All the Rest of the Cross Stitch Kits!

I've been looking at cross-stitch pictures on Instagram and Pinterest, wondering what might come after the lighthouse I'm working on now.  I know that it should be one of the other kits I bought at that estate sale, or one of the other kits I've accumulated over the past couple of years, but it doesn't hurt to look and daydream a bit.

Then I saw the paper doll. She's soooo pretty...

I was almost convinced that I had the same unopened kit up in the sewing room with all of my other old cross-stitching supplies,  but when I went up there and dug around, I couldn't find the box of kits at all.

There was no reason to panic. I'm the only one who goes up there and I know I had my hands on it last year when I was trying to get things organized. It wasn't where I remembered leaving it, but it had to be in the room. A couple of fruitless searches later, I found the box and the two kits I really wanted to find were inside, along with a whole bunch of others, some that I'd swear I've never laid eyes on before. Happily, my taste hasn't changed much over the past fifteen years or so and most of the kits are ones I'd pick out today.

When I first got hooked on cross-stitching, a big local craft store was going out of business and had everything on clearance for something like 80% off. My memories are a little off, because the place was across the street from an apartment we lived in, but it was after my oldest son was born...so we have to have lived in our first house by then....

I do remember making quite a few trips to the craft store and figuring out how much I could afford. They'd add up the full price for everything and then take the discount, so  I had to put things back once or twice even as the ladies commented on what a great deal it was. Great deals are only great if you have enough cash in your purse on that particular day. (Times have changed and I don't have to count my pennies nearly as closely. I've also got a phone with a calculator on it!)

I know I have at least three more kits that aren't here in the box. Two I remember pulling out and putting in project bags.... but I'm thinking there were a whole bunch of those Marty Bell houses. Which means there might be another box of kits.... There's definitely a box of projects that I'd kitted up with fabric or floss, so I'm looking forward to the chance to go up and dig some more.

And this is why I'm so cautious about de-cluttering craft supplies. Ten years ago, I was sure I was done with cross-stitching. I don't know if this current love for it will stick, but I'm sure glad I kept all of my floss and fabric and kits!

My next project won't be the paper doll because my eyes definitely aren't up to the 28 count evenweave. But I'm happy to have found her.