Lesson Five: Mirror Mirror
Stitched in honor of the first man I ever loved.
“If you’re going to stitch it, it has to be true.” - my Mother
I cannot stitch a lie.....
The inspiration for this piece actually didn’t come from my dad…. it came from my husband. After browsing Lycette Designs SALE section on their website a few years ago, I bought this piece and thought my husband would get a kick out of it when I showed him. He did in fact get a kick out of it, but he lovingly told me what would be even *more* accurate (and funny) would be if it said “Father” instead of “Mother”, as I tend to favor more of my father than my mother.
Once our communal laughter over this suggestion subsided, I thought for a moment. “Oh my God, what if I changed the ‘M’ and ‘O’ in ‘Mother’ to an ‘F’ and an ‘A’ so it would read ‘Father’??” And there it was.
In the spirit of telling the truth, kitting this project initially turned out to be a complete dumpster fire. Yes, a dumpster fire. I had found a canvas I loved (check), found fabric I *thought* I loved (check) and had a crystal clear vision for the end result (perfect). So what could go wrong?
My then-local needlepoint shop was having an incredible sale on Vineyard Merino Wool and so I decided it made total economical sense (#NDLPTMath) to kit this canvas along with my “You Is Smart” canvas so I could get to work right away. If you read Lesson One, you may recall the fate I was faced with when I realized the Vineyard Merino Wool threads did NOT offer the coverage I needed for these two (13 mesh) projects. I was beyond frustrated and had a tough time accepting the fact that my cost control initiatives were going to go right down the drain, since I would now have to FULLY kit both projects (again).
Pride swallowed, I reached out to Betty (a.k.a. Miss B Stitches) at Lycette Newport. I didn’t even bother with sending a direct message on Instagram - I just called the shop. After explaining the entire situation and how I had wanted to switch “Mother” to “Father” (*she did find this both relatable and humorous), Betty worked her magic and pulled some fiber color concepts for me to choose from. After exchanging several text messages to get the exact shades I wanted, the problem was solved, the threads were on their merry little way to me, and the Merino Wool debacle was now a distant memory.
Shades of blues always remind me of my dad as it is his favorite color family. I adore how the final fabric and fringe came together to compliment the color selection and how the pops of azalea pink (part of my favorite color family) accent this piece.
For as long as I can remember, everyone has always told me I looked “just like my father”, but as the years marched on I found myself emulating similar behaviors as him, as well. If you are reading this and know my father, you know what a truly wonderful thing that is. If you are reading this and do not know my father, I hope this small little slice of a story can give you a sense of the kind of man he is. I could not ask for a finer man to not only look and act like, but (most importantly) to love.
Canvas: I purchased this in 2021 on Sale from Lycette Designs and unfortunately cannot locate it to link here BUT I hope this reminds you to always check out the SALE section of your favorite needlepoint shop (in-store or online)…..you never know what hidden gems may be there and a great price!
Needle Minder: Penny Linn Designs Nantucket Basket Needle Minder
Fibers:
Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #01: Natural (background; used 2 skeins)
Brown Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #36: Admiral Blue (“Mirror Mirror” and “Father”; used 1 skein)
Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #98: Green Bean (“On The Wall” and “After All!!”; used 1 skein)
Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #197: Cadet Blue (“I’m Like My”; used 1 skein)
Brown Paper Packages Silk & Ivory #149: Azalea (border; used 1 skein)
If you are unsure about colors and coverage for any canvas, call your favorite needlepoint shop. I promise they are more than happy to assist!
Stitches Used: Basketweave and Continental (on some of the lettering)
Finishing By: LME Redesign (who has been happily married to my dad for almost 40 years - she said this really made her laugh while she worked on it…..because it is so true).
Finish Type: Pillow: Inset with mitered corners, fringe, zipper closure
Fabric Used: Ballard Designs “Mira Blue” (ironically, a white basketweave cotton fabric!) I love the weight and texture of this fabric and highly recommend it.
Fringe is older but here is a similar style (order a swatch or small amount, first, if you can)
Monogramming By: AnniB Monogramming
Started Stitching: January 2022
Finished Stitching: July 2022
Notes to Self:
This canvas and project started out on a rough patch and ended up turning out much better than I had expected. I love that anytime I look at this canvas, I will reminded of my dad and of my mom (who finished this into a pillow for me). It’s these special “little” things that make what we stitch and create so very meaningful.
Ok so let’s discuss a little more about both the color AND letter swap on this canvas.
Changing the original “M” and “O” to an “F” and “A” was not terribly difficult as there was already an “A” on the canvas that I could use for my stitch count. I stitched my own upper case “F” and it was equally as simple since the original text font was pretty straight forward.
I typically do the background stitching first, but I wanted to make sure I liked the color lineup on all of the text FIRST. I was fearful that if I stitched the background first and then starting playing around with the text colors, I would disturb the background stitching (and create more work for myself).
For the letter changes, I used a darker shade of thread to ensure I could cover the original red text. Once I did, I stitched a small background patch around the new “F” and “A” to ensure there would not be a lot of color bleed through the light background shade. Truth be told, I see it when I look at it closely but many would (and do not) notice it!
Once I was ok with the above, I went to town on the rest of the background. For the border, I wanted to add a punch of “me” (a.k.a. some shade of pink) but wanted to err on the side of a more coral undertone and I love how it turned out.
I hope this post and story inspire you to think outside the box with your next project. It can feel intimidating at first but always trust your instinct when it comes to visually what you do and do not like.
Lastly, perhaps this post will make you think about your father or the father figure you had / have in your life. If so, I encourage you to take a moment to let him know you love him. And if you can’t physically tell him, whisper it in your heart….I promise he will hear you. <3
xoxo,
Emily 🎀