Well, 2020 has certainly been a dumpster fire of a year, hasn’t it? I remember seeing cross stitch patterns like the one above last year, and there are blank ones, too, in case you just want an all purpose dumpster fire. That seems like the better option at this point, to be honest. But I don’t mean to be all doom and gloom. I’m an optimist, really, I swear! One of the things I want to work on with this blog is writing a little more personally because that’s a challenge for me.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, I also found myself with a lot more time on my hands. It was around then that our daughter started moving her bedtime earlier, too. Which, no complaints! But after months of the erratic sleep schedule that comes with a newborn not to mention the depleted brain power, having extra time in the evening suddenly felt, well, strange. At first I just spent hours on my cell phone, scrolling through social media while watching TV. Again, sadly, that wasn’t much different from the usual routine, either. But it was honestly hard to focus on anything else for a little while, especially with anxiety in the mix. Some level of anxiety is expected as a new parent, obviously, but mine was getting in the way. I worried a lot about her sleep (not to mention the virus, of course), so much so that it was affecting my sleep and overall wellbeing. Things calmed down and became manageable once I finally got some medication. Then I decided to pick up The Golden Girls cross stitch kit that my mom got me for my birthday back in November. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and I even started and finished another small project before that one.
Although I enjoy other crafts and hobbies like jewelry making there’s a more meditative feeling that comes with cross stitch. Making the stitches is repetitive, but it also helps to clear the mind. At least for me. Counted cross stitch is nice because there are are areas where you’re just filling in one color and others where you have to pay attention to where you need to start and stop with another color. I really like the process as well. Even small cross stitch projects take a bit of time, and it’s a nice feeling to have little goals along the way. It goes without saying that completing a piece is wonderfully satisfying, too. Then it’s it’s on to the next one! Or at least the next one in your already established works in progress pile.
The truth is that it’s always something, pandemic or no pandemic. Just when you think your baby is sleeping soundly through the night on a regular basis then all of a sudden she starts having wake ups again. Life’s just like that. So instead of getting caught up in pessimism and looking at the glass as half empty, I like to think of things like Roseanne Roseannadanna’s catch phrase. In fact, that gives me an idea for a new cross stitch project. One thing I discovered with The Golden Girls cross stitch is that I really enjoy stitching letters. There are lots of floral borders on Etsy to download and add your own words.
You can also find lots of quarantine influenced patterns and samplers with phrases like “wash your damn hands.” Some of them are pretty clever! I’m happy that I rediscovered my love for cross stitch, especially since this pandemic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. Don’t mind me. I’ll just be staying at home, enjoying my time with my family and cross stitch…
