Notions: Repetition

Repetition: from the simple rhythms of rising each day and sleeping each night to the unfettered drama of waves crashing against a shoreline, repetition permeates our lives. As crafters, we cherish the familiarity of working with fiber in age-old ways, and we find comfort in techniques with recurring motions and designs with recurring elements.

Deanna Hall West’s silk-ribbon embroidery is stunning.

We marvel in the story that a nice, even line of tiny white stitches on a cloth tells, in the same way that we are mesmerized by a needlepoint tapestry covered by thousands of the same stitch rendered in an array of painterly colors to form a piece of art. We respectfully copy the methods of the needleworkers of the past. We continue to be inspired by their designs, and I like to believe that we probably feel the same sense of reward when our projects are complete.

Laura Rintala fussy-cut her threads to get the shading just right on her black-eyed Susans.

Our days are filled with repetition and routine, but our stitches allow us to express our souls and our thoughts with every click-clack of the knitting needles and with each satisfying pull of the embroidery thread through fabric, over and over again until we have achieved something wonderful. From the heartwarming tradition of Phulkari embroidery in India; Liza Lucy’s pieced patchwork bolster; the patterned yoke of Melissa Leapman’s knitted baby sweater; the traditional motifs throughout Katrina King’s Orenburg shawl; and the meticulous cross-stitches on Laura Rintala’s bookmark, I believe this issue will enhance the pattern of your day. Thank you for letting PieceWork be a part of your routine.

Happy stitching!
Pat

Pat Olski is the editor of PieceWork magazine.

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