Creating Something from Nothing

I've always liked creating something from nothing. Maybe that's why I enjoy writing so much. I start with a blank screen and then start typing. I have crates of all my hobbies, and they range from sewing all the way up to working with wood. I have sewn formal dresses for myself and friends, put together terra cotta pots in the shape of a horse for the yard and even created a wood deck for my above ground pool following a set of plans I bought online.

I have to say one of my favorite hobbies is cross stitch. It's a bit like writing, where you start with a blank canvas and then slowly fill it in. Not only that but since cross stitch is an inside hobby, I can relax in the A/C instead of sweating under the hot sun.

I have created some beautiful art over the decades including one based on a photo of me and my mother. That is probably one of my favorites and is currently on the wall of her home. It took months for me to finish it, and I worked nonstop due to it being a birthday present for her. It's really neat how it's obviously cross stitch up close but looks like a photo when viewing from a distance, and yes, it really does look like us. I liked it so much that I even bought software to convert my own photos into cross stitch patterns. Saves on the cost of having someone else do it.

There was a time that I did so much cross stitch, that I filled half a dozen craft boxes with every shade of DMC floss available. In fact I still have them, along with all my unfinished projects. I tried to find a few of my completed projects but had no luck. Most of them have been given away as gifts and others are stored in the backyard shed.

I remember all the time it took me to wind each packet of DMC floss onto the cardboard square. Instead of writing the number at the top, I would cut it from the wrapper and tape it there. The hundreds of floss squares are in numerical order in each box with the range of numbers written on the lid. Yes, I'm a very organized person.

I have a smaller craft box where I would temporarily move the ones I needed for a current project, so they would be easy to find when I needed them. I'd also include a pair of foldable scissors, so I was always ready to get started. The photo above contains the DMC floss of the last project I started and haven't yet finished.

My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, so it's a bit harder to see all those tiny boxes, but I still get a kick out of seeing the pattern come to life. It's not only a great way to while away the hours but also a way to escape life's daily struggles. This takes such concentration, there's no room to think about anything else. I do love my escapes and is another reason I love writing, too.

The kit above is my current project. I love that it has charms that are added to give it a 3D appearance. She really is quite beautiful, isn't she? And that dress is the reason I fell in love with it. I do love blue! I've been working on and off on this for years. I've recently moved, so nothing is where it should be. As soon as I find it, I'll be sure to do a bit more work on her. Wish me luck on finally finishing.

If you're curious about any of my other unfinished projects, here are a few of them. The Bride was my favorite until I found the Sorceress above.

The hardest part about this is that I selected a cloth that didn't have the grid, which makes it easier to know where to make the X stitch. So it took a lot of concentration to make sure I counted the threads accurately. Any mistakes had to be taken out and redone.

I also realized there wasn't enough blue, so I decided to change all the white trim to royal blue. You can see where I started making the substitution in my work in progress below. All the dark blue is white thread in the original.

I hope to one day be able to finish her, but I have several of these types of projects. One thing I have learned though, and that's to stop starting new projects before first finishing the one I'm working on.

Lastly, here is one that is almost done, but I lost interest when it came to the edges. I could frame it right now, which I'll probably end up doing. I can't imagine I'll ever finish this, though I might fill in a few of the gaps in the lake.

Well, I should probably finish some of the tree's leaves too. The thing I enjoy the most is creating something beautiful or breathtaking. It is pretty amazing taking simple thread and making something awesome.

All these projects have been created using DMC floss.