Monday, February 09, 2009

Stitched in Time

Erudite Mondays at Half Soled Boots

Volume 8 Number 1
by Alicia Paulson

Alicia Paulson writes the blog Posie Gets Cozy, and if you haven't been there you must visit. (After you finish here, of course.)

Stitched in Time, her first paper and ink offering, is full of sewing and embroidery projects designed to commemorate little moments in our lives. Alicia's philosophy is that something beautiful and whimsical need not also be durable - the finished objects are meant to be pretty, and special, without being required to last for generations. Not that they won't - her birthday banner, for example, would be around for a good long time.

Peppermint-heart Garland

There are quite a few family-picture projects, where you use photo fabric and a printer to transfer people's images to couch pillows, or coasters. The items I like best, though, are the useful little things, such as the cupcake potholder or the recipe apron, that I could see transforming my daily tasks without making a big fuss.


The birthday banner, mentioned above, is one of my favourite projects in the whole book. I already have some fabric scraps assembled and, with the addition of a few fat quarters from the quilting shop, they'll make a beautiful banner for the girls' special days.



My friend Karen once said to me, during a long night-time drive, that her goal for her creative journey was just to make her surroundings beautiful - whether it be in the form of a window box full of geraniums, a hand-knit afghan, or a lace edging on the kitchen curtains. I was struck with the contentment of this image - that she wanted to simply be, in her world, where she had made everything nice.

Since then, I have adopted that goal as my own - to make what I can, to make it unique and as beautiful as possible, and to be conscious of the works of my hands. Stitched in Time is a perfect book for my shelf, with its simplicity, and its cheerful ideas. It is a tribute to the beauty of the daily and the humble and, in this frantic world, there is no more admirable subject.

Family Tree.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think Alicia would love this review. And so do I.

Gwen said...

Oh, very nice. Do you think there are ideas that I could do, or are they too difficult for me?

Ames said...

That book looks very interesting to me, too. I have been having similar leanings myself.

Are you serious, Gwen? I have seen some of your handiwork. You underestimate yourself.

Anonymous said...

I love her blog, and have followed some of her tutorials with great success. The book looks lovely.

Shan said...

Gwen, most of what's in there is so beautifully simple...absolutely you could do them.

What I like about this style in general, and the projects in this book in particular, is that little misaligned stitches and wonky corners add to the charm of the finished object...perfection is both unnecessary and undesirable.

The point is that we do these things, not that we do them perfectly.

Anonymous said...

Well said, Shan. As a not-so-perfect sewer, maybe that's why she appeals to me ;)

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to get my hands on this book---GREAt review!

Annalea said...

I've been eyeing this one for a while now, and am glad to know that I'll be happy with it. :o) Hooray for Erudite Mondays!