Believe it or not, the Hungarian Redwork Runner that I started eons ago hasn’t been neglected entirely, despite the comings and goings of many other embroidery projects on the work table.
And while the progress on this particular project may seem particularly slow, I have good news to report: the chain stitch part of it is more or less completely finished. There are just a few tiny chain stitch bars remaining, that await their intersecting lines of Hungarian braided chain stitch.
Here it is, so far.
I started the runner back in 2012, when the idea for it evolved from this Hungarian embroidery pattern. I needed a “grab and go” project – a project that I could easily transport, that could be stitched anywhere, that used minimal supplies.
From the original pattern, I worked up a few variations in the design, and chose this particular variation of the embroidery design for the project. Next up was the embroidery thread selection, which required testing a few threads and stitches together, and then the embroidery design transfer process onto white linen, and finally, the stitching.
And that last part – the stitching – is taking a looooooooooong time!
The runner also fit into my “15 Minutes” approach to certain types of embroidery projects.
15 Minutes for Embroidery
The runner project is ideal for my 15 Minute philosophy, actually. The whole point of 15 Minutes is just that: spend 15 minutes a day on your embroidery, somehow. Use it to relax, use it to make progress, use it to refocus.
The advantage of 15 Minutes is that, if you can devote just 15 minutes a day (or when you can) to your embroidery, you will eventually notice significant progress.
Snatching 15 minutes for embroidery in the morning before heading out to work, or on a lunch break, or mid-afternoon when other work is done and you need a short breather, or in the evening before going to bed, will help you make progress on that project that never seems to get your attention anymore.
Once you see some progress – once you taste that little success of going forward and breaking through the Stall Wall – you’ll find more 15 Minute chunks here and there during the day. In fact, the project can become your carrot, a reward for finishing the Needful Tasks of Everyday Living. “When I finish this particular task, I’m taking 15 Minutes…”
And of course, it doesn’t have to be 15 minutes. It might be longer. It might be less. But chipping away on a project in this manner does eventually pay off!
Back to the Redwork Runner
Several people have asked about the center section of the runner – the Big White Rectangle. I designed the piece to go in the middle of a table, and that’s where I’d put a centerpiece, personally. Flowers, fruit bowl, candles, something like that. Hence, the blank rectangle in the middle.
So, what’s left on the Hungarian runner? Some sections of the Hungarian braided chain stitch – and then the finishing! In the scheme of things, not much remains! But it will still be some time before I get to the point of finishing.
It will surely happen this year… I hope!
You can read more about the Hungarian Redwork Runner and see the progress of the piece, the materials involved, the design used, and all the nitty gritty details by visiting the Hungarian Redwork Runner project index, where are the articles relating to this project are listed chronologically.
