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I recently bought 50 pounds of remnant fabrics from a curtain factory. The money goes to charity, so it’s a good option, even if I don’t use the fabric right away. As it is, this antique satin style fabric is fraying horribly. I spend a couple of hours a day serging over the raw edges to save my sanity and the integrity of my sewing room (cleanliness doesn’t exist here). While doing this mindless stitching, my mind fills with the beautiful colors of the fabrics and many ideas for projects come to mind: placemats, table runners, vests, embroidered quilts and other embroidery projects. I also came to the realization that many people don’t seem to take risks in their lives. About 35 pounds of the 50 are in shades of white or cream. The rest are made up of sage green, light blue and silver, with minute amounts of reds, browns, and blacks. Since colorful room decoration is all the rage, this actually surprised me. I’m generally a safe decorator with everything in neutral tones, but in the past couple of years I’ve redone my entire living, dining and kitchen areas in all shades of red, including pinks and purples. Since my rooms have tons of windows and high ceilings, this color drenching doesn’t overwhelm. It’s also beautiful to walk into after braving the frigid rain or snow outside! From here, I began to think about all the machine embroidery designs out there. Some are very traditional while others are quite new and fresh. However, even the modern styles tend to be stitched in understated, mild colors. Is this because we crave a gentle, feminine touch? Or, as I truly suspect, is it because we are secretly afraid of color? I thought about my own embroidery projects. I tend to stay with traditional designs but change the colors to suit my tastes. Black is always welcome here. When the men of my family are asked to choose, they pick the modern embroidery designs with traditional colors. Very interesting. I’ve read that women are capable of seeing more colors than men, so maybe that explains the difference. I’m sure we all know someone who has lost their motivation to create, even when new fabulous free embroidery designs are available. When pictures are available of their previous projects, a pattern seems to emerge where they use the same types of designs or the same light colors repeatedly. Instead of being burned out, I think they are just bored. We tend to want embroidery designs that depict the holiday or season through imagery … Easter eggs and bunnies, hearts and lips, Santa and ornaments, etc. We allow the picture to tell the story. Instead, we should be telling our story through our own interpretation. For Christmas this year, why not use any type of embroidery design, but color it uniquely for the holiday? Red and green are beautiful, but blue and gold are also quite traditional, while still being different. If red and green are more your style, why not try khaki green and fuchsia or seafoam green and mauve? Even a fluorescent green and pink can add a fun touch! Give yourself the gift of spontaneity! Do something just for you in colors that speak to you. Don’t worry about the finished project. As I’ve said before, embroidery is key and color makes it complete.
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