Picking Up Stitching After a Long Break

For a while now, I’ve been working a very small side hustle. I embroider silly things and sell them. I dabble in Etsy but I far prefer selling at in-person markets. It’s just way more fun!

But when the pandemic hit and events were canceled, I put down my needle. I focused a lot on making masks and filled the rest of my time with puzzles, books, TV and worrying. Embroidery didn’t feel as pressing without events to sell at and people around to sell to.

Picking Up the Needle

And honestly, I didn’t miss it. Not once did I feel compelled to stitch up an original design (I did buy and stitch quite a few cross stitches, though). For a while, I thought that I might just be done with the stitching side hustle.

That is until I saw a call from Madison Makers Market for an upcoming event. I thought to myself, I’ll give it one more go. I’ve got lots of hoops hanging around anyway.

And just like that, I was back in the swing of things. As I drew up a new design (and finished off some WIPs from a year ago), I found myself enjoying embroidery more than ever.

Sometimes craft fair prep can feel stressful, but this time, I look forward to sitting down with my floss. It’s a good treat at the end of the day to pick up a hoop and cue up an audiobook. (Currently, I’m listening to The Personal Librarian.)

The Craft I Keep Coming Back To

Time and time again this is a craft I return to. And I honestly never thought of it that way. I always thought of myself as someone that got really into a project for a short while before moving on to the next (see: latch hook, paper flower and plastic canvas). It wasn’t until I went to my parents’ house weeks ago and saw a lot of my projects in their home that I realized holy cats, I’ve been doing this a long time and this is something I’ve always loved.

Proof: The cat cross stitch hanging in the upstairs hallway. The teacup crewelwork hanging by my parents’ bed. The “bite me” cross stitch on my mom’s dresser. The embroidery hoop I gave my dad for Christmas a few years back. The embroidered anniversary art I gave my parents. The cross stitch Christmas ornaments packed away in the basement.

That’s a lot. And it spans a long time. I remember making that cat cross stitch back in elementary school, the teacup piece in middle school and the infamous “bite me” art back in college.

So what’s the point: I am, as always, oblivious to my own nature. And I’m really happy to embroidering again.