Too Sentimental

Last night I was thinking about how much I enjoy cross stitching and how different it is from the feelings I got while quilting. I loved quilt making – especially when I was putting blocks together and making quilts from ideas I came up with but cutting fabric and putting it back together was always fun and exciting for me.

With cross stitching, I started because of reproduction samplers. Those are still what I love the most. Some have sayings that speak to me; some have sayings that remind me of the lives and times of my grandparents; some remind me of my religious upbringing. I especially love the reproduction samplers that were created by young folks, mostly young girls but there are some made by young boys.

Once many years ago, Vince and were in Montana (I think that’s where we were) and we visited a Native American museum. There was so much in there but the thing that stuck with me was that back in those days, the ladies had time to create those amazing beaded garments and pieces. They didn’t have running water, microwaves, gas or electric stoves, refrigerators or freezers, washing machines, electricity and surely not electric sewing machines or even decent lighting. They had to forage for food, come up with whatever warm clothing/blankets their family needed, and they still had time for creating those intricate beaded items.

On the other hand, they didn’t have internet, Facebook, Instagram and whatever else I have to waste time on.

When Vince and I left the museum, he asked me what I was most surprised or impressed with and I told him the beaded items. I think he thought that was a bit shallow and I explained to him how much time that took and it was something important to them so they made time for it.

Life was different, of course, but they lived the only lifestyle they knew how to live. It would be very hard for us to go back in time and live that way, knowing and having experienced what we have in our lifetimes.

Back to cross stitching .. I usually see that someone has stitched something; sometimes they talk about it on a video and something they said sticks with me and I end up wanting to stitch that chart. I love choosing the linen and am learning and loving to substitute floss to make it my own. I’m definitely a process stitcher. A project stitcher is usually anxious to finish a project and loves the finishing. A process stitcher loves the process. I have finished dozens of project. Most of them are pinned on my old quilting design wall, not even finished. I do need to do more finishing but it’s the process of choosing the design, choosing the linen and floss, then making the first few projects. From there, it kinda goes downhill for me but I am committed to finishing and fully finishing at least some of these projects.