Update July 25, 2023.
Today’s post is a guest post from my friend Marlene Furtado. Marlene and I have been emailing each other about several things. She expressed so eloquently what we all feel about needlepoint and stitching, I wanted to share what she wrote with you.
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For me, working on a piece of needlework is always enjoyable even if I come face to face with the occasional problem or question. I compare it to a journey with a few pauses (in my work basket), detours (unstitching), forks in the road (Would this or that stitch look the best for the nutcracker’s jacket?) and then the final destination perhaps as a beloved pillow or wall hanging. I also have met so many wonderful people who also share my passion and are very generous in answering any questions I might have. Although some consider needlework a solitary activity, it is far from that. Like others, I have many times been sitting in a cafe enjoying a cup of tea when a stranger comes over to me to see what I am working on and to ask questions or to let me know that they also enjoy stitching. They are not always women. I have had men and children come over to look and have to confess that it makes stitching even more relaxing. . . .
As for comparing needle working to a road trip, guess that has always been my experience. When I look up at a completed counted cross stitch bell pull or needlepoint pillow, I often recall the times I worked on a piece next to a hiking trail, in a cafe, while visiting friends or just sitting on my deck on a warm, sunny day. I also have come to relax and even enjoy strangers coming over to me to see what I was working on. As for my needlework piece, before I have even put in a few stitches, it begins to talk back to me. Yes, my needlework talks back to me. “Why are you putting in that stitch? It looks ‘Ho Hum”? “Look over here. The stitches are a bit twisted.” A needlepointed flower will sometimes say, ” Can you put a little sparkle in my petals?” “Why don’t you put me aside for a while and think about what stitch to put in this area…” The best comments my needlework have ever made have been, “I am looking good.”. As for my finished pieces on the walls, on my sofa and other areas, they greet me everyday with a “I know you could do it. I never had a doubt.”
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Isn’t this just how we all feel?
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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