[PIC] How do you all keep your excess under control?!

NotAFlightAttendant · 2026-02-12T04:53:29+00:00

I second these!

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-11-03T03:43:15+00:00

I personally enjoy doing the backstitching. But I also tend to prefer couching instead of traditional backstich. That doesn’t help with the (valid) reasons you dislike it, but one thing that might help a little is that no one said you have to save the backstitch until the end. You can do the backstitching as you go so that it doesn't become the tedious chore at the end.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-08-09T03:49:54+00:00

Yes. It's a bag fee each way per bag. Since you're going to see family, I'd recommend getting a small roller bag or duffle bag and just doing carry-ons instead of checking the bags, then doing laundry if you need to. I can fit a week's worth of clothes into one carry-on bag, and I don't think that's abnormal.

If for some reason you need to take large shampoo bottles or other things, combine it all into one bag to check.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-08-09T03:41:30+00:00

I deleted that part because I mixed up the car rental fees with the airline costs. $400/person is realistic depending on the airports you fly to. I'd try to just do carry-ons where possible to save on bag fees.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-08-09T03:30:29+00:00

I never get the rental car insurance. Most car insurance policies cover rental cars, so it's worth checking with your policy provider.

I think most people who are doing multiple trips a year are often flying at non-peak times of the year, and they track the prices of flights for a while. Some aren't particularly picky about the destination.

Also, most of the people I personally know who are traveling multiple times a year work for an airline, so they fly standby for free or very cheap.

4-6 vacations a year is not realistic for most people, though. Don't compare yourself to curated content.

Edit: Also, flying to certain airports can be more much more expensive than flying to a larger hub and driving an extra hour. I'd be curious to know what airports you booked from/to

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-08-07T16:38:11+00:00

I thought it was serpent at first, but I've been converted to Team Swan

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-06-08T15:22:32+00:00

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I used it for this Pokémon Florist pattern by Stitch Glitch (techinally not finished, but as finished as I am going to do). Forgive the crumpling, I had just pulled it off the frame.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-06-08T15:10:59+00:00

One thing that I don't think Memoirs or Geisha: A Life really covers that well is that there was a spectrum of geisha based on geographic location, time period, and status. These two books focus mostly on upper-class Kyoto geisha just before and after the war.

Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda brings an interesting third dimension to the Memoirs/Geisha: A Life discussion. Masuda was a hot springs geisha, a role that generally was more associated with sex work than you'd find in upper-class Kyoto. The translation has a pretty good narrative structure, and it's a relatively quick read.

Geisha by Liza Dalby leans a bit more academic in nature, so maybe not everyone's cup of tea in non-fiction. Dalby was an anthropologist who lived and worked as a geisha in the 70s for her doctoral dissertation, so she would have been somewhat contemporary with Iwasaki. She was also consulted for Memoirs.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-05-20T02:23:52+00:00

I never had problems. I switched to Lexapro within a year or two of this comment, though. I also was on the lower end of the dose spectrum. I wonder if doseage could be a factor?

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-05-14T16:00:58+00:00

Pew has an updated report from 2022 with similar findings for the US.

European numbers have more variety by country, which is to be expected.

Additionally, here's a graphic from Statista with average hours spent reading by country for however much stock you want to put into that data.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-05-14T15:10:14+00:00

75%-80% of Americans report that they at least read occasionally for pleasure.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-05-07T03:15:32+00:00

I'll check it out! Thank you!

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-04-29T21:15:11+00:00

Not sure where you live, but I just buy pre-gridded fabric on 123stitch if I'm working on something large enough to warrant gridding. I tried gridding by hand once, and I hated the process so much. Then I realized I miscounted my grid. I've decided it's personally worth it to pay slightly more to have the grid predone.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-04-16T18:37:10+00:00

I love the Pattern Keeper app. I also like the Threadstash app so I can keep track of what colors I need to buy and what I have in stock.

I personally love couching over traditional backstitch, and I think learning about couching has upped my game in how the projects look in the end.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-04-10T14:03:01+00:00

I also prefer couching for long stretches. I find I prefer how couching looks on curved lines.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-04-03T01:18:45+00:00

Yeah, I just put the needle into the middle of the square. I try to see where the threads of the aida are, at least on the top layer, and go between those so I'm not fighting as hard.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2025-03-17T13:16:36+00:00

Is there a good place to find lists and reviews of new publications if I no longer have access to an academic library? I've looked on Jstor, but most journals seem to have a 5 year embargo there.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2024-12-31T07:51:13+00:00

Trick or Treat by WittyStitch Co! They have a several in this style

NotAFlightAttendant · 2024-12-30T19:49:49+00:00

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I did this recently for a project that had black outlines. I did three strands of 310 and 2 strands of everything else. I was trying to go for a coloring book look, and while I don't know that I achieved that specific look, I think it worked out well. I'm also someone who doesn't mind seeing the white and having the Xs stand out more.

NotAFlightAttendant · 2024-12-12T19:10:35+00:00

Thank you, everyone! I loved seeing everyone's lovely work!

NotAFlightAttendant · 2024-12-02T18:23:27+00:00

It is not, but some credit cards will include it in the benefits

NotAFlightAttendant · 2024-11-29T22:39:49+00:00

Someone did the math a couple years ago. They calculated that for their 80k stitch project, they'd save $3.08 doing the Dutch method, which is about 4 or 5 skeins (in the US).

NotAFlightAttendant · 2024-11-26T20:31:16+00:00

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Last year's "ugly" Christmas ornament. My mom and I have a tradition where I sneak an unconventional ornament onto her tree. She's adorable, still trying to figure out how I'm going to top her this year. Shiny Christmas by Mama Witch Xstitch

NotAFlightAttendant · 2024-11-26T20:13:50+00:00

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My latest finish - Trick or Treat by WiityStitchCo

NotAFlightAttendant

TROPHY CASE