Stitching

I just started a new crosstitching project.  I wish I could say that I remember how many I've done, but I lost track at 32.  I've been stitching since I was twelve, when my mother's best friend taught me how to do it.  In fact, I still use the embroidery hoop I bought on that fateful day (mumbles number) years ago.

I have made crosstitches for weddings, for first babies, for second and third babies, for graduations, for thank-you gifts, and simply for elegant decoration.  I have only kept about five of them, most of which are on my walls as we speak. Two are waiting for framing, but that's another bit of drama.

Crosstitching is a big part of some of my favourite memories.  My sister and I used to watch a marathon of movies and stitch, and we still have at least one stitching session whenever I go home. I also fondly remember teaching a few of my friends to crosstitch.  Our dedication astonished one of my flatmates, who kept finding scraps of Aida cloth and embroidery floss in every corner of the house.  We always pointed out that we were very careful with our needles, at least.

I always watch TV or movies when I crosstitch, and when I finish a project, I can remember what I was watching in each section.  This memory gradually fades, but I never forget which sections I had to un-stitch because of a mistake I couldn't put right any other way.  I also remember one project where I completely lost my temper and tore out stitches with such ferocity that I tore the cloth. After a few moments of panic, I managed to restore the cloth with some cross-hatched embroidery floss and save a project I had already spent six months on.  Never let it be said that crosstitching is boring - or simple.  It takes more creativity than one might think.

But it's always worth it.  The simple peace and pleasure of making tiny 'x's with thread in a wide rainbow of glimmering colours is one of the most relaxing hobbies I have ever tried.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment to see the pattern emerging.  And, when I finish a project and have the delicious joy of choosing a new pattern, collecting new colours, buying the cloth and cutting it to size...it's always something to look forward to. 

I think the story of my life could be told in stitches.  Medieval scenes for friends...rainbows and teddy bears for babies...graceful arches of flowers and foliage to celebrate a wedding...literary figures framed in gold and purple...funny sayings and cheeky cartoons.  That's not a bad set of memories to leave behind.