Doing the unexpected

One of the joys of selling needlework kits as I do, is seeing what you creative folks do with those kits. Even when the patterns are reproduced exactly as I've designed them, somehow the pieces seem transformed simply because another hand stitched them. Other times, what you choose to do with the kits takes me completely - and wonderfully - by surprise. Such was the case recently when Atsuko shared a photo of a bamboo pendant she made. Atsuko, whose art of choice is weaving, explained in a blog post that rather than stitch on the pendant, she chose to weave on it. If you look closely you'll see the warp and weft woven together in a houndstooth pattern. Truly wonderful! Vicky, of the blog making it, stuck to stitching on her bamboo pendant blank, but then instead of wearing it as a pendant, she transformed it into a fabulous key ring. I've been so inspired by both of these projects. Very early on in my love affair with fiber, I learned to weave. (I even own a loom, albeit one that's gathering dust at the moment.) Atsuko's designs have sent me searching for my old weaving books. As for Vicky, she put into action something that had been rolling around in my mind for a while now. You just might see some key rings in the shop in the not-too-distant future! Thanks to all of you wonderful stitchers out there for your endless creativity.