Saturday, January 7, 2012

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Fly Stitch - Week 1

For Take a Stitch Tuesday, there is a different embroidery stitch to learn each week. This week's stitch is the fly stitch. I had never heard of it until now.

According to Stitch-opedia, the "fly stitch is an isolated stitch that can be arranged in a number of ways to give different overall patterns."

I decided to keep a book that includes several different components:
- the tactile stitch with its name;
- a short journal hand-written journal entry; and
- a list of a few things for which I'm grateful.


In the weeks ahead, I'll also add any natural element that I find during the course of a week (e.g., feather, pressed flower or leaf). I didn't find anything this week because I spent most of the time indoors (not to mention that there is snow covering the ground now...a change from just a week ago).

Rather than going out and purchasing supplies, I use what I had on hand: a lined composition  book, scrapbooking paper, linen fabric, and cotton embroidery floss.


For the first week, my journal entry focuses on the fact that my father died on Thursday, January 5, 2012....just a day shy of his 80th birthday. It's not the cheerful journal entry that perhaps some other weeks during the upcoming year will hold...but it is a reality of what happened this week.

I tried a few different variations of the fly stitch in different shades of blue and green. Blue was Dad's favorite color...and both blue and green remind me of the outdoors which he loved.


The last part of this week's page included five items for which I am grateful. I think it will be particularly important this year to keep these things in mind...and remind myself what is truly important.

12 comments:

What Remains Now said...

What a great project and journal. I will look forward to following along.

April's Homemaking said...

I am sorry for your loss, journaling is such a good idea, and I love the included stitch a week. Thanks for sharing.

Sara said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad. It will give a different shade and hue to things for a while, so I love that you went ahead and stitched in his favorite colors!

I went to the Stitch Tuesday site earlier this week and was immediately intimidated. I love your journal idea - it seems much more accessible! Thanks for the inspiration for this beginner!

Kathleen said...

i AM SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. JOURNALING ABOUT YOUR DAD IS GOOD. GLAD YOU FOUND TAST, THAT IS HOW I FOUND YOU. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. I SHOULD FINISH MY TASTS TODAY.
http://kathysnest32.wordpress.com/
KATHY AT KATHY'S NEST

bluemuf said...

Great idea to journal and add your stitch. This will definately help you during this difficult time
Will send you peaceful thoughts.

Karen

Raphaela said...

What a great idea to combine stitching, journaling and focussing on what you are grateful for. Thanks for sharing.

Jennifer J said...

I like the simplicity of your journal. The whole TAST thing intimidates me. You make it look do-able. I'm sorry about your dad. I know you will miss him as long as you live. Be kind to yourself as you grieve.

Susan said...

I like the fact that this is a stitch journal, but it's also a journal of your life this year, both the ups (in gratitudes) and the downs and events which take place. Records like this are so important to helping our descendants know that our lives also had trials, and how we coped with them. Your stitching and arranging on the page is very artistic, too. I'm very sorry about your father. You have my sympathy and empathy.

iHanna said...

Sorry to hear of the loss of your father. I love your combination of ideas; learning, embroidery, journaling and gratitude - many of life's pleasures on the same page.

take care.

New Leaf said...

So glad you were featured in Pin Tangle this morning. I love that you're keeping your stitches in a journal! I keep rethinking what I want to do every time I see the next TAST participant. lol

Can't wait to see the next stitch!

Savitha Sambath Kumar said...

Very Nice journal

Cyndi L said...

What a great idea to do a journal like that..I'm so terribly sorry for your loss and I hope this will be helpful for you.