56: cross-stitch

 

**Before starting this post, I'd like to point out the new header, "Learning." A lot of my personal design, now including this blog, has the text "living | learning | observing." I'm spitting up my posts in the same way: living the things we believe in; learning new skills and philosophies; observing the world around us. Enjoy.**

Trying to find left-handed sewing tips didn't go so well. This, most likely, means one of two things: (1) I wasn't looking hard enough or (2) Most lefties experience no trouble sewing.

To avoid frustrations, I didn't do any sewing last night. Instead, I opted for cutting out the material I need for my vest, since I only cut the lining last time. The blister on my index finger has taken a step toward callus, and my thumb had no pain at all. If this were Twitter, I would hashtag that. #Progress. It would pop up in a feed that is largely political, tweets about Obama.

If you're not familiar with Twitter, all I can say is that I'm very sorry.

I was thinking of ways to get around my left-handed slowness. I was thinking about this while working with Dad in a 1950s Pennsylvania Dutch farmhouse that we both absolutely adore. (Maybe I can be creepy and snag pictures. It's the one house that, if I could buy it, would keep me in Wapak.)

We were painting a door in her kitchen, the amazing kind that open at the top and bottom (that you always imagine a horse's head popping through to wish you a good morning). I paused and looked around the room for a clock. Instead, I found a cross-stitch sampler. It read, "Give us this day our daily bread."

When I was in seventh grade Home Economics class, I loved our cross-stitch project. I even bought small Christmas samplers that year, to hang on the tree. I stopped after that, but always liked the idea.

I am very particular about cross-stitch. They get very, very Old Lady very, very quickly. I don't want to be the person that has cross-stitch cats as doorstops, pillows and wall decorations.

Nesting has gotten very trendy lately, overly trendy to the point that it confuses me and stirs my feeling about feminism in our culture. I thought that this trend had certainly spread to cross-stitch. I scanned the Internet and found that this was not the case, not yet.

I did find several rather whimsical, romantic patterns that would fit in with the ecclectic, second-hand design trends that Joe and I love (with a focus on sustainability, comfort, cool colors and economics--something like a low-budget Design*Sponge).

both are from The Art of Stitch 

(left, $25; right, $38.50)

This could easily fit in, and there are no cats, snowmen or children's booties. A good start. I love everything except the price... but I got my first bridal shower gift yesterday, a giftcard from my aunt in North Carolina. I want to use if for bridal shower-ish things, things that will start setting up our house. 

While this should be things like Tupperware or bathmats, I don't want to store that stuff. I want things that I can get my hands into, that I can make for our home. That makes a counted cross-stitch project, which would be completed while in France together, a perfect fit. See how I can make what I want seem logical?

Here's another one that I'm considering. This is a part of my absolute favorite design period (1920-45), a taste of one of the greatest Americans ever.

JVoyage's store on Etsy has this great FL Wright window pattern, sans thread and the like, for $5. (This is the one find that I would qualify as "trendy" or modern.)