Travel Embroidery Art – New England Inspired Stitch Work
I know I’ve been gone a while but it’s for a good reason! We recently went on an extended road trip to New England. We covered 0ver 2,400 miles in our little Prius and made it all the way from North Carolina to Maine. I’ll share all our stops in another post but I wanted to show you how I kept busy in the car for such a long trip…embroidery:
I packed a small ziplock bag with a rainbow of thread colors, a few needles, a small pair of scissors and one hoop. I used a disappearing ink marking pen to sketch things out starting with the waves, then the ship, and finally the underwater sea life. Here’s the finished hoop:
I finished most of it on the road but the last thing I added when I got home was the ship “rigging” because I had to use some thinner thread:
Closer detail of some of the sea life:
I used a few French knots for the octopus to bring out her tentacles:
Someone shared a link on my Facebook page to a poem written by Corrie Ten Boom with the words:
My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.
I almost love the underside of my embroidery pieces more than the finished side. I’m not very efficient with thread and often zig and zag across the back as my mind thinks through the composition:
While I worked in the car on my embroidery, Sienna used the same thread to make friendship bracelets. She ties the end to her water bottle to work. Brett is always driving…he prefers to have control of the car. We also love to listen to audio books! This trip we listened to the entire book Home by Bill Bryson. We learned so much about how our currently way of living came to be. It’s really amazing how our idea of comfort has really only been around for 150 years. We skipped over the chapter about bedrooms because Sienna was in the car and there were some not suitable parts for young children…it’s not explicit…but just mature content. It’s definitely a must read though…and mentioned a lot of places that were on our trip:
Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
“The beloved Bill Bryson gives us a fascinating history of the modern home, taking us on a room-by-room tour through his own house and using each room to explore the vast history of the domestic artifacts we take for granted. As he takes us through the history of our modern comforts, Bryson demonstrates that whatever happens in the world eventually ends up in our home, in the paint, the pipes, the pillows, and every item of furniture. Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and his sheer prose fluency makes At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.”
Now that Sienna is older I want Sienna to pay attention as we travel. I watched an Annie Leibovitz documentary once where she talked about how her love of photography came from the frame of a car window as her family drove in their car on trips. Every since then I try to limit the screen time somewhat and we’ve switched to audio books. What do you like to do in the car to pass the time on long trips? How do you keep the kids entertained?
I’ve missed you!
beautiful. I was picking up my grandson from elem school and a mom in an embroidered jacket was working on a hoop while waiting for her kids to come out of school. I told her about you.
this info has really whetted my appetite for the info about your trip and the scenes your family enjoyed.
I love New England. Some of our fondest family memories are from trips taken there. Your stitchery is delightful! I haven’t done any embroidery for several years, but was just thinking about the possibility of starting something. I love your fluid and original design. And I can’t wait to share this book with my 91 year old mother. I’m sure she will enjoy it!
I love stitching of all kinds and think your art is magnificent! What kind of thread did you use? Is that DMC with all the strands?
Thank you Beth! Yes, it’s DMC…and all the strands. I never split it and I love how thick it gets!
Dear Ashley,
I have followed your blog and your life for years, since I discovered the Cancer Chronicles. The day after Thanksgiving 2017, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I spent that Thanksgiving weekend in Bryson City on the Polar Express with extended family. Since that day, I have had a mastectomy, and started chemo treatments. I had to leave my teaching job and have found the days sometimes difficult and often wonder what lies on the other side. You have always been a huge inspiration to me, not only for your courage and inspiring art work, but for the way you choose to live your life. Thank you. I look forward to the day that this is behind me and hope that I will find ways to inspire others, as you inspire me to move forward each day.
love your embroidery!! 🙂
Beautiful! Love it ????
I usually pass the time on road trips talking with my family, listening to music and especially dreaming while looking out the window! 🙂
That is super inspiring – heck, you’ve inspired me in so many ways over the years – I just bought a felt appliqué kit from a cute Australian couple at a sewing expo, and thought it would be perfect to take in the car. I’ve never sewn in the car before!
Very creative! I don’t know how you can do that in a car! I will be sick to my stomach! Great to see you back. 🙂
My mother was a teacher and my dad, in the Army, so we spent plenty of time in the car traveling to new assignments, visiting back home,etc. She taught my brother and I to spell with a spelling game similar to hangman. We learned and sang lots of songs: camp songs from her childhood, Broadway show tunes, Sunday school songs, holiday songs. We also talked about geography, plants seen, birds, and counted Volkswagen Beetle cars. Many trips involved 2-2.5 days in route so she had to be creative to keep us from poking each other in the back seat! Great family memories especially since she and Dad are gone.
My sister & I got drawing inspiration looking out our windows. Time was passed by my reading stories to my sister & brother. Keep in mind this was the mid 1960s, before your time. But we also marveled at scenes that could be on postcards. We moved many miles from the time I was age 4 – 11. Now we travel by bus, if we travel together. Little sister gets the window. My husband prefers to be in control of the vehicle, too. I read, play games, follow Twitter for traffic updates. Sew or crochet. It was much easier before bifocals, maybe draw, or have my camera ready for a picture or to to send by email to my parents. Write in my journal. I didn’tthink about bracelets.