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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Embroidery for ABC Wednesday

ABC WEDNESDAY ROUND 6: Exciting Stuff!

E is for Embroidery

I was seven and anxious to begin my first embroidery piece because falling rain dampened my enthusiasm for playing outdoors which was my first choice.

I shook my head when Mom suggested that I change out of my Sunday go-to-church dress and began the tedious work of creating a charming butterfly skimming the surface of brightly yarned flowers from a thin blue outline of those elegant images.

I stubbornly refused to heed Mom's suggestion to take a break and kept stitching, stitching, stitching. I wanted to finish this piece so I could start another.

Ah! At last it was complete! TA-DA! I stood up. The butterfly, flowers and the embroidery hoop remained in place. The entire project was now sewn to my dress.

Embroidery never again held the same thrill.  Surely I'm not the only one this has happened to?

 
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38 comments:

Sylvia K said...

What a great story/memory! Thanks for sharing that -- and it's perfect for the day! Hope you have a great week!

Sylvia

Anna said...

Enjoyed hearing about your early experiences of embroidery. I've always been adverse to picking up a needle so no danger of it ever happening to me :)

Mara said...

I can honestly say that has never happened to me. But that has more to do with the fact that I don't do embroidery. I'll ask my sister though...

anthonynorth said...

A great memory, though I can guarantee I never embroidered anything to a dress :-)

Stan Ski said...

I suppose that once youv'e done it, you're ready for the next challenge.

photowannabe said...

Oh my, I do feel for you. Talk about putting a damper on things. I loved crewel embroidery but knitting had the same effect on me as your embroidery did on you. I knit so tight I could never get the yarn off the needles and gave up as totally hopeless.

spiritsoflena said...

That was a funny story! Very entertaining.

Beverley Baird said...

Love your story! Great E post!
I can remember having to trim a blouse I was making and my mother warned me but I went ahead and when I opened up the top I had cut a hole in the top of the blouse. It was ruined and I was in tears.
My Mom ended up remaking the blouse to where I had made the error and had me redo what I should have done! Good lesson.

Hildred said...

Oh Life's little stresses. I hope it didn't put you off embroidery forever.

Great post for E and a nice humorous memory, - from this distance in time.

mia said...

ahhh...always listen to mama...
esp. when it involves sewing,
cooking and men.

dianasfaria.com said...

that is a really cute story. frustrating at the time but a great memory nonetheless!
& yes I am sure I have done something very similar to that...
; )

shraddha said...

very nice story!!
i enjoyed this!

Wanda said...

What a delightful story. It was a fun read, and a good "E".

Reader Wil said...

That was a great story, but for you a lot of work to unstitch the embroidery, I guess! Thanks for telling this memory.

Tash said...

Terrific story...I didn't predict the ending. I recall having sewn something onto a dress, but not so much hard work. :)

Rune Eide said...

So much for Enthusiasm for Embroidery :-)

Gerald (SK14) said...

ah the enthusiasm of youth - great story

Irene said...

Embroidery work is so precious and personal. Thanks for sharing your memory.

Jay said...

Haha! No indeed! Not that I sewed anything to my Sunday dress, but I certainly have sewed things to my clothes before now!

On behalf of the team, thank you for taking part in ABC Wednesday this week! :)

jabblog said...

This really made me laugh - I relate to it, having sewn myself to various projects, though not quite as thoroughly as you did! It's a shame it deterred you from further attempts, though.

Anonymous said...

Oh poor sweetheart! I love embroidery, do it a lot, but nope, never done this. :D

penny said...

A very memorable story about your young experience with embroidery.

Tania said...

:-) Great E!
Wish you a nice evening!

Diann said...

LOL! What a fun story! I can't begin to tell you how many times I have stiched myself to my sewing project at the time!

Have a wonderful day!

LeAnn said...

Brings back great memories do when I learned to do the same. Thanks!

Loretta Markell said...

Yep. The same thing happened to me at about the same age. It made me laugh to remember. Thanks.

Joy said...

Very funny, I would have loved to see your face, but that would require a time machine.
I haven't embroidered for years but I used to love how it gradually took shape.

Unknown said...

I used to do that to try to be more girlish.
Can you believe that? lol
Wonderful ABC WEDNESDAY's post.
Mine is
http://justmeshakirack.blogspot.com/2010/02/abc-wednesday-e-for-exceptional.html
hugs
shakira

Amy said...

Great "e" choice - like Sue (Photowannabe), I've always been partial to crewel and allergic to knitting. Needlework can be relaxing; especially in front of TV!

LisaF said...

I do remember embroidery hoops and learning all the stitches...and securely stitching a design to myself. Thanks for the memory laugh and for your comments on my Es! Yes, we could all use an estival eoan now. Soon.

Jama said...

I used to enjoy doing embroidery as a child, but as I grew up, I lost touch with it. I rather crochet than do sewing.

kat said...

great memory...you still remember those. well, i don't have a talent on embroidery hehe.

Thanks for the visit and comment anyway.

Have a great day.

SparkleFarkel said...

Delightful "E" trip down memory lane! P.S. Did your mom have your entire handiwork framed?

Gattina said...

Not me ! I hated broderie because I have no patience at all !

Troy said...

You alway manage to paint a picture, with far less than 1,000 words.

I could feel your frustration, right along with you, as I read the final sentence.

Great post!

Kristy Worden said...

OMG that's hilarious! Can't say that happened to me, but I did sew through my thumb with a sewing machine once... does that count?

Roger Owen Green said...

I swore I'd left a message before; ah well. Not in my skill set at all. But wish I were more dextrous.

dana said...

Thanks for making me laugh today! Perfect 'E' post!