A FAVORITE SLOW STITCHER

Hazel's story cloth about 3" by 5" and her notecard above with another image of one of her story cloths

I was thrilled to be able to scoop up this brilliant story cloth 

by Hazel Monte of Handstories blog last month.

Her pieces speak to me so very strongly 

and I'm the lucky owner of several now.

Each one she makes are unique,

signed on the backside with their own special names.

the story cloth

So I've been thinking of how I can put them all together into a larger story cloth.

I think I have enough now to do that with.

I've been playing around with arrangements

and there are just so many ways to go.

a close-up

But honestly,

I feel I can't do them justice as Hazel would.

Hazel as you can see,

brings magic to scraps of cloth.

I know several of us send her remnants every now and then

plus she sources from old clothes that are dear to her,

and also supports other slow stitchers like Jude Hill

I'm wondering if I could commission Hazel to put them together for me?

Just a thought,

but a big one.

If you are new to her work let me give you some background.

Hazel hand dyes many of her pieces of cloth with natural dyestuffs.

I believe lately she has been playing with a vat of indigo.

She has an innate design ability that allows her to design as she stitches

which being a retired art instructor is a rare gift.

Most of us usually have to plan something out before we start, 

perhaps a rough sketch.

Rachel also has an uncanny skill with watercolor

and abstracting images that are purely delightful.

But what I find the most remarkable about Hazel's slow stitching

is the delicate quality of each piece she makes.

They are precious tiny gifts,

so small and lovely to hold in your hand,

so lightweight and soft.

A sensory experience for hand, eyes and hearts.

Her stitches are extremely tiny,

I really would love to watch her work one day to see how she moves her needle

and gets it to make that magic of hers.

And if you've never been to her blog site 

you will find that she is also a gifted story teller.

She is able to make you both laugh and cry.

I keep telling her she needs to write a book.