Succumbed Again!

As a child I loved creating things with my hands.  One year as a Christmas present, I asked for and received a "paint by number" kit (not sure how creative that could be labeled) and then spent about a week only looking at it as I didn't want to actually use the paints and canvas . . . because then too soon they would be used up and gone.  (How's that for a warped sense of psyche?)

Aaanywho, my love of creating is still very strong and there are few kinds of handwork I don't have an urge to try.

You must understand that only a short time ago I had given myself a couple of lectures on how, perhaps/maybe/probably, I should limit myself to just one choice of handwork so I could actually get more completed and, therefore, feel a real sense of satisfaction.  You know, instead of having several (way too many) projects going at once, but feeling as though I completed very few.  I should, I reasoned, confine my endeavors to only knitting.  Or quilting.  Or cross-stitching.  Or what about my rug making?

Then, dang and drat, that funny, whacky, lovable blogger Susan wrote a post convincing me it was alright to try new things (even though one might have six or seven "new" things currently underway) and it was alright to purchase new supplies for a new handicraft even though one might already have twenty years (or so) of yet-to-be-used supplies stuffed into every nook and cranny available within the confines of one's home.  And out buildings.  And rental units (Kidding.)

So what did I do?  Of course, I ordered some supplies for wool applique.  Which I've been keeping myself from trying for way too long.  (Thanks, Susan.  I'm holding you completely responsible for any direction in which this leads me.)

How do I like my new endeavor?  Love it.  But then I've always enjoyed embroidery.  (Who else's husband had embroidery all over the collar, across the back yoke and down the front of his work shirts in the 1970s?)  And embroidery does, indeed, come into play with wool applique.  

Here's my first attempt.  A bit of a learning curve to it all, but I'm willing to continue navigating it.

I took the basic idea from this design . . . 

. . . in this book I ordered.

Lots of blanket stitching.

And French knots.

And a couple other stitches I need to brush up on.

I would rather have had a large piece of felted wool on which to mount my little leaf/heart/flower design thingie, but didn't.

Next stop, our local second-hand resale shop to look through their fabric bins.  Wanna come along, Susan?  No telling what goodies you might find!