Читать книгу Cat in My Pocket Embroidery - Hiroko Kubota - Страница 7

MEET HIROKO

When my son was young, his frame didn’t match that replicated by clothing manufacturers, so I made his shirts. I enjoyed tailoring, but when he asked for something extra, I was set on a path into the world of embroidery and began painting with thread.

Wearing Mom’s handmade clothes is not generally considered cool, but my children accepted my work—I hope not just because they were scared to say otherwise. Then my son asked if he could have a cat on his shirt, so I made my first attempt at embroidering one I’d seen on the Internet—we don’t have cats of our own. The result impressed us both, and I haven’t stopped since!

Embroidering cats quickly became a major part of my life, and I was soon working professionally with my needles and threads. In a modern world filled with efficiency and automation, I am pleased to say that I am not the only person who appreciates the warmth, personality, and individuality of handcrafted products and that people wanted to buy the shirts I made. There is a sweet nostalgia in what I do, and I am happy to be able to share that.

I have been asked why I embroider by hand when I could use a machine. There is benefit and skill in both, but I prefer the pace and creativity of working by hand. I did try working with

a machine, although I found the programming of it harder than the actual embroidering. I use a sewing machine for tailoring, and it is fantastic. However, when it comes to embroidery, I soon learned that a slower pace suits me better. If I get stuck or something doesn’t look right, but I don’t know why, I can take a break, sleep on it, and come back to it with fresh eyes. I don’t like to rush my embroidery, since when I do, I make mistakes and overlook crucial details.

My aim is to make high-quality and unique products, but, as well as creating beautiful items that other people can enjoy, handcrafting also makes me happy. In writing this book and creating the projects especially for it, I not only want to share what I have learned and guide you through the (sometimes tiresome) process of reproducing lifelike cats in thread, but I also want you to experience the happiness and excitement that I feel whenever I complete an embroidery. For this kind of work, you may need to wear glasses or use a magnifying glass, and by sunset you might well be exhausted, but with each project comes a sense of achievement, a beautiful end product, and unforgettable memories. I hope you enjoy spending time handcrafting items that you and others will love.