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My sister said my hand-stitched spines are 'too perfect' and it's been bugging me
We were looking at a copy of 'The Hobbit' I bound last month, and she pointed at the headband. She said, 'It's beautiful, but it looks like a machine did it... where's the person?' I've always aimed for clean, tight work, but now I'm thinking maybe a tiny bit of visible thread or a slight variation shows it's made by hand. What's the line between quality and character for you all?
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juliagonzalez22d ago
Honestly, that line about "where's the person" really hits. I used to be the same, aiming for totally flawless work on my embroidery. Then I saw a quilt where the stitches weren't all the same length, and it just felt warmer, you know? Like you could see the hours spent on it. Now I leave a little tail of thread on the inside of my pieces, just for me. It's still neat, but it has that hand made feel.
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Funny you should mention that. My wife said the same thing about a table I built. I sanded it so smooth it looked like it came from a store. She said it lost its soul. Now I leave a tiny, smooth spot from my thumb on the underside of every piece. It's my mark. Your sister might be onto something. That little bit of you is what makes it special.
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phoenixb6622d ago
Ever notice how new jeans feel stiff until they get that first scuff? Your sister's comment is about that same thing. We sand the life out of handmade stuff trying to look professional. The tiny flaws are proof of work, not mistakes. A perfect headband is a skill, but a thread you chose and placed by hand is a story.
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