I found these questions all over the place, people seem to have been answering them, so I thought I would too....

1. How do you store your floss?

I have three floss boxes of DMC thread, plus a whole bag of loose echevettes (cannot remember English for this at present). I am considering getting a Gold Concept binder for these, they are reasonably priced in France. For other threads, I have some on rings, either with or without flossaway bags, and I have a fairly large box full of balls of pearl cotton.

2. Do you keep a complete set of DMC?

I have most colours, but not all - I buy new ones if I need them, but mostly these days I buy other threads. I'd like to have a complete set of Gentle Arts Sampler Threads and Weekes Dye Works.

3. Do you buy new floss to "kit" up new projects or do you use out of a master set?

Well, both sometimes. I try to use what I have, but, if a DMC is in use already on another project, I would probably buy another. If a specialty thread requires a whole skein (ah, that is what an echevette is) , or I think it will, for a project, I will buy another skein.

And another one:

What "rules" do you make for yourself regarding your stitching? (These can include finishes, starts, purchases, rotations, hours, fabrics, flosses, etc, etc..)

None really, the whole point of it is that it's supposed to be fun, and not involve a lot of rules. Having said this, I do not like disorder, and I try to keep things tidy and only have a reasonable number of projects at once. It can be hard, because I've been living in two places at once for the past year. My apartment in Paris needs major reorganisation!

I wouldn't ever do a rotation, my life is too unpredictable, and I really couldn't tell you what time I will be home tonight, let alone next Tuesday night.

As far as stash is concerned, if I see something I like, generally I buy it, unless it's really stupidly expensive. For fabric, I buy what I need for projects, although sometimes I will buy a piece if I see it in a shop and like the colour. For threads, I have so much that I just buy what I need for particular projects, although I will buy the new GAST and WDW periodically. I've no ambitions to collect whole series of silk threads, although I do use them when a project calls for them.

For hours of stitching, I don't really get as many as I would like (owing to chaos of work, largely), but I am quite capable of sitting still for hours and stitching. This is something I became used to at Skals, where I embroidered from 8:oo am to 10:00 am and from 10:30 am to 12:30 every day, with many afternoon classes from 1:30 to 4:30 as well. Not to mention free time stitching, too. These days I am lucky if I get an hour in the evening, plus a few hours at the weekend.

Last night I did get about an hour and did some more of the HIH 2006 Collector's Heart - I think this one will be quite quick, and I can buy one of those nice frames from Zara Home for it. I love Zara Home!

Well, back to the grindstone, we have even more chaos here than usual.... Leo and D were having a not specially friendly meeting about the hours put in on this project. It is all costing a lot more than foreseen, I think the fact that D is so unpleasant that people automatically double estimates before giving them to him may have something to do with it!