Saturday, May 16, 2009

Hand: My Idea of an "Easy" Embroidery Swap

Though I told myself I wasn't going to take part in another Craftster.org swap for a while, I couldn't resist when I saw the Embroider Me to Sleep Pillowcase Swap. I've never taken part in a straight-up stitchin' swap, and I'd never tried embroidering on pillowcases. So, naturally I had to do it!

It was designed to be a mellow, low-pressure swap. Just a pair of pillowcases, maybe an add-on, if you felt like it. Just some relaxing stitching.

Uh huh. This is me we're talking about. I can complicate anything. And I mean anything. Including what was supposed to be a mellow crafting swap.

My lovely swap partner, Melyssa_Marie, had a good list of things she loved, and would be fun to stitch. What stood out to me was her adoration of Dia de los Muertos sugar skulls. Since I'd been sitting on Sublime Stitching's "Dia de los Muertos" pattern set for nearly a year, I jumped at the chance to stitch up some festive calavera-themed pillowcases:



Six skulls and four flowers. A pair of eco-friendly bamboo pillowcases. Nine different colors of floss. 64 hand-sewn sequins. And 12 cheesy-ass episodes of Xena: The Warrior Princess. That's what went into this project.

Easy!





I was actually sad to send these away, I was so proud of them. But, the thing I forget in the heat of creating for a swap is that I get something in return...and I was not disappointed when I tore into my package from Melyssa_Marie:



She stitched me a pair of lovely custom-designed pillowcases inspired by -- wait for it -- the tissue paper flowers used to decorate Dia de los Muertos altars. What's that people say about great minds thinking alike?



I truly love the color composition and the clean simplicity of the lines. So unlike my own stitching style. They're made all the more awesome by Mel having designed them herself. I am very happy indeed.

So, now I return to my swapping hiatus. I have a big project that's been put on the backburner for the swap that I want to make some headway on, and a new cross stitch quote my fingers have been itchin' to stitch. I'm hoping for a creative, stress-free summer, and hopefully this'll be the ticket.

4 comments:

Dana said...

Those are amazing pillowcases - both sets! It's sad that they can't live at the same house, since they're so obviously in tune with one another.

Or maybe I should stop giving pillowcases feelings.

Sherezada said...

No, I think you're on the right track. I think the cases passed each other in the mail, grasping to hold on, and then slipped away like ships in the night. *sniffle* It was a love that was never meant to be.

Dana said...

Star-crossed pillowcases! How tragic!

melyssa_marie said...

Hahaha! Such a deep connection amongst four otherwise unassociated plain fabric sacks. I'm glad you liked the cases I sent you Sherezada, swap anxiety always gets the best of me!!! Do you own any of those bamboo cases for yourself? If not, get some. SO comfortable!