How to Make the Most of Your Precious Stitching Time

We are all busy ladies and gentlemen. We have jobs, school, family, Fiances to pay attention to. As much as we dearly would like to, few of us will be able to spend all day every day stitching. For those of you who do, I both adore you and envy you with deep, mottled forest green envy.

So when we do have a few precious minutes to spend, we must make sure the environment is optimal and the time is right. This is different for everyone. Many of us fiendish stitchers are non-medically classified in the OCD spectrum  and must have a routine. This is mine, and anyone who disrupts it gets bared teeth and a snarl. Fiance knows.

1. Proper lighting
Never underestimate the importance of proper lighting. When I come home from a long day of peering into tiny holes in the dark recesses of people's mouths, the apartment is often a cozy, pitch black cave (mostly because Fiance is a hobbity-hermit) and I go into a frenzy, lighting every lamp until I can see again. I also thought I was going blind (perils of entering a health care field) because of eye strain. 

2. Comfy couch
 My end of the couch is so worn that the back cushion is filled with molecules of cotton candy and is as supportive as cotton candy. My equally crafty and perfectionista mother made me pillow covers to make my toybox apartment more stylish and pulled together, so I now have back support.

My end of the couch is ready and primed for me to pick up Tiny Rose Garden!

3. An entertaining show on the television.
I like to pop in a DVD or wrestle with hulu (my internet is evil) to provide the tempo and background for my stitching. This also means that I am quite on the up and up with certain TV shows, which goes against my self-righteous eighth grade statement that I "never watch TV." I am a hypocrite and I can live with that. Shows that keep my needle flying have and currently include: Game of Thrones (oh Tyrion Lannister, you hilarious character), True Blood (Lafayette is brilliant), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Spike is quite magical), Greys Anatomy (I love it) and Masterchef (Step aside, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot should be the star).

Doesn't Graham Elliot look like so much fun to hang out with!?

4. My trusty floss, highlighter and scissors
I was never a scissor person until I bought Elizabeth I scissors which are the most amazing stitching item so far. I'm a scissor monogamist, though, so I will stay with one pair right now. Usually everything is scattered on my couch, but sometimes I have to pick up when Fiance wants to sit down (the nerve!).

5. A certain period of uninterrupted time
You know how cranky you got when someone kept asking you questions when you were reading a book? Yeah, it's the same for stitching. I have to frog so much more when there is a lot of background activity. So if I know I have to be somewhere or make dinner or go to sleep quite soon, I'll do something else instead.

6. Clean hands
Enough said.

What is your stitching environment like?