Today is my birthday--not just any birthday, but birthday number 65. Haven't sorted out how that makes me feel--horrified, happy, contemplative, depressed, celebratory, grateful, giddy, fearful, wise, hopelessly ignorant, daring, careful, stressed, determined, energized, lachrymose (a great word I don't get much occasion to use), experienced, carefree, . . .old? Regardless of how I feel, it seems to be a milestone that should be marked in some way in fabric and thread.
So I have given myself a challenge (Just what I needed, another challenge!): every day for the next 65 days I will do some hand stitching with perle cotton for at least five minutes on a three-inch square of fabric (a different one each day). Well, it is actually a four-inch square of fabric that can then be squared up, if I need or want to, into a three-inch finished square. I have even prepared for this event by dyeing some gorgeous deep and golden yellow fabric.
Each day I will choose a shade of yellow and a color of thread, depending on my mood or whim, and stitch a line or lines across the square--lines of any kind, with the only limitation being that the final design should not be a representation of anything. I thought lines were appropriate since I have managed to acquire a nice collection of them over the years and we could get symbolic here about paths followed or some such.
But I am intrigued to see what will come of this. I rejected several more complicated options I had thought up because there will be some days coming up when I will not have a lot of time. But I should always be able to find at least five minutes. And I am currently in love with hand-stitching with perle cotton so I will have a little extra motivation to get started each day. And perhaps these little squares will have some aspects of a diary--reflecting something of the day on which each is made.
And if you are still with me, thanks for the company!
So I have given myself a challenge (Just what I needed, another challenge!): every day for the next 65 days I will do some hand stitching with perle cotton for at least five minutes on a three-inch square of fabric (a different one each day). Well, it is actually a four-inch square of fabric that can then be squared up, if I need or want to, into a three-inch finished square. I have even prepared for this event by dyeing some gorgeous deep and golden yellow fabric.
Each day I will choose a shade of yellow and a color of thread, depending on my mood or whim, and stitch a line or lines across the square--lines of any kind, with the only limitation being that the final design should not be a representation of anything. I thought lines were appropriate since I have managed to acquire a nice collection of them over the years and we could get symbolic here about paths followed or some such.
But I am intrigued to see what will come of this. I rejected several more complicated options I had thought up because there will be some days coming up when I will not have a lot of time. But I should always be able to find at least five minutes. And I am currently in love with hand-stitching with perle cotton so I will have a little extra motivation to get started each day. And perhaps these little squares will have some aspects of a diary--reflecting something of the day on which each is made.
And if you are still with me, thanks for the company!
1 comment:
Can't wait to see your creations -- and Happy Birthday!
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