Are your kids as obsessed with umbrellas as mine are!?
Both of mine have been drawn to umbrellas like a moth to a porch light. I’m not sure I get the fascination with them. I mean, I admit, I enjoy an umbrella on a rainy day. Who doesn’t!? But, I don’t know if I would take my daily nap under one…in my bed. (Jackson loved to do that when he was little.) And, as you can see from my layout, the umbrellas don’t have the best survival rate in this house.
I jumped on the photo op when Drew decided to see how his umbrella would fair against the wind. My title says it all…the wind won that battle.
I took the opportunity to have a little fun with the theme and my title and incorporate my own windy designs. I enjoy drawing and creating my own stitching designs and this theme was the perfect opportunity.
I drew the little flourishes with a pencil first. Whenever I add stitching to my layouts, I always start from a pencil line. Starting from a pencil line/drawing lets you get a little preview before you start piercing holes. This way you can get a good look and decide whether you like the design or not. I highly recommend this because once those holes are pierced, there’s no turning back!
After I have decided that I like the design, I start piercing the holes. Whenever I’m creating a design with a curve to it, I like to keep my holes close. Not so close that you’ll tear the paper between holes, but close enough that you end up with a fluid curve. Usually about 1/8” will do it. The good thing is that the cardstock we typically use for our pages is pretty sturdy so as long as you are careful when pulling the thread through the page, you shouldn’t have to worry about those possible tears between holes.
The next step is to erase the pencil lines before you start stitching. It isn’t always necessary, but I like to do it just to build the habit. It’s hard to go back and erase a pencil line that might be peeking out under your finished stitching. Plus, lighter colored threads will pick up the pencil markings and end up looking dirty.
After all that, it’s time to start stitching!
One big reason stitching it one of my favorite design elements is that I can create pretty much anything with stitching. It’s the one element that I can bend and curve and straighten and color to fit anything I need. I can create my own designs. I can use it with a template. I can use it on a die cut. I can pretty much do whatever I can dream up. There aren’t many crafty supplies that you can do all that with.
What is your favorite go-to supply for creating?