betz white mindful embroidery

I felt inclined to choose a “word of the year” for 2017. I spent most of January pondering what it might be and have decided on the word MINDFUL. I want to be present and focus on what’s right for me, my family and my business. It can be so easy to get lost in the day to day busy-ness of it all that I miss the point. Sometimes choosing to do something means declining something else. I want to refine, distill, cultivate, cherish and galvanize what I’m doing with my time. Be intentional. We only have so much time. And with two teenagers, one starting to look at colleges, the reality of limited time is crystal clear.

 

betz white mindful embroidery

As you can see I’ve started stitching my word! This is a work in progress and it’s already turning out very different from my original plan (Perhaps my year will unfold in the same unpredictable fashion? You bet it will!) There was and will be much “pivoting” from one plan to the next.

To begin, I layered a piece of wool on top of a scrap of vintage fabric from my stash. I wrote MINDFUL with a water soluble marker. Then I embroidered the word, starting with center letter and working outward. I used Wonderfil Eleganza Floss by Sue Spargo, the best variegated colors! After stitching, I used sharp embroidery scissors to cut away the wool in the spaces in between the letters and my stitching. The whole thing is a little wonky due to the freehand nature of my technique.

 

betz white mindful embroidery

Not one to leave well enough alone, I began embellishing it with felt leaves and flowers, and more stitching. It’s definitely a work in progress! It feels good to have some handwork that I can pick up and add to on a whim. And I hope that while I’m stitching it and when it’s on my wall finished it will be a good reminder to take it slow, consider the options, say no if I need to and say yes when I want to.

Have you declared a word of the year for yourself?

P.S. Last year my word was SUNSHINE! I don’t really know what that means, haha. Mostly I wanted to feel sunny and radiate positivity as much as possible in my life and my work. Did it work? I think so.