Stitching Art

Art washes from the soul the dust of every day life. Pablo Picasso

For me, needlework is something more than simply decorative. It may adorn a functional item with beauty, it may have no other function than to be gazed upon and enjoyed. I do not sit down to embroider or cross stitch with the same thought as I would to sew a garment or hem a napkin. It is not about mending.

Rather, needlework is creativity and expression. A bit of energy goes into the piece, to lend it an aura unique to its self. We may each stitch Frederick, using the same commercial kit materials, but each of our Fredericks will be a very different end result. This may not photograph well, but in person, up close, those energies we each put lovingly, painstakingly, stitch by stitch into our pieces, emanate forth.

This is art- no matter the medium in which we work. To go beyond the concerns of dinner and laundry, of the day’s work at the office, the exam at school, the foul commute; and to become caught up in the rhythm of the needle and floss passing through the fabric, stitching a thing of wondrous beauty, simple or grand, large or small. To come back to the here & now, refreshed and satisfied, this is art. Indeed, it is magic.

If by chance you wanted to add a quote to your piece for added thought and reflection, browsing Chinese Proverbs may prove useful.