One day two and a half years ago, I was told I had breast cancer. I was 41 years old. I had to drive home and sit in front of my children, and instead of being supermum, keeping fear out of my childrens lives: I was the one putting it into their lives as I had to sit and tell them mummy has cancer. To help me get through the three surgeries, months of chemo and six and a half weeks of intensive radiation, I stitched. My cross stitch went everywhere. Nurses put in lines in parts of my arm which would enable some flexibility. I could only use my right arm for treatments and even though my veins were fecked, the nurses all understood how much I needed to put stitch into fabric as I sat there being poisoned with a treatment which would hopefully enable me to see my youngest child reach 16 in five years time. It was a challenge but they were up to it and so I stitched and stitched. After my treatments I took part in a Needlework Guild stitchalong with a year long book of stitching and I made my own designs for it. The book is inlaid with letters for my family, for when I am no longer here. Letters of hope, of understanding and filled with love. I loved the designing process so much that I continued and used my sales to raise money for cancer charities. The whole process of designing charts for me is threefold. Firstly, I get to create things that I would like to see on my own walls and steer my mind away from the fear which lingers, ready to leap up and swallow you whole when you are tired or feeling vulnerable. They bring me joy and pleasure. Secondly, every single chart and stitched finish is something that I can leave behind for my children. My three children can look at the designs and think to themselves, wow; it is possible to achieve whatever you set your heart and mind too. They can see that even in a very difficult time, I rose above it, with just the odd wobble now and then and I made every single day count. I have left my children concrete memories which can never be taken away from them or forgotten in the mists of time. Thirdly, after losing my business because I had to concentrate on getting better, there is the hope that my designs will provide an income. They dont yet, but one day they might. Sadly today I learned of people who get a real kick out of stealing and copying cross stitch designs. They see it as a right, they see it as a challenge and they see me as someone who needs to get a life because I am so against copyright theft. As you can see, for me designing is my life, and if you want me to get a life, perhaps you could help by not stealing it away from me. When you copy one of my charts, you are stealing my legacy to my children: my hopes and dreams, my crutch which got me through a hellish time. And dont accuse me of standing in the way of your fun: I give plenty of charts away for free where there is need and even just for fun. I give back endlessly to this wonderful hobby, whereas you are just taking. So when you are assuming that cross stitch designs come from huge multinational companies with more money than sense, you are wrong. You wouldnt go into a library and sit and photocopy a whole book because you feel it is your God-given right would you? You wouldnt buy a Harry Potter book and scan it and email it around the world would you, just because you bought it and you feel it gives you the right to do what you want with it? Or would you? Well, that would speak more about your character than it would mine.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:19:58 +0000
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