When I was a kid, my mother taught me how
to needlepoint and embroider...
She must have needed to find a way to keep me busy,
sans computer games
and endless videos of A.N.T. Farm...
I loved sewing up the simple beginner kits...
I loved the plethora of colored floss,
the tiny stitches that made flowers and vines...
I loved the small embroidery hoop
that stretched my tapestry imaginations...
She must have been so patient to teach me
the different stitches that my clumsy, little hands tried to master...
Luckily for me, my kids want to learn to stitch, too...
Unfortunately for me, my kids want to learn to stitch, too...
Their attention spans rival that of a gnat...
Their hands are as nimble as a bull in a china shop...
Their patience wears thin in a micro second...
My children usually decide they want to be crafty
just as I am about to embark
on some major project of my own,
on some major project of my own,
like making a meatloaf,
mopping the floor or paying the taxes...
They want me to break out the sewing machine, STAT!
and my own chores be damned...
And while there are times when I must
prohibit the desire to craft,
like when we are five minutes from leaving
for school in the morning,
there are instances where I just stop what I am doing,
no matter how important to me,
and I let their creative juices spew forth...
If I keep saying no, then, at some point,
And that would be bad...
Crafting is messy and the old adage of "Clean up as you go...",
while mantra to me, is lost on them...
So I clean up as they go, picking up scraps of felt,
errant strings of thread,
open scissors on the floor,
Sharpies on the couch....
But, it is worth the flotsam and jetsam
to see their cute hands flying,
to see their cute hands flying,
needle and thread in the air...
I love to see the artistic wheels turning,
as the home made Ugly Doll takes shape...
Where will the mouth go?
Which button to make the eye?
It's my modern day Little House on the Prairie,
Ugly Doll style...
Speaking of stitching, I have had my own project
that I found in Country Living Magazine a year ago,
that I have been wanting to complete...
There just never seemed the time
to sit down and make it happen...
This portraiture project is so simple and easy...
It makes a wonderful holiday gift, too...
These are the basics:
1. Print out a head and shoulders photo of a loved one...
Make sure to enlarge the photo
so that it almost fills the 81/2 x 11" page...
These are the two photos I chose...
These are the two photos I chose...
2. Tape the photo to midweight 11 x 15" watercolor paper...
3. With a pin, poke small holes around the perimeter
or outline of the person's hair,
facial features, neck and shoulders...
Simply highlight the simplest features;
the ones that are signature to the person...
Remember, the more lines you make,
the more you have to sew...
4. With embroidery floss in the color of your choice,
and with a sharp-ish embroidery needle,
sew the lines you have created with the pin...
Make longer lines for the hair and body,
smaller stitches for the facial features,
being careful not to tear a hole in the paper,
especially around the eyes...
I used a dark brown Sharpie
to fill in the tiny white showing
through in Kate's eyes...
It's ok to cheat a little...
5. Find an inexpensive mat and frame
at the craft store for your masterpiece!
The project took about 2.5 hours, per image,
from printing the photo to completing the stitching...
I would say the supplies cost approximately $20.00
for everything, using a 40% off coupon...
A very satisfying endeavor!
While, the kids kept me jumping this morning,
fetching this, helping sew on that,
at least they weren't glued to the XBox
or fighting with each other...
They were honing their needlework
and stretching their brains...
And that, to me, is awesome...
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