Needle, thread, and bookmarks

I had forgotten the peace that comes with needle work. Hand-sewing, embroidery, threading, and cross-stitching are all hobbies that I consider in danger of extinction. Who the heck still does any of that stuff (apart from old women who have been brought up with these things and for some reason haven`t passed that knowledge on)?

OK, I am exaggerating a little bit, there are still some people who still do all those wonderful things but I do truly feel that its disappearing in my neck of the woods. I just learnt that Fabricville in Chateauguay is closed, and Couds-Si Couds-Sa was also closed, which means there is nowhere to get fabric and talk to other needle-thread-fabric lovers in Chateauguay. :( For awhile I felt a little discouraged, I mean who am I to try to turn back the technology clock and try to perfect my (rusty) art of the needle? But that didn't last long and I promptly adopted a new project that would practice my cross-stitching skills.

Enter the bookmark. I looove bookmarks. It might be because I have many, many books. But for whatever reason, I have sort of a mini collection that grew over the years. So it was a perfect project for my cross-stitching renewal! Here is what I drafted so far:

Peace begins with a smile w/ rosebud vines & cross

I'm still not settled on it though. The quote is one of my favorites from Mother Teresa, but I'm thinking to either raise it, or add another smaller layer of vines at the top (those are rosebuds and leaves at the bottom, if my drawing doesn't show it). Or maybe just enlarge the words, and maybe also add a simple border around to frame it in. Hmmm...