“Will you embroider my sister’s home?”

Once upon a time there was a young woman named Jordan who was in need of a special gift. Jordan asked me, “Will you embroider my sister and brother-in-law’s home? This would make the perfect Christmas gift as they recently bought it and are so excited to live there.”

Jordan sent me a few photos, I sent her back a few sketches of the design. What came to fruition was a detailed outline of the new home, scattered with brickwork, pitched rooflines, shrubs growing tall and flowers filling in. Oh, and plenty of windows. All of this was stitched under a canopy of trees in the background; a nature-filled embrace around their new home.

How could I not work on this embroidery project? From day one I loved the idea of creating something unique for Jordan’s sister and her husband, especially because embroidering is a treasured way to spend a stretch of time.

The different colors of floss, the different stitch types, the sound of the needle coming through the backside of the fabric with a strand of color trailing behind — it’s simply wonderful.

Embroidering reminds me a bit of motherhood; there are so many tiny details. Tiny moments of caring and crying; planning and designing, hopeful of the outcome, nearly spent in anticipation as we watch the bigger picture come into focus the longer we dedicate our time to it.

The frontside of an embroidery hoop is pretty, perfect and meticulously planned, while the backside is messy with color and long stretches of floss. A chaotic combination of necessity; hope and reality mixed. Just like a motherhood. 

Another favored project was when I embroidered Madeline’s house. Madeline is one of my favorite childhood stories, and both of my daughters love the books too. How about you?

I never regret the time I spend creating, though the mediums I use create with change with time. If things never change, would we enjoy them as much as we do? Whether the memory of what was or the reality of what is, both markings of time are valuable.

xx, Maggie