Homework. It’s that dreaded word that few school kids like.
When you get older, whether or not you like the word depends much on how you use it. Sometimes, I like homework. Sometimes, I don’t.
Right now, I like homework.
Right now, my “homework” consists of a couple projects: specifically, Clara’s Garden, which is one of the Avlea folk embroidery kits that I carry here in the shop; and this maniturgium project, which is getting ready to take center stage at home, despite some drawbacks to stitching it there instead of at the studio.
I started Clara’s Garden the same day I finished Arcadian Peonies, because I absolutely have to have something to work on while I’m spending so much time at home. (I don’t want to over-mention personal stuff, but my dad requires 24 hour care now, so I don’t get away too much.)
You can see the end of the Peonies and the beginning of Clara’s Garden here.
These kits have been great for non-complicated handwork that I can do at any hour of the day or night when I need something to do with my hands.
My original plan was to have Clara’s Garden finished by Easter. The bright colors are springy and happy, and I thought it would make a nice little topper for spring decor.
One of my sisters commented that she thought it looked more like Christmas decor because of the border around the design, but in fact, the green is very springy and the red and coral compliment the floral pattern. To me, it’s much more springy than anything else.
It’ll serve for summer, too, I reckon, because spring may pass before I finish it.
At one point, somewhere around turning the corner on the design, I messed up on the direction of the cross stitches (oh, gasp! horror!), and started crossing in the opposite directions.
It is said that, on “cross stitch done well,” the stitches should be consistently stitched so that the top stitches all slant in the same direction across the entire piece.
And yes, I’m sure that’s a very good habit!
But I’m afraid I’m not all that meticulous when it comes to cross stitch. Well… I’m not meticulous enough to go back and find out where I switched direction, and pick it out to re-do it, that’s for sure!
From a distance, it all looks the same. No one will ever notice. I know it’s shocking to hear, but (shhhhhh!) I don’t really care if the top stitches don’t all slant in the same direction across the entire piece!
I can’t even find the area where I flubbed up. I know it’s there, somewhere. With my eyes, I’d have to have a magnifier to find it.
Here’s my current progress. It was time to move the frame, so I snapped a photo.
Incidentally, all of these photos are taken late at night under a rather bright task light, but with little other lighting in the room, so the colors appear a bit brighter than they are in reality. If it’s coming across as a lime green to you, it’s not – it’s more of a grass green.
In any case, I’m enjoying this project. I think it’s pretty. It’ll look nice for home use. I can’t wait to do the drawn thread hem stitching around it when it’s finished. I’m going to do a decorative hem stitch of some sort, a little more elaborate than the last one.
But in the meantime…
Taking Up a Different Home Project
… in the meantime, I have to work on the maniturgium, and that’s what I’ll be doing at home the rest of this week and through next week. I want to get it finished before the end of Easter Week.
We shall see!
To that end, I brought a stand magnifier and light home, and now I have to figure out a work station.
I’ll update you on the maniturgium soon, too, and hopefully, I can show you the finish in the not-too-distant future.
Coming Up!
I received a few advanced copies of some Fabulous Books coming out this year – I can’t wait to show them to you!
I will pop in a little later this week, and then we’ll be taking a very short break for Easter. (I’ll be around again by Wednesday of next week.) \\
After Easter, I hope to sneak peek at least some elements of the next stitch along. Yay! It’s berry… I mean very… fun!
Thanks for sharing your absolutely gorgeous embroidery work!!!
FYI – in some cultures, they will sometimes purposely change directions of the top stitches at the corners, so that one side will catch the light differently than the other. I learned this years ago from a small publication out of Colorado called Cross Threads (if I remember correctly). I had almost a complete set of their issues but had to toss them when our sewer line backed up (of course, they were stored in a box on the basement floor!). I miss them to this day.