Modern Embroidery

I was recently inspired to try my hand at modern embroidery after I came across some beautiful artwork by Jessica Long of Namaste Embroidery. And now I’m hooked! (I do believe there are a couple puns in there, and I’m not going to fight it.)

I found some patterns online, picked up some basics at Michaels, and then dove into her instructional videos. Jessica Long has a great energy about her that makes her videos actually entertaining. After studying a few of these, I got to work/play.

Here is the first one of her designs that I tackled:

This hoop took FOREVER to complete, and I over-thought it every step of the way. But I learned so much about the various stitches, how best to hold the needle, the exact tension to put on the thread, and probably the most important, it doesn’t have to be perfect!

I wanted to try a slightly different color combination, so I created another hoop but amended the design a little bit:

Most recently, I created a hoop to gift to my grandmother. She’s probably the reason I got into crafting in the first place. I always saw her knitting, crocheting, and sewing, and I was fascinated at all her creations and creativity.

With each new creation, I’ve been able to relax and let my mind drift more. It’s been so cathartic…letting my fingers do the work so that my mind can wander and dream. I’m learning how to let myself play - to not worry so much about getting the stitches perfect or to overthink how all the colors will look together - and just enjoy.