Perseverence

I am almost finished with the Flower Pot project.  All I have to do is glue it on to the tile.  This is how it will look:

This size project is perfect for me.  When I start a new project, I'm on a mental high.  I get to pick out new thread colors, choose a pattern and imagine what the finished piece will look like.  The initial enthusiasm lasts until the project is complete and I can admire my handiwork with a great sense of accomplishment.

A large project, on the other hand, requires a lot of mental effort on my part to stick with it.  Take for instance, Renulek's Spring Doily.  I am currently on row 9.  The excitement of picking out colors and getting started has long since morphed into long, tedious repeats of the same ring/chain sequence and count.  Here's how it looks now.

But I am determined to not let this project become another UFO that lands in a box somewhere, forgotten.  I really love the design and am mustering all my mental fortitude to continue to make progress.  That's why I am taking little breaks to tat a Flower Pot or bookmark now and then.  I need the mental high of a small project to carry me through the tedium of this gigantic project.  It may be well into summer before this spring doily is finished.  But that's okay.  When it's done, it will be the most beautiful thing I own.