Tuesday, May 04, 2010

history embodied, embroidered

I love the quiet rhythm of embroidery. The sound of the needle piercing the cloth makes me entirely happy. I feel connected to mankind when I embroider. It is a craft that has lasted thousands of years. I may be using my light board to transfer my designs onto the fabric with my iPhone and laptop close by, but the fundamentals of the craft have been unchanged. My great-great grandmother threaded her needle the same way I thread mine.

And I have no doubt she sat near a window just the way I do, for optimum light. And she probably watched her babies toddle around the room and she probably rose every once in a while to stir the soup on the stove. In this we are the same.

Embroidered Doodle

"It is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorn

Birds on a branch Embrodiery

6 comments:

brooke said...

in my next life i want to come back with your amazing artistic abilities...your work always astounds me lady!

Elizabeth said...

So beautiful! What are you making?

Lora said...

makes me want to get back to my embroidery projects.... yours are very pretty~

Apryl said...

Brooke, that is a fantastic notion! April, your work is beautiful!!! No shocker there though!

Joan Crandall said...

OK I have a question - how does one obtain/use a light board? I too love embroidery (hey there's a thought for the teacher's gifts - I could do books on tea towels or something...); I'd like to find/buy a design for the Golden Gate Bridge (or else something SF) for my sister as she and her (soon-to-be) hubby are moving to New Orleans in the fall from SF. Any ideas??

Cindy at LottieBird said...

Hmmmm, I like knitting for the same reasons. I have often blogged about sitting by the window knitting and the zen of knitting.
I may revisit embroidery.
after this sewing frenzy.

Beautiful work. Love the birds.