After spending some time with the manuscript - and running into mental walls and dead ends - I picked up the stitch and decided on the passage, line and colors I wanted.
I wanted the thread to be substantial, but blend, I mixed three strands of machine rayon and one of the 12wt cotton. Experience said they would not play nicely, but I ignored that even as they fought me at the round-eyed needle. I finally had to switch to an embroidery needle even though the rayon is thin as hair.
First pass = a nasty backside nest. "STOP NOW! and go upstairs and get the damn thread magic.
Once the thread was dressed properly, stitching smoothed out.
There was no TV or background music. My hands were busy with what was now a rote task with little course corrections and design considerations happening in small bursts without interference from cranky thread.
The revelation came when I started thinking about the story again. Missing pieces materialized. Emotions came clean, reactions true. Details sharpened the reality. I put down the cloth and went back to the little wireless keyboard that hooks to my tablet. Wrote for a while and went back to stitching.
And here I thought I was going to have to drive across country to get this book finished.
5 comments:
Brilliant going from stitch to write to stitch to write again.
Perfect method for fleshing out something that wants to talk.
Love it! Thread meditation... great way to clear the clutter of the mind, huh?
Amazing where inspiration and clarity come from!
I always keep my journal right next to me as I stitch.
xo
It's nice when they happens isn't it? I got some lines while out with the dog today. Still didn't get enough done though.
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