Cheap Therapy

I come from a family of crafters. Both my mother and grandmother crocheted and knitted. My mother also sewed. My father and grandfather did woodworking. It seems only natural that I, too, have crafting in my blood.


The plaque describes how I and many other stitchers feel about the craft of cross stitching. In a world where technology has taken hold and made lives easier, it has also created chaos and distractions from the simple joys of life... things such as pride in creating beautiful things with your own hands. Whenever I tell someone I cross stitch, the first response is: “You must have a lot of patience.” Indeed, cross stitch takes patience. It also takes commitment and dedication to get to the finish line, where an object of beauty is left for the entire world to see. I am notorious for starting HUGE projects – projects that usually take months and months to complete. It gives me great pride when someone looks at it and is in awe of all those little tiny X’s creating a work of art. Yes, stitching is an art and a therapy. While I am stitching, my concentration is on the fabric, needle and thread... which frees my mind from the stresses of my life, even if only for a little while.