embroidered commissions {custom wedding vows}

For the past month or so I’ve been working on one of the most labor intensive custom orders I’ve ever taken on. I’ve stitched a few custom wedding vows before, but this one was special.

I got an email from the husband with photos from their wedding and specifically of this huge tapestry in Australia that was an integral piece in their love story. It was also the backdrop for their wedding. From the invitations and programs to the decor pieces images of this tapestry was everywhere. So obviously, it needed to play a big part in this 2nd anniversary gift…aka a cotton anniversary.

I’m always up for a good challenge so I took it on and I’m so excited with the results. While I had a few ideas running through my head of how to best incorporate the words he spoke to his bride and the tapestry, I ended up deciding on recreating a few of the blocks from the tapestry.

I added a some satin stitched text to the piece to give it more texture to go along with the squares.

I have to say that this piece taught me so much though. It stretched me as a designer and as a stitcher, but it also helped to clarify who I am as an artist. I realized while stitching this piece day in and day out for so long that this is who I am. I’m not an embroiderer who can bust out a million different orders a day. I am slow and methodical. I love absolutely nothing more than making one of a kind items for people. Heirloom items that match that picture that they’ve had roaming around in their heads.

As I’ve become more and more familiar with other embroiderers out there in the world, amazing people creating amazing things; I’ve caught myself so often getting down on myself. Down on myself for not creating something like so and so is making. Frustrated because I’ve been working on this one order while nothing else is really coming in. But to be honest, over and over again I am reminded how God truly provides what we need when we need it. Nothing has taught me this more than growing this little etsy shop. I’m blessed to be able to have the space to create items such as this and I’m going to keep looking at it from that viewpoint. As nothing more than an amazing gift.