a turning point.
When I initially embarked on machine embroidery in January 2020, it was a novel and exhilarating experience, and I was keen to explore designs that aligned with my personal aesthetic. The vast array of machine embroidery design companies, each offering unique and distinctive designs, made it effortless for me to become captivated by the limitless possibilities.
Fast forward to January 2025, I experienced an injury to my left hand during a Pilates session, which granted me a fresh perspective on several aspects of my life.
At the beginning of January 2025, I announced my participation in a “shop your stash challenge”, which encouraged me to work with my existing resources. Although I did acquire some new fabrics while I was in Denmark and later on in California, I made sure they were something special and unique. it was at that same time I also made the deliberate decision to cancel my subscriptions to several clubs. The first subscription I cancelled was my Glide thread of the month club, which I had been a part of for four years. Initially, the monthly delivery of thread and exclusive machine embroidery designs was exciting, but over time, I realized that the club was sending me repetitive thread colors and designs that no longer resonated with me. I subsequently cancelled my subscriptions to two additional machine embroidery clubs, one of which I had been a member of since 2020. My rationale for terminating these memberships was that I no longer perceived value in them.
I have become disillusioned with the monthly subscription services offered by various machine embroidery companies, as while they provided exclusive content, I found myself questioning whether I would ever utilize all the accumulated designs.
Furthermore, the marketing practices of some companies now offering "free gifts with a minimum purchase" or the “stock up and save” ploy has become a deterrent for me. Having reached my saturation point with machine embroidery designs, I am now focused on utilizing my existing resources to create novel projects. I no longer feel compelled to accumulate digital content, as I have sufficient designs to keep me engaged for years to come.
The design featured in the photograph, is one which I purchased back in 2022, serves as a reminder that it is time for me to concentrate on creating projects with the resources I have amassed.
Don’t buy because it’s on sale or on clearance.
Don’t buy because the store is going out of business.
Don’t buy because it’s pretty.
Buy because you can see yourself making gifts with the designs and then make those birthday, wedding and Christmas gifts!
