I’ll be co-running a slow stitch / stitch meditation workshop for my guild this year, covid-pending, so I put needle to thread to create an example piece. I haven’t looked too deeply into slow stitching, but the gist of it is that it focuses on process rather than outcome. It isn’t about perfect stitching, or perfect appliqué, or even perfect fabric coordination. It can be done very simply, with only scraps of fabric and all the same stitch, or embellished with fancy stitching and additions. I’m partial to encrusted crazy quilts, so I did my best to hold back here and keep it simple, though I admit that it turned out fancier than I had planned.
I began with some borrowed scraps from my quilty neighbor, and then added some coordinating scraps of my own. (I am sure there is no surprise of my color choices, by now!) After spending a little bit of time arranging them, I pinned everything down and began stitching. Mostly, I used kantha/boro stitch (simply put, running stitches), but I added some crosses, cross-stitching, and colonial knots. That last is very well hidden in the florals.
I added embellishments, including some of my late gramma’s “raspberries” (yo-yos), some trims, a motif of lace (well, not “lace” per se, but I don’t know what else to call it), a button, and a piece of discarded jewelry. At the end, I trimmed the whole thing using the crocheted edging from an old pillow case.
I call this one “What is luck?”. There is a four-leaf clover, a traditional sign for good luck. And also a list of happy thoughts, printed on a fabric scrap. But then there is also a dictionary entry printed on a scrap, with perhaps less good suggestions. Because sometimes, bad luck strikes instead. I didn’t begin with a theme (though you can, for slow stitching) but it emerged as I made choices.
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