I have finished Guardian Spirit!!! I can't believe it!! But look: There she is in all her splendor. It still hasn't sunk in that she's done.
Finishing this piece was an absolute nightmare straight from Hades. First, I ran out of the red thread I needed to finish the border around her head. I had to rummage through my DMC stash to find a similar color, with which I stitched the bottom half of the Xs, and then went over them with the correct strand of color. It's not perfect, but I was a stubborn mule and wanted to finish the project last night, so it'll have to do. Also, last night I got a cramp in my arm which made stitching that much harder, and then I got so sleepy and exhausted that I had to leave it until today to finish it, when I only had a small section to go! Insert creative frustration here.
But I did finish it, and it was awesome, and also can we pause a second to appreciate the neatest back that I have ever been able to do?
And also one of my cats getting curious during the washing process:
With this piece, I've realized that I really do have a creative process. Let's recap it here, shall we?
Robin's Creative Process
- Excitement at starting a new project
- Contentment as I fall into rhythm with the project and see it coming to life
- Complete and utter hate & contempt for no other reason that the project seems endless and I will scream if I have to add another stitch to it
- Awe and amazement when it is done and I realize I've made a beautiful thing
What can I say? Stitchers be crazy. Here are some more detailed pictures:
If you're still reading this, thank you! I'll be back next time with my next project for Phase One: Excitement! Until then, I'd love to hear of your own creative process. I hope you're all well and happy crafting, thank you as always for your comments, and see you next time :)
Wow, she's beautiful! I can smell your smoking needles from here! I'm not sure about a creative process. I haven't done anything like Guardian I.e. nearly full coverage and lots of back stitch. I do start something with lots of enthusiasm, halfway in I either set it aside or get tunnel vision to the point of staying up all hours stitching because I smell a finish. That might be the nicest back I've ever seen! Looking forward to your next project:)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness you are so right about getting tunnel vision!! The obsession is real. I'm glad you shared that and that I'm not the only one lol. And wow thanks for the compliment on the back, it means a lot! Hope you're having a great week :)
DeleteCongratulations on your Guardian Spirit! She is stunning, Robin. And the backside is incredible. Hmm, creative process! I do get excited about new starts. If it is for a gift, then I think about the recipient as I stitch. If it is for me, my mind tends to wander all over. I look forward to seeing what your next project will be!
ReplyDeleteThank you Robin!! And high praise indeed about the back, thank you :) how nice to hear that you think of the recipient as you stitch... That's probably the best thing about making handcrafted gifts, isn't it? It's a lovely thought! I hope you have a great weekend :)
DeleteI'm truly amazed at how quickly you finished this, Robin! I think it would have taken me a full year :) An impressive back as well, but the front is amazing! I had to laugh at you describing how you stretched your red threads as I have done the same thing at times--just have to finish and finish right now!! Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteMy creative process is much the same as yours for a bigger project. For a small one (which is mostly what I do, I don't have that "hate and contempt" stage as it is finished within a few days :) Perhaps that is why I stitch mostly small things, but I think a lot of it has to do with my age. There are just so many things I want to stitch that I tend to do 10 small things rather than one large. I know I'll never live long enough to stitch even a tenth of what is in my stash :)
Hope you have a lovely week ahead! ♥
Thanks Carol! I'm glad I'm not the only one who tried something crazy to finish a project lol. It's true that stitching small projects has its advantages, I'm glad you skip the whole hate & contempt stage :D I hope your week was good xx Robin
DeleteCongratulations on finishing Guardian Spirit! It is really a beautiful piece! Have you decided on the finishing? I'm sure you're going to enjoy having it displayed in your home! I'm also impressed with how quickly you completed such a large piece (and the back looks so neat, too!)
ReplyDeleteI also get very excited to start something new and really enjoy focusing on it, but I often also like to have more than one project to work on at a time, so I can decide which one to work on. I love stitching seasonal pieces, but right now I'm working on a new baby sampler for my goddaughter's baby, so I'm excited to finish it and be able to give it to her.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you choose next! Hope you're having a good week!
Mary
Thank you Mary! :D I want to frame it in a dark wood frame probably, but I will haven't had the time to go look for one. I admire those of you who can focus on more than one project at a time lol, and what a wonderful thing to do for your goddaughter's baby, I'm sure she will love it! I hope you're having a great week xx Robin
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