Perfection

Conflict is not usually a term synonymous with ‘All Stitched Up!’ and yet it is the first word that appears in this week’s ‘Featured Project’ article. You’ll have to read on to find out more, but we unpack an historical path from conflict to harmony that gave rise to an icon that has been well represented through needle and thread over time.

Whilst conflict may not be a term usually used within this newsletter, unfortunately it is sometimes a term that becomes synonymous with our own needlework journeys.

It is our conflict with perfection.

Perfection can paralyse us as we seek out what next to put our needles and threads to, or as we try to fulfil a list of stitching requirements with exacting precision. It might take hold as we practise each new stitch relentlessly or perhaps as we find ourselves stitching and restitching as we pursue a faultless finish.

Is it possible to move from conflict to harmony on our own journeys with needle and thread?

Absolutely! One of the ways we can do this is to remember an observation that has been credited to Voltaire:

Whilst hard to put into practice, once we truly understand that it’s better to get something done imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly, we’ll edge closer to the harmony that needle and thread can truly afford us.