Lovelihood

Ikea's iconic chair, replicated in miniature, and treated to it's own accessorizing pillows. www.lovelihood.com

Normally, I go with a corded edge on throw pillows, but I decided to instead throw on some of the bias binding left over from a quilt. Mitered corners sure do make it fancy. www.lovelihood.com

The sashiko-inspired embroidery was completed last summer and sat awaiting purpose until now. www.lovelihood.com

I love the tunnelling effect of the sashiko. Gotta do some more of this. www.lovelihood.com

The chair was intended for The Boy, but is mostly just pushed around by Bear to access higher ground. And to lay toys on for safe-keeping. www.lovelihood.com

Remember those sashiko swatches I wanted to make pillows of? Well, here's a backside shot of them, lined with the stabilizer sheets on which I'd printed out the embroidery guides. My original intention had been to just leave the sheets in there, but with the linen so light and airy, I decided I didn't want that stiffness under there. So now I'm left with the tedium of tearing, snipping, seam-ripping the paper away from the thread, a process that's taking a rather long time, if only because I can only stand to work at it a few minutes at a time.

I'm not much for embroidery, but I've been taken in with this particular strain of it, sashiko. The thread tunneling through the fabric creates a pleasing texture and lends itself nicely to more graphic, repetitive designs. I actually finished this one months ago, planned for before our move back home, and then left to hang on the wall while I contemplated its final purpose. I'm thinking pillows now, because it's been a while since I added to our collection, and curling up on the couch with soft things has a very tangible appeal during winters that actually get cold.