May Smalls Check-in

This month's finish is extra-special...not just completely stitched, but finished as well!  This was a little design by Enchanting Lair, published in the "Celebration of Stitching" book, called "Small but Mighty."  This piece ended up being another one of my stitching therapy pieces....like the spider bag I made several years ago.  To make a long story short, I crossed a few boundaries with a young man from my martial arts class.  He was young, I was having a fit of "I want to BE young again"....it got weird.  Last summer he stopped talking to me (or even making eye contact with me at class if he could help it).  And as the adult in this scenario, it was entirely my fault.  Anyway.  I saw this little design, and when the blank book came into my possession as a vendor giveaway at a library conference, I had a crazy idea.

I'd make a book cover!  Now, the young man in question here is fascinated by German culture (not Nazi, think Nietzsche), writes all the time, and loves Bruce Lee.  So.  Here is the finished product:

The finishing was a bit fiddly, in part because I forgot about the need to create a "pocket" for the cover to slip into.  I ended up using black bias tape over the top to connect the front to the inside flap, which you can't really see here.  But it makes me happy to have this finished.  Yesterday the young man received his black belt in aikido, so I gave this to him.  Or, more specifically, I wrapped it in brown paper, wrote his name on the package, and left it next to his gear.  There was a note of apology and congratulations tucked inside.  Given the kind of person he is, I don't know if he'll ever acknowledge this gift....but in many ways, it doesn't really matter.  The creation was the therapy for me.  I'd like to think he liked it, but since I have no control over that, I just have to let it go.