Don't Question Your Talent

This is for all you awesome creatives out there and let it be your mantra, "Don't question your talent!". Ever! And never stop doing it. Long ago I bounced aimlessly from one creative hobby to the next. Collage, oil  painting, sketching, machine sewing, jewelry making, rug hooking, ceramics, embroidery, crewel work, gardening, knitting, etc., etc., etc., and then, drum roll please, counted cross stitch. I fell head over heels for this craft and I say craft because that is what it was for me in the beginning. Every minute of my spare time was spent pouring over catalogs and shopping at local needlework shops and craft stores. Like any addiction, "Hi, my name is Debbie and I'm a cross stitch addict", I couldn't get enough of it. When the internet came along, I really was a kid in a candy store, I could shop the world for not only what I knew, but now all the awesome stuff I never knew. The years passed and I never grew bored with it, although my life did make me take breaks from it for, well, life! I learned a lot from other stitchers, from manufacturers, from needlework stores and books. As time passed, my passion went from a blazing fire to a warm glow. I found I no longer just wanted to stitch the patterns and kits I bought but wanted to change them. My attention wasn't so much what new pattern I wanted to buy but how I could customize the one I was working on. What new fibers were out there that would make it more interesting and give it more texture? What kinds of beads were out there and charms and buttons? The next step was to try my hand at designing, using my own colors and imagination. Then it came to how can I integrate all these wonderful embellishments and fibers into my designs and what was the best way to actually make the designs? This is when I realized how much this art helped me evolve into my creativity and still keeps me hungry for more. I never doubted my love for this art and I always enjoyed the ride and that is why I never doubted my talent for it. 

That doesn't mean that it's easy or that I don't second guess myself when it comes to a design or materials or even how to execute them because that is part and parcel of creativity. However, I learned early on that trying to make what I thought would trend with the current wave of design failed me miserably. I never was happy with that work. If I am true to myself and sincere, the work always thrills and satisfies and actually challenges me on some level that makes me grow.

So here is my takeaway. If you are listless and uncertain, listen to that voice that is telling you, hey, this isn't right for me somehow because that is your early warning system to not waste more time on it. Keep yourself open to trying things that spark your interest because that is the only way you will find that perfect fit. Don't think you have to be a pro in 6 weeks, 6 months or 6 years because the journey is never predetermined and expertise is ever growing. 

The last thing is to never question your talent. If you truly love something, and you certainly know when you are crazy in love with something, you will be good at it because you then are willing to do the work to keep improving and evolving. That evolution will give you your own voice and signature creativity. Don't think that you aren't good enough or will never be good enough because I guarantee you will. It's the unabated passion that will drive you on and keep you focused and never let you question your talent!

La Petite Fleurs

Got this project back from the framers on Monday and they just wowed me with the great job they did. Of course a photo cannot do this piece justice but it is a good try.

La Petite Fleurs, framed. The photo makes it look
off-white but the mat and frame is a nice bright
white and I'm glad I opted for the custom mat.

Star Maiden

I had to rip the corona stitches out because I just wasn't happy with it. I came up with something different and will get to stitching it up either today or tomorrow. I have learned that when it comes to the quality of my pieces not to settle for less than the very best possible work I can produce.

Until next week, Keep Creating and Stay Safe!

October Update 10-7-20

Hello all my lovelies out there in stitching land! Here in Oklahoma we are enjoying the most awesome fall weather. The trees are just beginning to turn colors and the temps are in the high 70's and low 80's. Such a great time of year.

14 COUNT AIDA 

Last time I talked about ordering white 14 ct. Aida cloth from Michael's and I got the order within a week. Let's talk about this cloth.

First of all, I look for a tight weave. A loose weave will have larger holes in it that are easily pulled and distorted. Not a big deal so much if you are only using, say, two or three strands of cotton floss or a thick strand of wool. The thickness of the fiber will fill the holes enough where they will not have to be pulled tightly. However, if you are using other fibers, such as metallics or silks, where they do have to be pulled tighter to lay flat, larger woven holes are going to get even larger. Note too that if you are adding a large amount of glass beads or crystals, they are quite heavy if grouped together and also will distort your holes. Actually, any heavy embellishment can do it. Rule of thumb is to get the best quality heavy fabric you can find and afford because no matter what you are stitching on it, it will help you produce the best quality work possible. It's like the difference between using Crayola color pencils and Faber-Castell color pencils, they will both do the job but they will not have the same results.

My recent purchase of larger sized Charles Craft
14 ct. white Aida cloth from Michael's. Great price
and quick delivery made a great experience.

SIZE MATTERS 

I learned the hard way that it is a disaster when you have worked a design and then not have enough material for a border sufficient to get it framed or mounted in some way. The rule of thumb is a three inch border around the design size and mine will have four inches sometimes just to be on the safe side.

STAR MAIDEN UPDATE 

Work on Star Maiden is coming along. I am stitching around the corona a second time with a heavier Kreinik metallic so there is nothing to really show right now. Once I start the embellishments on the corona I will show more pictures. Because the Kreinik I am using is wrapped around a small spool, it is curly as heck and really knots up easily which causes delays. The fiber itself is just gorgeous though. 

APPLE CRISTP 

I made the apple crisp recipe I talked about last time and it turned out great! It was easy and delicious. Here is the recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229088/apple-crisp-with-oat-topping/ 

Six cut-up Jonathan apples.

Easy Apple Crisp is perfect with a dollop of 
vanilla ice cream and the aroma throughout the
house of cinnamon and brown sugar was heavenly.

THOUGHTS ON OCTOBER AND HALLOWEEN-MOVIES AND BOOKS AND TRICK OR TREATING

October, for me, is the month for horror and mystery reads. I recently re-read the "Dunwich Horror" by H.P. Lovecraft which is a great read for two reasons: the story itself is a great example of the genre and secondly the writer is just a great writer. The short read I just finished up yesterday was "The Haunting of Owensboro Mansion" by Carrie Bates via Amazon Kindle. It was a good short story and even though the elements are a rehash of often used devices, it kept my attention and did not contain anything of a gory or sordid nature. I will probably try another of her books in the future to truly get an idea of her style. I have also been working on another book that I really am enjoying but it is lengthy and not something you can breeze through called "The Essex Serpent" by Sarah Perry. This is an intriguing book and Sarah is a very good writer. The characters are very well developed and the mystery of whether there is a serpent in the water or not is only part of the mystery that carries you along its pages. I am about half through it and hope I can get it finished. or close to it, in the next week or so.

I really, really love Halloween because of trick or treating. I look forward every year to seeing all the kiddos in their wonderful costumes, homemade and bought. However, for the very first time in over 40 years we will not be handing out treats and it breaks my heart. Right now it is just too risky with COVID and so after discussing the pros and cons with my husband we thought it was the best decision for us and our costumed visitors. 

And what's Halloween without a scary movie? Well, I am the only one brave enough in our family to watch them. I'm not a fan of slasher films with gratuitous gore but I can put up with it as long as it's not the primary story line. For instance, the Halloween series, I mean really, c'mon folks, the laws of physics and reason can only be stretched so far and then it just becomes a failed joke. I am hoping on Halloween there will be something worth watching on TV after my hubby goes to bed. That is if I am not too tired too! LOL!

More to come next time and as always, Keep Creating! And Stay Safe!

Debbie

OCTOBER

It's easy to see the changing of the seasons but have you ever smelled it? I know this sounds crazy but as soon as October hits, I can not only see the changing season but I can smell it too. The air is different somehow, not crisper, because here in Oklahoma October usually stays pretty warm, but a drier kind of smell filled with nature drying up and going to bed for the winter. Since burning leaves is not allowed within most city limits you don't get to smell that as often but when my husband and I go motorcycle riding, you can smell it in the country air. That is one of my favorites!

Speaking of motorcycle riding, I may be taking a little more time away from stitching because fall is the perfect riding weather before it gets too cold. 

With the start of fall I thought it would be fun to talk about some fall projects. There are two Mill Hill kits that are languishing that I am dying to start and finish. I love Mill Hill Kits and their kits are great to learn on. I learned many things from doing their kits, especially beading. Don't pass up an opportunity to try one of them out if you get the chance, particularly their earlier ones.

I don't know if I will get to them because I have to continue working on Star Maiden, especially since I stepped away from it for about a week because my carpal tunnel was acting up. I especially would like to get the "Family Frolic" completed and turn it into a box-it. I can then show you how to do those too!

Cooking is another distraction I like to do in the fall. I hate heating up my kitchen in the summer but love baking in the fall. I found an apple crisp recipe I want to make and if it is a success I'll share it with you. Apples and cinnamon are the scents of autumn as far as I'm concerned. I have never cooked so much as I have since COVID started here in March. I'm still working on the perfect meatloaf but got the perfect stew down!

I have also been neglecting my online book club and need to get busy reading. Right now I am reading a book appropriate for October, it's about a haunted manor house. It's a new author and the book is a quick read so we'll see if I will want to read any more of her work when I'm done with this one.  More on that next time. 

I did finally find some Charles Craft better quality 14 ct. Aida in a decent size for my work from Michaels. I also had an order for some Etoile from DMC and after a month emailed them this week and found out it had been misplaced and they were going to process it immediately. All this time I thought it was a delay because of COVID. I'm glad it was just to replace what I used and not that I needed to continue working. 

What are you working on? What is your favorite time of year to stitch, cook, read? I'd love to find out so let me know. 

Until next time, Keep Creating!

Debbie