I've been working on this for awhile now. It's called
"Thinking" by Aimee Ray at
littledear and I fell in love with it at first sight. I bought it and printed it and felt ovewhelmed and put it in my pattern file.
When I
actually became overwhelmed, I found the pattern and started from scratch tracing and such...maybe as a catharsis...maybe because I like pretty things...maybe because I don't know what to be when I grow up and embroidery is something I am good at. Scratch that...extraordinary at. I can stitch the shit out of whatever is put in front of me. It completely agrees with my 50/50 left brained/right brained-ness. Perfectly neat with perfect colors yet crafty and artistic.
I adore this pattern because it represents how I feel All. The. Time. Kids and lunch and put that down! and dishes and octopus and stars and am I a good mom? and ohemgee the last season of The Closer is soooo goood and can I just take a nap without something getting destroyed*? And also I really want a pink bouffant like that lady in Are You Being Served.
Part of it could be summer, right? The kids are home, I scheduled no classes or activities. Just the boys loose on the house and my sanity. Every once in a while, I venture out to the Trader Joe's with them. Which becomes a nightmare...they ditch me then cry when they're lost...they don't want Starbucks, they want Starbucks...they sneak ground turkey into the cart when I'm not looking...Then I get home and they take off, into the bowels of the house, let the dog escape, and eat the entire bag of honey pretzel sticks I just bought.
I finally get five minutes to myself and Hartwell comes in and asks if I bought batteries for his Wii. No, I didn't. "Why not? You just lie in your bed all day."
So I make quesadillas, (they wanted peanut butter and jelly), pour some glasses of milk, (they wanted juuuuuice boooooxes), and then after one bite, "I don't liiiiike it! Can I have dessert?"
Of course not, what kind of mom would I be if I didn't put up at least a little fight, I think as I hand them a bag of cookies and go back to finish my five minutes of peace and diet coke.
Not that we don't have fun. The other day I spent a good fifteen minutes in a conversation with them about cemeteries and death and, "Why do they bury people's bones?" and "How do they know your name for the stone if you're dead?"
This makes it very difficult to have any kind of career epiphany. Or hobby. Or thought of your own. I'm too busy explaining funeral etiquette.
That's why I started this project. Something for me. Which doesn't frustrate me or take too much concentration. Something pretty I didn't have to buy. Something I'm good at that makes me feel like I accomplished something.
Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.
-Guillame Apollinaire
And maybe, much like this:
becomes this:
I will figure it all out.
*No.
22 comments
It's beautiful and you have great craftsmanship. I am even drawn to the littl ebundle of scrappy thread! It's a jumbled rainbow that somehow makes up my life, too...colorful, wonderful, but sometimes tied up in knots!
Wow, that's just beautiful! I love all the colors! Liz
So beautiful! It's been years since I've embroidered - my eyes got too old : P !! You make me want to start again....
thanks for sharing,
gena
beautiful work.
Debi @ Adorned From Above
I love embroidery, it was the first craft I learned how to do when I was about 6 years old, I still have that piece. Then I was 16 I did a piece with hundreds of french knots. When my daughter was 6 or 7 she begged me me to take her to the cemetery we drove past everyday. I finally relented and took her. So I get that conversation with your kids! Your piece is absolutely beautiful, I love everything about it! Laura
What a lovely project to work on, letting your fingers work while you ponder.
It is beautiful, and you art is showing through. Love the colors, and again very beautiful work. You are inspiring me again to get back into embroidery. So glad you shared your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – your creativity helped make the party a success!
Love this. The pattern is great and the colors of the thread, just beautiful. I have been embroidering a lot lately because it is easy to transport and we've been traveling a lot. Hang in there. It is so hard to have time for oneself when there are little kids and then, like myself who has a 23 and 25 year old, there is too much time. :)
I love hand embroidery I treasure the pieces passed down for my grandmothers. I am a new follower. Patsy
Thank you for all the amazing comments! Patsy! I started getting more serious with embroidery when I inherited my grandmother's hand embroidered linens! I have them tucked in a drawer and no one gets to touch them...Pam, you're so right about having no time and then before you know it having too much time...Cathy, so glad to help convince you! I love having a project I can do while I watch tv. And embroidery is perfect!
Gena, I think my eyes are on their way out...the light needs to be brighter and I'm starting to squint! Andrea, the little bundle of rainbow thread is totally an apt metaphor for a woman's brain! It certainly explains how we can connect seemingly unrelated thoughts! Cottage and Broome, I started cross stitching when I was very young! I wish I still had any of the samplers I made! Chris, It's hard to not ponder when you're stitching a brain/hair! It's like I had no choice! Debi and Liz, Thank you so much for your kind words! I so appreciate what fellow crafters have to say! Especially if it's positive!
Thanks for visiting my blog Adorned From Above. I have a link party on Wednesdays, and I would love for your to link this and anything else that you want tomorrow. Your work is so beautiful.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
www.adornedfromabove.com
Of course! Thanks for inviting me, Debi!
Beautiful stitchery and post as well! :)
Looks like a fun piece for your beautiful stitches.
It is beautiful!!! So bright and lively. Thank you for sharing. Visiting from Adorned from Above. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/07/make-it-pretty-monday-week-8.html Hope to see you at the bash!
Thanks so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party. I really love this.
Debi
Needle work goes pop art! Love it. :D This makes me want to take up that old hobby again. Thanks for sharing. Have a great week.
p
lovely embroidery and it was fun reading about your thoughts!
Gorgeous!
Thanks for linking up to last week's Tuesday Confessional link party. You've been featured so head on over and check it out! I hope to see you at tomorrow's Tuesday Confessional.
http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2012/08/tuesday-confessional-features.html
~Macy
Dear Courtney
Thank you so much for linking with my Wednesday Adorned From Above Blog Hop last week. I have listed your posting as one of my featured links for this week.
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/08/apple-cinnamon-roll-pull-aparts-and.html
Grab the link on my blog that say
I am a featured blogger at Wednesday Adorned From Above Blog Hop
Thank you again for participating, and the link party is opened for this week.
Sincerely,
Debi Bolocofsky
www.adornedfromabove.com
It is beautiful, and you art is showing through. Love the colors, and again very beautiful work. You are inspiring me again to get back into embroidery. Painter In London
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