THE HEART OF THE MATTER

I'm actually keeping my vow to make at least 12 ornaments every month. To some people, that might not seem extremely productive, but it's quite an accomplishment for me. I'm such a procrastinator that almost anything I can put off until "tomorrow" is fair game. I had cut out the hearts and stitched them weeks ago, but thought I had to have a span of uninterrupted time in order to finish them. I found time today.

Although a heart is a simple basic shape, I find it very time consuming to stuff and handstitch one closed. I spent a lot of time stuffing the stars too. Why? Because I tend to be very particular about making sure they're filled firmly and the points are as sharp and concise as I'm able to make them. They're never ever perfect of course, but I strive to do the best I can. That's probably why I never quite caught on to making things in the primitive style. Primitive crafts do not have to be made precisely, in fact, the more imperfections they have, the better. So one would think primitive items would be easier to make, but they're not easier for me. Apparently I'm too picky - not a perfectionist mind you - just someone who needs to keep tweaking an item until it has a certain look. Hmmm, that's not being a perfectionist, is it? I'd rather think of myself as a "detail person". I'm fully aware of being an imperfect person. Nothing I've ever made has been perfect and I'll never be a perfect stitcher. That's ok, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't continue to strive to do my best.

I'd truly like to be able to make authentic-looking primitive handcrafts and I love the well-worn, grungy appearance they have, but I also love symmetry and clean lines. As I've said before, I feel like a walking contradiction at times. I'm just glad the hearts are done. I know how to make them look grungy and primitive, but I rather like them as they are.