CURVE BALL!!!

These BLOG posts reveal a lot about moi. Personality, life, struggles, triumphs, experiences, thoughts.

Yup. You got the gist.

Cool.  :)

Today, it may surprise you to know about one of my lifelong passions. It's been with me for most of my life. Stress relief, beauty, meditation, creativity. Very fulfilling in multiple levels. This obsession or hobby or whatever, just does wonderful things for me. It was counter - productive to being fit, healthy in body. It contributed to weight gain, living very sedentary, while feeding my spirit. It also fulfilled my driving creativity, a desire to create beauty while crafting beautiful gifts for loved ones as well as making pleasing decor in the home I was enjoying so much.

A quintessential domestic goddess! Hah! So cliche'!

In life, today, I feel 1/2 of my peace through Yoga & cardio.

The other half is through doing intricate needlework. Not the needlework you might think, though. Today's needlework designers are multi million dollar entrepreneurs who have trillions of fans & followers world wide. If someone lets themselves get carried away, it can become very pricey. There are fine linens from Germany, France, Italy & Japan. Many savvy needleworkers have begun to buy these fabrics that are $75. - $200. per yard, then custom dye & custom paint the fabrics, turn around & sell them in smaller pieces for $45. - $100. per piece. This would make a yard of custom fabric profit to the tune of $500. and up! As a pairing, many entrepreneurial women are buying embroidery threads, flosses, silk fibers in their natural state for, let's say around $20. for a 50 yard length. They hand paint these beautiful fibers of linen, cotton or silk, give them enticing names such as, Tahitian Sunset, Lavender Bliss, Spruce, Rose Petal, Silver sunset. The fibers are absolutely gorgeous - and expensive! The silks sell for more, the cotton and linen fibers sell for $3.- $6. per 2 yard increment. 

It drives needleworkers into a fever when they see or hear about a gorgeous needlework design that they absolutely must have!!!!!!

Guess what? There are guys & girls enraptured in this, world wide!

There are stitching cruises, conventions, exclusive designs ONLY offered to those who go on the cruise or at the convention.

There are needlework shops that are considered a Mecca for needleworkers, such as Shepherds Bush in Ogden, Utah. I have been extremely fortunate to have gone there 4 times! The first time, I was in there for 8 hours. The second time, 9 hours. There are millions of intricate needlework designs, small & simple ones, many out of print designs, needlework kits with everything included except the frame & the time. It's ideal to take on a trip by plane or by car or really, just ideal as it has everything needed! 

There is so much more.

Many designers chart their designs incorporating tiny beads, silk ribbon, hand painted charms, sometimes glass charms made exclusively for the design as well as for the designer. They will sell the design for, usually $23. including what is called the "embellishment pack." That is, the correct number of beads, ribbon, silk, cotton, linen or metallic fibers needed to complete the design.

Metallic fibers?

That's a whole 'nother vat of fabric dye. :)

There are metallic fibers in as many colors, thicknesses, textures, varying brightness as one could ever imagine. After all, when a designer charts a masterpiece of a mermaid or merman, what could be more beautiful? I'll tell ya what! A beautiful shimmering blue, aqua or even purple or maroon mer-tail that actually sparkles. 

Even more?

A mer-person surrounded by beautiful teeny tiny sparkling beaded bubbles, treasures from a shipwreck in the form of silver, gold or painted charms to add dimension. White pearl sparkling fine metallic thread blended with fine white silk to create the beauty of a bridal veil the mermaid found herself enchanted by, wrapping herself in it, dreaming of the handsome ships captain.

See?

Doesn't this just sound so exquisite?

I once, spent almost 2 years, stitching just such a beautiful mermaid for a loved one. It still hangs in her bedroom, directly across from her headboard of her bed. It's the first thing she sees every morning.

Needlework was my passion, my obsession for many years. When living in Hawai'i, I found beautiful designs of island flowers, majestic scenery of landmarks, mountains & monuments.

In Germany, the birthplace of Berlin Woolwork, the German magazines on stands in the grocers stores were filled with beautiful needlework patterns that had been around for centuries. Also, many newer ones. Kaiserslautern had a needlework shop where I was on a first name basis with the shop owner. That is HUGE, as German people are more formal about friendship & how they address each other.

In France, I found beautiful French needlework patterns in magazines at grocery stores. When I took my 2 daughters, then, age 9 and 12, to Paris for a long weekend, we were in Reims, France on a stopover. My intuition is quite sharp. I swear, I could almost smell the sweet scent of needlework fabric, patterns & fiber in the air! I followed the intuition. FOUND IT! I was in heaven! I only bought 1 pattern book & some really pleasing silk emb. floss.

It was a dream come true, for me. A long weekend in Paris, France, with my 2 darling daughters. Watching their reactions as we strolled through the Louvre, eating French cuisine in a 200 year old wine cellar converted into a restaurant, only lit by candle light. Hearing the excitement & wonder, when they came back to me after going to the top of the Tour d'Eiffel. Eiffel Tower. LOL! Greeting them with chocolates I had bought, earlier, to further cement the extraordinary adventure in their sweet memory of it.

The icing on the cake for moi ~ finding a french needlework shop just around the corner from the Reims Cathedral. 

Speaking fluent French as well as fluent German helped a lot!

There is a very beautiful needlework technique known as Hardanger embroidery. Let me tell ya....it looks intimidating! It definitely intimidated me, game on! I couldn't find anyone who knew how to do it, who would teach me. As a theme throughout life, for moi, I had to teach myself. 

I bought a German magazine for 3 DM ($1. 72) with diagrams as well as words, showing how to work the fibers with the linen to create the intricate design. One evening, the kiddos were occupied enough that I could sit on my bed with the door open, to try to teach myself Hardanger embroidery. I sat there for 4 hours, making mistakes, correcting the mistakes, re-doing stitches, ripping those out, re-doing what I had re-done 4 times or more. It was time for jammies, prayer & bedtime stories for the kiddos. Had to stop.

It took 3 more of these sessions, if you will, to learn this wonderful needlework technique! My first project was a small Christmas ornament, as the season was approaching. It was a start. Ex huzz hated my needlework. He hated my enthusiasm at learning a new technique, even more. His biting criticism would not steal my joy!

Upon moving to Howard AFB, Republic of Panama, I found needlework magazines with patterns equally beautiful to the European ones, with a different flavor. They were also much lower in price! I was absolutely enchanted with every new discovery!

Speaking Spanish, fluently helped a lot! The Panamanians were so surprised to see a green eyed, blond gringa speaking perfect Spanish! Oh, what fun it was to walk around, hearing them talk about me, in Spanish, understanding every word, they never knew!

With the internet, where so many needlework supplies can be ordered so easily. Specialized sites that have so many patterns which can be printed for free or a nominal fee, it's a wonderful time to be a needleworker!

Tonight, I will treat myself to an evening of indulging in my secondary passion. A gift, for a dear friend whose birthday is happening soon.

What is your passion?

You can have more than one!

I probably have over 100!

Having indulged in a 3 hour workout, I'll enjoy some needlework.

So, again, what is your passion?

Life is meant to be enriching & enjoyable.

Find your passion.

GO!