I finished the thread work on this hand embroidery project, a belted kingfisher I designed thanks to inspiration from one of our local wildlife photographers Norman Goo. But finishing the actual sewing is only part of the task. Now the art needs to be mounted and framed.
And that’s where I failed. It’s where I always fail with hand embroidery. I’m so excited about the sewing, I don’t think about where the project will end up.
Before I began, I should have purchased the frame–taken the fabric and the threads to a shop and found the size and color of the thing it would eventually be at home in. Having done that, I would size the project correctly. But no. So now I’m down to the art of the possible. What can I find that’s the right size and the right style…
I know better. Really. But then in the intoxication of the threads, and the wanting to sink into the flow, I get ahead of myself. Next time, will I do better? We shall see.
Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now 
4 responses to “Begin with the end in mind”
[…] Begin with the end in mind […]
Maybe the end in mind is outsourcing it? A friend who gets your aesthetic sensibilities who would love to help? 🙂 Also, I would imagine there’s value in seeing the finished piece to get the vibe on the frame? At any rate, it’s gorgeous and so impressive how you turned an image into a stitch pattern. It’s like a magical alchemy. Having the end in mind surely happened with that!
Reminds me of the wonderful Kingfisher House we stayed in on San Juan Island.
Thank you! I did find a frame and got the thing mounted. You are right. This kind of stitching is like alchemy. I’m always amazed how such a simple thing, a single straight stitch, can be deployed to make curving shapes.
Magnificent.