Thursday, November 06, 2008

Writing and Stitching

Stitching and writing. I love November, it's nanowrimo. This is the first year I've officially participated. Other years I'm just kind of writing along but this year I'm writing outloud so to speak, at least with my word count. I should be at 8,000 something words and I'm up to 5,139. A little behind where I should be at this point but I'm into my story and honestly don't want to stop writing. Don't know if it's good, but writing it is making me happy so there's that.

Stitching--I want to write about cross stitch too. My friend Elaine passed away unexpectedly Oct. 18. I haven't written about her because, well, I guess the shock of it all. But I'm getting ready to start Jane Atkinson-Scarlet Letter and the DMC I'm using is DMC that was gifted to me by Elaine. Elaine knew that I used tons of DMC, I love the overdyes but the fact is, DMC is my friend. At a stitching weekend one year she brought me a tall kitchen garbage bag stuffed full of DMC. She had been gifted with about 5 skeins of every color so she gifted me with a skein of each color. The fabric I'm using was purchased with a gift certificate from Nordic Needle from my friends Sharon and the blogless Siobhan at a very sad time in my life, so Jane will be a very special piece for me. Stitching her with materials provided by my stitching sisters. Each X on Jane will remind me of how connected we all are, even if the connections are created at first by a machine, the computer, we become sisters in real life, and every day I am so thankful for my stitching friends and so aware of the void that is left when one passes from this world to another. I know that if there is a Heaven Elaine is looking down shaking her head and thinking to herself that Melissa is starting one more BAP that she will never finish. So all is as it should be here on Planet Earth.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry about your friend and hope you find comfort in stitching Jane in her memory.

Anonymous said...

Awww, Melissa, that is such a lovely post. I know Elaine is up in heaven smiling, glad that you're using that DMC! Big hugs, gf. And best of luck with the writing!

Janine said...

Hi Melissa, I am so sorry to hear about your friend. You are right. The hand dyes are lovely but DMC is also fantastic to stitch with.
My son is also participating in the writing thing. He is keeping up with it as far as I know. He is 15 and loves to write. He wants to do that at Uni when he goes.
Janine

Kathy said...

Sorry to hear about your friend. Did you know there are such things as grief samplers. In the early years they stitched samplers in honor of someone lost as a way to get through the greiving process. This could be your grief sampler. Best of luch with it. I know your friend is pleased that you are using her thread.