Embroidery

 

Most women my age were expected to learn a little embroidery as kids. Remember those tedious shoe lace stitching cards for toddler girls? I was a tomboy and happier running around outside or playing with animals.

It's always been considered just a feminine pastime, but embroidery is an ancient art form and has been around for 30,000 years, basically as long as humans have had fabric and leather to decorate.

Anyway, embroidery has become trendy once again. I've enjoyed doing some simple little kits that also teach you the stitches. The instructions are usually in badly translated Chinese, but there's always a nice YouTube lady to demonstrate anything to do with sewing. 

I'm partial to flower kits. Maybe because I like drawing flowers sometimes. That slightly sloppier one in the upper left corner was my first project, so guess I've gradually improved.

 

These inexpensive kits come with everything you need, and of course who cares if you take creative liberties with the colors. It takes considerable time and effort to excel at it, like anything else. 

I am not a perfectionist and there are always petty frustrations in sewing, from sticking your fingers to knotted thread. But in general, embroidery is calming and I like the way everything can be carried around in a little box. What they once called "hand work."

They say the act of embroidery, like knitting and crocheting, releases neurotransmitters that promote well-being. Making something mindfully, no matter how slowly, channels negative energy into something positive. In other words, it gives you something else to think about. And obviously good for your brain, hands and eyesight.

Well, one more hot day with this mini heat wave. You can already feel a slight change as the marine air starts to push inland. Tomorrow morning they are talking about drizzle and 20 degrees cooler.