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Why Do You Cross Stitch?written by Pam Cirincione (aka Sleepy)Recently my husband and I took our two sons to visit his brother. He and his wife had just bought a new house and we were anxious to see it and our nephew. On the first night we were there, after all of the children were tucked in, I pulled out my cross stitching. My sister-in-law was interested in what I was working on and was asking me about it when she looked at me and said, “I don’t get it. Why do you stitch? I mean, what’s the point?”
That got me thinking about it. Why do I stitch? What is the point? I’ve made beautiful things for myself and my home. I’ve made gifts for people that I believe will be treasured by the recipients and handed down to another generation. I’ve turned my cross stitching into framed pictures, mugs, blankets, quilts, wall hangings, and pillows. I’ve stitched for weddings and new babies, for birthdays and Christmas. But what I’ve done doesn’t answer the question: why do I do it? I think that when you ask any person who does any type of craft why they do it, the answers are as varied as the people you ask. My own answers vary. I suppose I could start with the fact that I enjoy it. There is a sense of rhythm when you put the needle through the fabric and pull it through. When I’m working on my stitching the baby is in for a nap or it’s after both of the boys are in bed for the night. It’s my time. Aside from my cross stitching, I’m not a very artistic person. I can’t draw or paint. This is my creative release. I can stitch something and turn it into anything I can imagine. I read once that Michelangelo used to say that when he got a block of marble to carve that the figures were already there, breathing and waiting for him to set them free. He could do anything with that block of marble. I take a leaflet, some floss, and a piece of fabric and I can see what I want it to become. It’s there waiting for me to stitch it. So why do I cross stitch? I cross stitch because it’s a hobby that I can do for me and share with others. When I stitch a gift for someone, every little x I make is full of love for that person, be it a new baby or an old friend. When I stitch something for myself I can display it proudly and say, “I made it.” I cross stitch because it helps me relax. Sometimes I stitch for my own piece of mind. I stitch for me. I think that’s the best reason of all.
Article written for
Stitching the Night Away
*Not Available for Reprint*
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