You said you have other pictures you want to do. Well, when I am working on a BIG project, I find I often need a break from it. So I will also start another project, and then go back and forth between the two. And right now I have three projects going, a big, a medium, and little for birthday cards. So maybe you could start another new project, and then every so often go back to this unfinished project and work on it for a short while. Do this back and forth, and eventually you will finish it. This is just a suggestion, but I do it to keep from getting stuck on just one thing. I have the projects in different rooms, so when I'm in the family room, I work on that one, the porch on that one, etc. I cross stitch while glanching at a TV show, or listening to talk radio, or listening to my classic music, and therefore, the different places I have to cross stitch. So I guess some of my cross stitching has to do with what I want to listrn to at that particular time.

How about if you set a time limit on how long you will work on this project ...sometimes it just takes a "push" to get interested again....and then work on the other projects. If it's hopeless, you'll soon know. There isn't a punishment for not finishing something. Well, you might beat yourself up, but what is the point? Aren't you doing this to "get your smile back"?

I have a large project that I just went back to about a month ago called "Sacred Hour" which I have been working on on-and-off for approximately 2 years. I've been working on it every day for the last 4 weeks and have made a "dent" in it. BUT I'm beginning to get feelings of needing something "quicker, smaller and a bit easier", so I will begin another smaller project in a couple of days to feed a bit more of my need for "instant gratification". With me, I need some doses of "INSTANT gratification" to help me continue my work on the big project. For me, this works.
You can also see the need for INSTANT gratification when you go to a plant nursery and see people buying plants for the spring. Many people like the "instant gratification" of putting plants in that fill in their landscape plans RIGHT AWAY or buy the flowering plants for "INSTANT" color.

Thank you all for your advice, much appreciated, I will give this a go xx

Thank you all for your advice, much appreciated, I will give this a go xx

Chez, I have also made some sizeable pieces. I believe that after you begin a project and work on it for quite a long time, you sort of become "blind" to either the fabric or the charts. I think our brains may need a rest from being so exacting. I also take a break and work on something smaller. So as not to put something away and almost forget about it entirely...I will keep a photo of the project around my craft room. My heart will tell me when it is time to go back and "get serious" about working on it again. I try not to do anything when cross stitching that will wind up making me frustrated. Your enjoyment of the craft of cross stitching often depends on all of these factors. Good Luck!

Chez, I've said this here before, I read in one of the x-stitch magazines that if you do 10 stitches a day, eventually even the most hated project will be completed.

I had one of those and guess what after about a week of 10 stitches or so I actually began to like it. I began working on it for several hours each day and it turned out to be one of the patterns I like the most. It also gave me satisfaction for having completed it and it was one less UFO taking up space. They look so sad, when they are in the stash all crumpled up and half stitched. Rescue that project and good luck.

Thank you all. Your comments are very welcome and appreciated x

TEXAS -- ten stitches a day sounds like an interesting concept. I think that doing just ten stitches daily would make me crazy enough to want to get it finished and over with.

Like most of the others when I am doing a very large project I take a break and do some smaller ones. That makes it so I don't go completely crazy on my great big projects. It never hurts to take a break from a project for a while.