Embroidering some Peace for Ukraine

I recently acquired this embroidery project by Embroidery Art by Nat on Etsy. All the details on it can be found on her Etsy listing and her social media -- essentially she was asking for a donation to a Ukrainian charity (a list can be found on the main post on her website) in return for receiving the pattern. And now you can just buy it outright and stitch along as well, though a donation never goes amiss!

I finally had a chance to get the project started this week. But just barely begun! I found some pale blue linen blend fabric in my stash, and prepped a piece of it for a 10" hoop (she has both an 8" and 10" version to print off).

Just starting...

I used the classic technique of taping the pattern to a window and taping the fabric carefully on top. It was a sunny day and my porch windows make for a bright location. I used a Frixion pen to trace off the fine lines of this pattern, and now the pattern is ready to work on! 

All done!

But I also had to take some time to go through my thread stash and pull out all the colours in this pattern. Fortunately I have most of the 30 recommended colours, so will only have to pop out to buy 8 more skeins to complete my kit bag. 

It's quite a complex image with a lot of different flowers in it -- each one has meaning to Ukrainians, and they are all described and explained in her pattern info. The instructions are clear and cover a lot; the colours and stitches used, a pattern with stitch direction lines drawn in, and as mentioned 2 sizes of the traceable pattern, a colour guide and more. Plus, there are videos on her YouTube channel explaining the sections of the pattern, that show her embroidering the flower while explaining the hows and whys. About half of the pattern is currently posted, and she's working on the next ones while also sharing videos for her other patterns; she has a lot of really interesting designs! 

I'm a Ukrainian Canadian, and so this project is especially meaningful to me right now. I encourage you to keep reading and sharing information about what Ukraine is suffering right now, and to stand up and support Ukraine. Fellow Canadians, you can also write to our government about their decision to send turbines to Germany (aka Russia) this week. If we all speak up, we can keep Ukraine in focus. But being able to stitch quietly while thinking about the situation is a way to keep from burning out, to stay engaged and involved. And so I've begun this project and will share my progress along the way.