Catch my new design in the
Etsy store! Read more about it below :)
Unexpectedly, this design
took much longer time to complete... because of traveling and
unsuccessful attempts to adapt at a new place. One of the new things
I learned about myself during the past couple of months is that it is
really difficult to pick up embroidery at a new place. Do you relate?
Well, the design is
finally finished! Better late than never, right?
There is a lot I would
like to say about this design, and also want to leave a lot unsaid so
that perhaps you find some special meaning in it yourself.... :)
Spirit
Let's talk about the
concept first.
Surprisingly, at first, I
just wanted to embroidery a water lily and that's all. Then came the
colors: a palette that is quite unusual for me. Then came the idea
about the shape of the flower... I was determined to leave the upper
petals not symmetrical in contrast with the lowest ones. It was just
my intuition at first, and only later I realized why that makes
sense.
The complete understanding
of what this flower is to me came during Ramadan, while I was
fasting. It is the time when you focus especially strongly on your
soul, your connection with God, and, it's probably one of the most
introspective periods of the year for many muslims. And while I was
working on this design I noticed how some of the elements resonate
with me and my understanding of “spirit”.
You might notice that the
upper petals are not really symmetrical. Their color palette is also
warmer and more intense. For me, they represent the “fire” of the
soul rising up... I believe each of us can give our personal meanings
to the concept of the “fire” that lives in our soul, and I will
not give mine so that you can think for yourself. However, in the
context of the pattern, I see it as a positive force :)
On the contrary, the lower
set of the petals is built in symmetry and has a cooler palette of
colors, albeit getting warmer the closer it gets to the center. I
wonder what you think of those? Personally, I call them a “lake of
tranquility”. Their position reminds of water surface. Their colors
are more calm and peaceful.
Together, these two sets
of petals, balance each other out and create a special harmony.
Irregularity and Symmetry, Fire and Water, Chaos and Order, Agitation
and Tranquility. There is so much you can see in this unity!
To reitirate, this water
lily is only a reflection of positive forces in our soul. Although I
do acknowledge that all of us have some darkness inside... Maybe I
will explore it later in another work. While this one, I want to
leave it pure and bright :)
Anima
So that's how this flower
got called “Anima”. This word means “life, soul,
breath, vital force” in the Latin language.
Long & short stitch practice + Color therapy
So, did you notice how
colorful this flower is?
You know, while working
it, I realized that color therapy is a real thing. It is hard to
explain it in words, but the fact that it did have an affect on my
mind and soul, is true. When I look at it, I feel healed inside. Just
some unexplainable feeling of happinness and comfort, haha. Maybe it
is the new appreciation for how colorful and multi-layered the world
around us is?
Most of the flower is
worked in long and short stitching. You will need to fill the
petals with up to 8 colors! It might sound difficult, but thanks to
the constant change of colors you actually will not even notice how
easy and fast it is. I mean, “fast” is a relative term.
Personally, the central upper petal took me about 7 hours to complete
(remember that I take pictures of my steps and it also takes time),
but I didn't notice how the time passed at all. So, be careful, it is
addicting!
Other stitches that you
will practice in this design are stem stitch, split stitch, coral
stitch, french knot, satin stitch and
back stitch. If you are a regular reader of Stitch Floral, you
should be familiar with all these stitches (and if not, head to the
Stitch Library for tutorials). But even so, like always, I
include the explanation of stitches in my PDF tutorial as well.
By the way, as a reader of
this blog you have one more advantage because I actually explained in
more detail the method of long and short stitch filling with solid color before, using this design as an example!
Working this design was a
whole trip and I LOVE how many new things I learned both in terms of
hand embroidery and in terms of exploring my own self, while sitting
and stitching it.
“Anima” is already
available for purchase at my Etsy store, so head there and
check it out. I wonder what kind of experience you will have while
working it and what kind of meaning it will have for you personally
:)
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