Thursday, February 28, 2013

What We Made Today-Earthy Wedding Embroidery

Recently, an old friend of The Husband's was married. I'm not a big fan of mass produced gifts thoughtlessly plucked from a gift registry(I know, I know, I am a horrible person because registries contain all the things that the COUPLE want, and the wedding is all about THEM and NOT me, but I just cannot give gifts which feel meaningless to me) so I decided instead to make a sweet little embroidery inspired by the earthy elements of this land where they were born and raised. The piece was inspired by pine needles in the fall, the sun shining on the rippling waves of the muddy Mississippi in the summer and the rich dirt we grow crops, ride horses and drive four wheelers in year round.

It represents the comforts of the consistency of the seasons we experience here, year after year. There are always surprises and the unexpected too of course, but the things we love the most about this area are the things we come to rely on experiencing each year. Sweet corn and the river in the summer, pine needles setting the landscape ablaze in the fall, the contrast of sparkling white snow against the dark ground/trees/rocks in the winter and the richness of the barks and grasses and flowers of the spring. I think that's how most good marriages are-full of comforting consistencies of the seasons, while also subject to the unexpected, and sometimes exciting surprises of early snows, early springs, scorching summers, tornadoes, rainstorms, bumper crops, droughts, unusual migrations and snow days.

It features vintage and thrifted buttons in earth tones, cotton sewing threads, plus little gemstone chips and various earthy colored wooden,  glass and plastic(all thrifted/upcycled) beads.




I hope the happy couple could find the intent and good will in this piece, despite it not being on their registry, as it took about 10 hours to complete, start to finish. I put so much more love, meaning and good vibes into this than a trip to Target for towels would have provided.

Handmade and meaningful wedding gifts. I'm doing my part to try and bring them back into fashion.

In fact, I think maybe The Husband and I should get married again, so I can cash in on this growing(hopefully) trend...

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Be looking for your invitation in the mail...

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