Building, landscaping

Some weeks ago, I decided I wanted to move forward on my golden houses project. I laid them out and thought about stitching them down. But – this step was premature. I realized I needed to “finish” embellishing each one (of twelve) before I stitched them to a backing. Otherwise the decorative stitching would have to go through the backing, which I didn’t want (not sure why not?).

So the embellishment began. Second round? Third? Each one I looked at seemed pale and lacking in interest. I added outlines, plants, flowers, extra scraps. Very satisfying. I overcame my aversion to wrap stitch. As a child learning embroidery, I could never get it to look right and it became too frustrating, so I avoided it. Now I don’t care whether it looks right. I love how it builds up and how it feels afterwards. I drew fantasy plants on the cloth and filled with wrap stitch. I fussy-cut and appliqued. Added running stitch in some areas, some blanket stitch (makes nice shingles), some overhand edges, some glue stitch.

Working on these is my style of building. I’ve never come to love actual remodeling projects, like the ones Sam does. I used to try to help and learn, but it doesn’t feel compatible to me. This distinction was on my mind a lot while stitching. My little compatible building projects. Patching a roof, framing out a window. Adding a bit of shrubbery with a needle, not a shovel (or tractor!). They are even better than dollhouses.

Maybe the houses are ready to sew down now. I’m thinking of stitching them down with the sewing machine. I’m feeling that eagerness that says Handstitching these down would take too long, I want this to be done. I need to do some tests to evaluate how the stitching would look and function. The edges are raw and I’m concerned about how they will wear unless they’re firmly stitched down.

There’s a lot of detail. When I was a child, I used to lie in bed and look at a poster hung near the bed. It was one corner of a fantasy world. I could only see one lower corner from where I was lying. I think of these houses the same way. That a person lying in bed could look at them and imagine…