I was so delighted to find that Lesley of Tintok Tap is reacting and reaching for more of the question I started in my earlier blog entry about how people stitch. Please go to her blog and follow her thread of thinking. I loved hearing how strong she is about who she is as a stitching woman and why. It's a good exercise for all of us.
It's not just that we stitch fast or slow, but why we do that. Didn't you enjoy hearing from our USA stitchers, Vonna and Becky? I think Carol opted out...she's had some big things on her plate lately.
I posed the question to stitch faster so I could put more self expression into my stitching....have time to change the colors or the stitches more, add tidbits of charms and beading and different fibers that the charts don't instruct to use, or to add a totem of my own, a verse that means something special to me or my family or my friend, even a secret symbol that only I understand... I don't want to just spend time faithfully reproducing all the charts. I want to do that some of the time, but not all the time.
When we stitch exchanges or in RRs do we just quickly stitch off the chart? Or do we take a minute to add something of ourselves or the person we're stitching for? Is the purpose to give it a quick stitch, or to give it as a present of our own handwork to a friend?
Just some thoughts.
Like Lesley, I don't like to be confined in a box of rules. I like the freedom of self-expression in stitching. I like that old ideal that only God is perfect and that a mistake proves it! LOL I like to keep my stitching clean and pristine, but my stitching area and my surroundings are chaotic and messy. The profusion of stash and threads and messiness inspires me and gives me creative juices! I like to grab and include things in my stitching like an artist. It's serendipity! It makes for creativity.
What do you like?
6 comments:
Generally speaking, I don't enjoy the stitching process as much if I can't add something of my own 'vision' to the design. When I first started stitching, I didn't know about ready-to-buy patterns, etc. and would cobble together designs from other sources, using my own colors and layouts and such. I've noticed that during the past several months, I do follow the designer's "suggestions" more often (regarding color palettes, fabric choices) but I think this is just the latest stage of evolution in my stitching hobby. :)
I don't know sometimes I will change the colors a bit to suit myself and I do love doing round robins so I can put different pieces of several designs together. But most of all I enjoy stitching because it relaxes me, sometimes it challenges me when I am trying a new technique and because I like the idea of carrying on a family tradition. Both my grandmothers and mother did or do something with needle and thread, whether it is sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting.
I love this train of thought and question, I'll answer on my blog tomorrow if I may rather than write a long post here. I have found it all rather interesting.
Hmmm....yes, an interesting comment. I don't consider myself a creative person although people who don't have crafting or needlework hobbies probably think I am. I can't draw at all but I do like pulling different patterns together, changing colors etc. Sometimes though I am just happy to stitch it just as it is if I really love it. I especially love all the round robins that have brought out so many cute ideas I hadn't thought of before. I don't know if it's because I was away from stitching for some years while obsessively quilting or what, but I am seeing more and more creativity in finishing and all sorts of things that we never saw much of 10 years ago. I don't know what it is in us that forces us to want to 'make' things, but it's there. Otherwise we would just buy those pre-stitched pieces on eBay I guess! To me, something just wouldn't be right about buying something already stitched although I love getting stitched presents which is altogether different. :)
I completely STRESS over exchanges! I worry incessantly about whether the recipient will like what I've done, and try my best to do something special for them.
And (of course LOL) I like to add my own touches to whatever it is. In fact, I almost never even look at the list of fabric or fibers on the chart... I never have. I've always just looked at the picture and seen what I wanted to see there, if that makes any sense.
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