When my local friend Kim told me about an art auction she was organizing to benefit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), I knew that no matter how much I had on my plate, I wanted to make something to contribute. I finished just under the wire, but was able to finish this 6″ hoop for the Art of Action, which will take place tomorrow in Bangor, Maine. Don’t worry–I got the hoop to Kim earlier this week so that she had time to hang it!
This hoop primarily features a quote that has become a war cry that helps women honor their strength and their ability to fight for what they believe in, and I added freestyle embroidery flowers for a light aesthetic touch.
My goal was to make it bold and strong, yet pretty at the same time. Rosie the Riveter meets a lovely sunlit tea room.
This was the first time I actually wrote on a hoop before stitching, but I knew with lettering I wanted it to look perfectly centered, and advance planning was necessary. I printed the quote I wanted in the fonts I wanted, held it up to a window with my cotton and steel background fabric held on top, and then traced it with a regular pencil. I’m really high-tech here, as you can see.
The stem stitch “Nevertheless” was fairly straight-forward, but by golly, that cursive “she persisted” was tricky! Nevertheless, I persisted. I give mad props to those of you who hand embroider lettering regularly! It’s not for the faint of heart.
Overall, I’m happy with the lettering even though it’s far from perfect. I ultimately outlined the thicker parts of each letter with backstitch, and then went back over the entire thing with satin stitch to fill in. Some letters are more rough than others, but that’s all part of the charm of handmade, right?
My favorite part other than the message and the really good letters (there are a couple!) is the bunch of flowers at the bottom. The french knot lavender flowers are so much fun to stitch, and I love the look of the tall, single chain stitch flowers. I used 12wt Aurifil thread for all of the stitching, and as usual, I’m quite happy with the thickness and silkiness of the stitches.
I finished the hoop with a felt backing, blanket stitched in place and embroidered with a very simple signature and date.
If you are in the Bangor, Maine area tomorrow evening, April 8, 2017, please come by the Art of Action Auction, a silent auction of art to benefit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) taking place at 58 Main, a pop-up event venue in the heart of downtown Bangor.
The juried art show will be auctioning more than 60 pieces of art and works at varying price points done by Maine artists, living, working or with roots in Maine. This grass roots effort is intended to promote Maine Artists, bring the community together and safeguard individual rights and freedoms. (Information from the Art of Action website) I’ll see you there!
Linking up with Finish it up Friday, since every finish deserves a bit of celebration.
Night Quilter 
Well done. Perfect piece for the auction.
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Your stitching is so inspiring. I would love to be able to embroider like you! Last night I sat down with my art quilt, your blog pulled up on my phone and tried to stitch like you. Needless to say, it was nowhere near your quality. Even so, I was happy with the results and think that embroidering on a quilt that has been layered and basted with batting adds to the challenge. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you for sharing this and for persisting! Nice stitchin’ Kitty!
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It looks awesome! I love the contrast between the bold message and dainty flowers, it reminds me of some subversive embroidery I’ve seen on Pinterest. 😊
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This is wonderful!! Definitely captures Rosie in the tearoom 😉 Thanks for sharing . . . and persisting!
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I love it, Kitty! I think your cursive letters look fantastic and those flowers are all beautiful. Congratulations on finding time to create something so beautiful for the auction 🙂
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This is absolutely awesome
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Beautiful!
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Lovely, the lettering, the writing, bold, stunning, and so inspiring.And a felt backing, that is a perfect finish. I hope the auction and all the proceeds do well.
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It is not just what you said, it is also how you said it. Beautifully, artistically and with flair!!! I persist with you.
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Perfect quotation for the occasion, and nicely designed. Hope it did well.
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Kitty, you are so talented. The idea, the execution and the colours are wonderful. I love the thoughtfulness you put into this piece. It deserves to bring in lots of money.
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Great job, Kitty! I love the balance between the black lettering and the flowers. And I also used the same high-tech method of tracing a printout onto my fabric when I started my Easter egg project this week… it’s how the cool kids do things! 🙂
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Your stitching is just gorgeous, Kitty. Not just on this piece but on the others I saw while scrolling through previous posts. Though you can see imperfections in this piece it think it’s very well done.
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This is awesome! I love the addition of the flowers, and think they nicely foreground the phrase.
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I use the same hi-tech tracing method.
This hoop is fabulous and makes me think of Bustle and Sew’s work, which I am sure you would like too.
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This is so beautiful. Great work.
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Way to persist; this is beautiful and I hope will be well loved and enjoyed by its recipient!
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I came to this late, but I love it! As an ACLU member on the other coast, I appreciate your contribution. And I admire the beauty of your work, and the imagery of Rosie the Riveter in a sunlit tea room. (That made me smile.)
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