The Colour Collaborative: September



 Stitched

I was a little bit surprised, given how many times I've typed the words 'stitch' in my blogging life, to find that the stitches I think of when I hear the word aren't crochet stitches, or even knit stitches.  Before either of those, my first thought is of sewn stitches.

The needle and thread, the act of fabric being pierced by a sharp point and the thread drawn through behind it.  For some reason, that's just 'stitched' more than any other type of stitch is stitched.  How strange that I should feel that to be true.  I use crochet stitches almost every day and knitted fabric is made up of hundreds of stitches.  Then there's the 'cramp in your side' kind and the 'fixing wounds' kind, not to mention the 'stitched up' kind and more besides.  But even so, nothing says stitched to me better than that picture up there.





When I sew I like to see the stitches in the fabric.  The lines of ditches they create in quilts, the soft wrinkled pucker of the fabric as the stitch pulls it into place.  Simple stitches are enough for me, just running lines, in and out, straight and orderly, following outlines or spelling words.  They don't need to be complicated to be beautiful.

It's true to say that I love the conformity of machine stitches, those nice, even, orderly lines, so regular, and on a good sewing day, so straight.  They appeal to the control freak side of my nature but despite that, you really can't beat the feel and rhythm of handmade stitches.  So individual, so personal, each one carefully placed, each one linked to the last and a tiny part of the whole.  Yes handmade stitches do win over their regimented brothers I think.

Maybe that's why I like them to show up against the fabric and maybe that's why I find the back of patchwork nearly as pretty as the front.  Or maybe it's just because I want everyone to see how much time it took, how many stitches I made, how hard I worked.  

Or maybe it's just because stitches make me happy. 




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Don't forget to check out the other great 'Colour Collaborative' blogs
for more of today's great posts...

Annie at Annie Cholewa
Jennifer at Thistlebear
Claire at Above the River


What is The Colour Collaborative? 
All creative bloggers make stuff, gather stuff, shape stuff, and share stuff.
Mostly they work on their own, but what happens when a group of them work together?
Is a creative collaboration greater than the sum of its parts? We think so and we hope you will too.
We'll each be offering our own monthly take on a colour related theme, and hoping that in combination 
our ideas will encourage us, and perhaps you, to think about colour in new ways.

S x




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Comments

  1. Beautifully put, Sandra!!!!!! There's a whole lot of "stitch loving" people out there but I wonder how many appreciate the humble little stitch the way you just did!!!! Have a fab weekend!!!
    Love
    AMarie
    xxx

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  2. A lovely post. I like to think a little piece of me is stitched into each stitchy project I make. It can be so calming curled up with needle & thread rather than stuck behind a machine. Providing everything goes to plan of-course!

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  3. i'm a knitter to the point of obsessive....yet, like you.....the word 'stitch' to me also means embroidery of some kind. How strange. (I had never thought about this before...you have me mulling this morning!) Lovely embroidery going on there.....for me, I love the hand work far more than the machine work!

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  4. I love hand stitching too, so rhythmic and soothing. I really like your stitched words, they're fantastic. I always think I should do something like this on the back of quilts I make but I never get round to it. You have inspired me! CJ xx

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  5. Oh yes, I couldn't agree more. You can't beat the feel of hand stitching and, like you, while i thought of crocheted and knitted stitches it was sewing that spoke loudest. The stitching you've shown us here is beautiful and the choice of colours and fabrics seems so personal to you. x

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  6. Just lovely and beautiful. I have linked to your blog in my latest blogpost. thank again for great tutorial.
    Hugs

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  7. It is funny, I think of sewn stitches too, rather than crochet stitches even though like you I crochet pretty much every day. There is something about sewing, especially hand sewing that is different than other forms of crafting isn't there. xx

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  8. Beautiful stitches!! There is something wonderful about stitching by hand! Happy autumn!! xo Heather

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  9. Your stitches make me happy too. I haven't stitched for ages and I have a head full of ideas. Jo x

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  10. Thought provoking as usual. It makes me want to pick up and sew some of that rhythmic running stitch that you talk about. I have to sat that when I saw the title for this month I also thought of sewing and at the moment I don't even sew!

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  11. Sandra, I've clicked over here to your beautiful site from Annie's beautiful site. I completely agree with you about hand stitching. Can you imagine that I still darn my favorite socks to prolong their lives?


    Best wishes from New York.

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  12. Those photos are gorgeous and I finally have color palettes that I will use for my blankets! i love your color choices and I'm always undecided about color combos but now I have a bunch! Thank you!

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