gift

I made this huswif after seeing one first at t does wool. When I saw this needleroll, I thought that surely one day I would sew one, probably many, as it is just the type of object I adore. Innate beauty in its utility, imbued with care with each stitch, each fabric choice, each embellishment. I sewed it completely by hand, as Theresa gently suggests, and enjoyed every stitch.

The fabric are treasures each: cotton ticking for which I have an affinity I cannot explain, natural linen repurposed from a too-long hem, a jewel toned shot cotton stripe, some Etsuko Furuya echino, gifted cotton velvet, good old denim, a loosely woven navy w/a dot-stripe. All of the pieces I used were from the scraps box, too precious to be abandoned completely. The buttons were chosen on trips long before I knew where they would be used, but knew I would love them wherever they landed. Now I get to admire them each time I use the huswif. Waxed linen twine. Cotton thread. Lavendar. Wool. Repurposed cotton tape.

Then each part of the huswif is so purposeful. A pocket in which to keep small tools: beeswax, thimble, threads. A wool felt needle keep. A ribbon to hold precious scissors. A pincushion filled with wool + lavendar.

When I look at the huswif, it almost beckons me to make something!

When I finally made this, the process became a gift to myself. The time I allowed myself to gather the materials, decide on their respective positions, to carefully sew each stitch. I consciously took my time and did not rush to get to the end product. Even as I write this, I'm pouring over each detail, not wanting to leave anything out.

Theresa inspired this project and graciously allows me to speak of it here. Thank you, Theresa!