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Little Things

I've said that quilting and embroidery are my therapy, but I usually don't talk about the little things I make. Most of these are unimportant stitch practice, or just simple/mindless pieces I put together so I could think. They end up becoming mug rugs or art pieces.

Sometimes I piece and quilt little things to clear my head after a difficult project, or during times when I'm stressed. I don't often use red fabric because the dye tends to bleed on everything, but also because it's a high-energy color that I prefer to use in small quantities. I made this while the power was out during Hurriane Ian. Sorting through the red scraps and putting this together in the dark helped me ignore the howling winds.

After Ian I still felt off-kilter, so I worked on this as embroidery practice. The stitches became the storm, and the little owl stuck in the center of it all was me. It gave me a chance to face my lingering nerves and fears while calming me. That's all these little things are meant to do, but sometimes that's more important than a huge art project.

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