The Joy of Small Canvases

This week another great post from Michelle Hufford, the owner of San Rafael’s Come to the Point. In this column she talks about the joy ofsmall canvases, a topic I heartily endorse.

If you live in the Bay Area, you should stop by her shop, where, through Halloween, you can save on any small (under 8×10) canvas.

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We are now into what I call “Turn on the Buzzsaw” time of year. As of earlier this week, there were 94 days until Christmas! To a child, that is “forever.” Those of us who make our Holiday gifts are staring at the calendar, wondering where the time went! Am I going to have everything in the queue finished before {fill in the Holiday you celebrate}?

Considering that my database of small canvases stands at over 100, and not everything is accounted for, my answer is a resounding not this year! If I have even a prayer of getting any of my gifts completed within a reasonable finishing timeframe, I need to set up a schedule.

If I assign a different canvas to each day of the week, I am guaranteed to have them all done in time for the finisher. The canvases are small, and work up quickly. I’d say two weeks each ought to do it.

Of course, whether or not I am able to stick to my schedule will be anyone’s guess. As much as I try to prioritize, plans go up in smoke. Projects always take three times as long as we think they will. Threads don’t work, and I didn’t account for frogging. Then, there are those items that vault the queue!

I am rerunning the bullet list my in-house finisher wrote last year. Her comments are worth keeping in mind, regardless of where you take your project.

1. Don’t think that a finisher is going to complete your work. If you give me an item and there are 3 rows of border on the left and 4 rows on all the other edges I would point it out to you – but I won’t fix it.
2. Don’t think that I am a miracle worker. If your stitching is uneven or loose then I can’t make it even or tighten it up.
3. If you want a specific fabric or trim used to complete your project provide it. A finisher is not a mind reader.
4. Give me a price range that fits your budget. Otherwise, don’t blame me if I spend more than you would have. I will always spend more than you because I don’t want you to be disappointed with my choice of quality finishing materials.
5. A properly-blocked piece gives a much better finished product.
6. Sometimes what you want is not feasible. Be open to suggestions from the finisher!
7. Don’t expect that a finisher can drop everything and do your piece right that minute. If you need a piece back by a certain time, make sure the finisher can complete it within that time frame before handing it over to be completed.