The story of a special brick

I love my brick!

It has served me well, and I still use it when I stitch.

You may wonder what bricks have got to do with embroidery. This particular brick is so much more than just any old brick, but a fancy-shaped paving brick covered in embroidery.

There are many special and practical embroidery stands available in shops now, but for many years, I didn’t have one. I just had my brick. It is the perfect weight for holding my embroidery hoop or frame firmly on the table.

The Story of My Embroidered Brick?

Way back when I studied, we got an assignment to create a 3D object using needlepoint stitches. We could choose to make any object in any size. Of course, my head filled with ideas right away.

At the time, the pavement was being redone near my house, and I remember looking at the pavers and thinking they were in great shape. Somehow, a brick found its way to my apartment.

I really had no plan for the paving brick. I just liked the shape. But then I started thinking. What if….? Could I possibly…? Somehow…?

In my stash of stuff (actually, more likely my mum’s stash at the time) was an old sampler pattern. I used a section of it for the top and stitched it in long-armed cross stitch. This was long before I had built up the multiple drawers filled with threads that I have now, and I did not have the experience to realise just how much thread I would need. So I ran out of golden yellow. Rather than starting over, I just continued stitching with the closest colour I had. The colour difference is quite noticeable, but I think it adds to the character of the brick.

Of course, it would have been easier to find a plain, rectangular brick, but that wouldn’t have been as interesting (or difficult), would it?

Having so many angles on the sides gave me the idea to use a different stitch on each plane—all in the same brick red, but with different types of thread.

It was a fun project, although I have hardly done any needlepoint since.

I had no use for this brick when I started, but while working on the embroidery, I would rest it on my hoop to hold it. I quickly realised how sturdy it was and how much easier it was to stitch when I didn’t have to hold the hoop at the same time.

The rest is history. From the moment my brick was finished, it lived on my work table. It has done hours and hours of work, patiently holding my hoops and frames so I can concentrate on stitching.

I now have more than one embroidery stand, each specifically designed to hold hoops and frames. I would not be without my lovely trestles for my big frames or my best friend, my immensely versatile Lowrey stand.

For a while, my brick sat partially retired on my shelf - sometimes it would hold a pile of books, but mostly it just sat idle.

Recently, I’ve started using my brick again. It is so much easier to take with me if I am stitching outside or away from home. Apart from being heavy, it is easier to carry, and it takes up much less room than a stand. The other thing I really like about using it is that turning my work over to work secure thread tails on the back is so easy, just by lifting my brick - hoop and frame stands can be really awkward.

You can easily have a brick too?

Being able to embroider without holding your hoop or frame makes it so much easier. You don’t need to spend money on stands, but a heavyweight will do the trick quite nicely.

It doesn’t have to be as fancy as this one. All you have to do is wrap a brick with a bit of wadding and cover it with fabric. Wrapping a tea towel around will do the trick, and you will have your own amazing and trustworthy embroidery hoop holder.

Until next time….