Small

Quilting and embroidery are my therapy, but I usually don't talk about the small things I make. Most of these are unimportant stitch practice, or just simple/mindless pieces I put together so I could think. They end up becoming mug rugs or art pieces.

I generally avoid red fabric because the dye tends to bleed on everything, but also because it's a high-energy color that I prefer to use in small quantities. I made this while the power was out during Hurriane Ian. Sorting through the red scraps and putting this together in the dark helped me ignore the howling winds.

After Ian I still felt off-kilter, so I worked on this as embroidery practice. The stitches became the storm, and the little owl stuck in the center of it all was me. It gave me a chance to face my lingering nerves and fears while calming me. That's all these little things are meant to do, but sometimes that's more important than a huge art project.