"A joy to stitch"

I'm curious, what makes something "A joy to stitch"? Is it the fabric or fibers? Is it the color or where it's used? Is it the pattern or your state of mind? I know there have been a few designs that I've stitched over the years that have been an absolute pain to stitch. Some that have been a chore and that I didn't enjoy at all. There have been some (more than I'd like to count) that I've gotten bored with and some that have overwhelmed from the start. And I know that cross stitch is just "one X at a time" which is entirely true. You know, the designs I find most challenging are the monochromatic designs. Especially if I'm using a variegated or overdyed thread. The challenge is where/how do I want the color to flow. Do I stitch horizontal? Vertical? Diagonal? Or a combination of all three? And that's completely up to me as the stitcher! And mine is going to look different than the next stitcher's because of how I stitch mine. The reason I ask is because the last model I stitched was a band sampler. And it used very earthy colors: leaf greens, yellow golds, terra cotta reds. Very pretty and somewhat true to the Autumn season that we are in right now. It was just very soothing to stitch. It also helped in feeling accomplished. As each band was finished I got that great feeling of "finishing" something, a significant part of the project. I guess I just really like band samplers.