A Needle Pulling Thread Issue 47 Sampler

Editor's letter
Finally Finding Yourself
It's not that I'm lost in the woods, but several times in my life I
have felt metaphorically, like I was lost in the woods. Life, in all
its glory, has taught me much about myself, particularly how
to accept everything about myself and everything life brings.
In accepting everything, the good, the great, the bad and the
uncomfortable, means I go with the flow.
It took me several decades to fully grasp the concept of going
with the flow. I was so tired of swimming against the current,
that I had no other choice than to let go.
How does one go with the flow? Let it be. (The Beatles knew
what they were singing about.) No matter the situation, the
moment, let it be, in love and compassion. Letting it be allows
me to stay focussed in the moment and continue to be tapped
into my creativity.
This issue is dedicated to the very broad topic of discovering
our best self in our soul-searching journey. And what better
way to express it than in the needles arts?
In this issue, designers let their stitches express their
creative nature. You’ll find several mandalas, meditative and
purposeful stitches.
Mandalas are the most versatile design with endless
possibilities in form and colour, with no right or wrong way
of creating one and ever so mesmerizing. Denise Powell
suggests a mandala that has a three-dimensional flower,
while the crocheted mandala by Cristina Mershon flaunts
textured rings. Every mandala in this issue is done using
different techniques.
Liana Kirkey of That Sewing Place invites you to
explore and play with the built-in stitches on your
sewing machine, while Annette Janca shows what
you can achieve with a circular attachment. There’s
also a mandala made up using paper-piecing, by
Cathy McClean.
You want to meditate while you stitch? The two
are so very closely connected and maybe the same.
Dawn Liu-Smyth says hooking rugs is a meditative
craft, and Ruth I. Forbes and Iryna Varabei, although
they crochet and embroider, would say the same of
their craft too. Needlework enables the maker to be
in the zone when creating and making.
Join us. Make something today that really calls out to
your creative self and let all other issues fall away.
Cheerfully,
Make & Be Happy
A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD ● issue 47
3