The Thread Is Calling Me

I have skeins of beautiful colored threads on the "work" side of the dining room table.  It's getting colder each day and I am ready to settle down to do some stitching.  I have an idea for another Christmas ornament.  A Bee.  Since Bees have become rather important of late.  A Gardener's Tree should have a Bee or two on it.  But that means a trip upstairs to the jumble that is my fabric collection to see if black felt, greenish gold wool and some beige wool exist already--before going shopping.  And I was thinking about making more Santa coats and hats.  To add to Christmas gift packages.  I still have a supply of red and white felt.  And black for the belts.  Perhaps enough black for a few Bees.

I read several blogs where the author/artist is making repetitious lines of patterned thread on a daily basis as a sort of journal.  I have tried this in past years to see what it was like.  It doesn't work for me.  I have to actually be "making" something--otherwise it speaks only of wasting time and materials and I can only do that for a short while before becoming disenchanted.  Never mind that they install these items in shows. I often wonder what the early stitchers (in Time) would think of this?

The things early stitchers made were almost always made for utility.  Now we make things that have no useful life.  Perhaps this trend began with Samplers.  They had no "use" other than to show the skill of the Maker.  And then, of course there were the embroidered collars, cuffs etc of the Kings and Queens.  So, perhaps, the making of things that have no practical use other than to show the skill of the maker is actually part of the history of Stitch.  But long, long strips of the same repeated stitch???
What do you think?

I have an unfinished Charity Quilt that was started with donated blocks during my term as President of my Quilt Chapter.  I was given the blocks (to sew with borders) into a top.  I did that.  then a few volunteers basted the quilt sandwich and even started hand quilting.  Then all work stopped.  And the project was folded into a bag and stored.  I was going to quilt it.  But the donated batting is puffy so not suited to machine quilting.  Then I thought  I would "big stitch" quilt it by hand.  Going along fine until G noticed the four rail fence blocks that looked like swastikas.  I added appliqué to hide the symbol in three but the fourth resolutely stays visible.  No group would be happy to get the quilt for an auction.  So now what do I do with it?  Basted.  One third tightly handquilted.  Sigh.