french knot crazy

After failing a few times at it yesterday (and lots of times throughout my stitching history), I looked up how to make a french knot. Thanks to this video, I finally got it. And my sampler has turned into a celebration of that lesson.

For instance, how about a whole bowlful of (french-knot) cherries...
And how about covering nearly a whole square with 'em...

I used tiny ones to polka-dot the background of the cupcake square (currently a favorite)...
Where Teresa is working on her sampler a short 20-minutes a day in an exercise of control, I've worked on mine all but perhaps 20 minutes. Full on-forget about the laundry-we're eating out tonight crafting going on here folks.

on a roll..

Oh my goodness, but this sampler idea is providing the best therapy for me today. While I concentrate on making the stitches and dream up what to do next, I'm able to daydream of the days to come and quietly pray for God's blessings.

I've been thinking of the thoughts someone left in a comment about how this arrangement might not be the best for Alfredo. I hear you. I worry about this too. Stability is so important for little ones and this plan we have to help might turn out to do the opposite.

Rich and I have talked about this often. We just couldn't possibly say no to Alfredo. Our hearts made him a promise that we would do whatever we could for him, always. We will give him so much love and we'll teach him so many things. We talked to as many experts as we could find. They all agreed that the positives of this arrangement outweigh the negatives.

We honestly don't know what the future will bring. Who does? Well, none of us certainly. That's why we count on God to help us through. He knows.

inspired...

Last night I read about something Teresa is doing and was inspired.

I found a piece of cloth, embroidery floss, a needle, a hoop...and I was off.

I love the freedom of Teresa's piece but I know that I need more structure. I drew a grid and I plan to stitch within each square. I also really have to use a hoop.

When my sisters and I were very young, my mother taught us how to embroider. My sisters caught on and were very good. I liked to stitch but I wasn't very good. My sister Jessica's stitches were always perfect, on top and underneath. Beautiful, straight, tiny. Mine were irregular, sloppy, and a nest underneath.

I still stitch like I'm 7 years old. But I really like the charm of it. Last night, I stitched this heart. I started with the heart shape, added the tiniest of baby buttons, and then filled in the rest of the square. The stitches are thick and textural. I like it very much.


I went to bed very pleased with my first square. This morning as I made my coffee, an idea struck for the next square. Just yesterday, as I was cleaning out a cedar chest that was filled to the brim with stuff, I found a squashed bag of iron-on embroidery patterns that my mother had handed down to me. She and her mother embroidered countless pillowcases and dresser scarves with these same patterns. I found the tiniest flower and ironed it into a square. I am liking how it stretches beyond the square...this is going to be a good one. I'm going to use thinner thread and really work to make it finer, daintier work.

I think this work will help me put my mind at ease. I can escape for a little while, making something that doesn't require a lot of space or mess. I like this idea a lot.