June: Rainbows - Palettes and Prom

Welcome to June! We made it to the halfway point of 2023. Can you believe it? I can't. I really can't. I'm still 100% sure that it's the middle of March. Time is a construct.

Anyway, there's so much going on in June. My 44th birthday is coming up. My dad is turning 75 later in the month. I'm going to Detroit to see my cousin's first gallery exhibit. It's Pride Month. It's not a millions degrees outside yet. Peonies and sunflowers are in bloom. June is magical and lovely. 

This month's stitch journal is all about rainbows. I admit I didn't have a fully formed plan for this month's item until about 10 days ago. When I first selected the gray tank top for June, I was thinking I'd do an actual visible mending piece since I really haven't done that yet and visible mending is one of the inspirations for this year's project. I wasn't 100% on that idea by the time mid-May rolled around. I wanted to focus on something more abstract and fun and bright (which visible mending is and can be). I realized my December journal will be a better time for visible mending so I decided to use one of my favorite things for inspiration for June: the rainbow.

If you ask my mom about when I was born, she'll tell you two things:

1. My dad was delayed in getting to the hospital when my mom went into labor and the doctor had to hold me off from making my debut until he got to the hospital and, 
2. There was a rainbow in the sky when I was born. 

I've been told both of these stories my whole life. Rainbows were a big part of my bedroom decor when I was younger and Rainbow Brite will always be my favorite childhood toy. Rainbows have a lot of symbolic meanings, from good luck to hope to new beginnings. I always associate them with calm since they usually come after a storm. The rainbow part of both the 2021 and 2022 stitch journal projects and I thought devoting an entire month to rainbows would be an excellent way to spend June. I wanted to spend some time with shapes this month, so the majority of the piece will feature circles and ovals. I was going to only use four stitches, but changed my mind when I drew the pattern. I'm going to use a variety of stitches and try to include at least two new stitches if possible. 

June is also Pride Month and the rainbow is a symbol of equality. There are different versions of the Pride flag, starting with the Gilbert Baker design. The traditional version, the six color version, is probably one of the best known designs and has been used as a symbol of pride for over 40 years. The color palette I've selected for this month's stitch journal includes the colors from the traditional flag, the Philadelphia Pride flag, the Progress Pride flag, and the Bi, Pan, and Genderqueer flags. I found this resource online and it was one of the few that had the DMC thread numbers. Thank you to the person who put this together and shared it online.

We're living in a weird, weird time. I never thought I'd say to myself, "wow, 1995 was really progressive." Now more than ever, the LGBTQ+ community needs allies and needs us to be vocal in our support. I don't want this month to just be about how much I love rainbows. I love rainbows a lot, but I love my LGBTQ+ friends more. Each week, in addition to my regular recap, I'll be sharing a link to an organization that supports the LGBTQ+ community, with a focus on organizations that support youth programming. I hope this helps people get more involved in supporting the LGBTQ+ community, whether you decide to volunteer your time, donate money, or help advocate for these organizations. 

It's still prom season, so this week I'd like to share more information about Safe Space NOVA. Safe Space NOVA is dedicated to providing a safe environment for LGBTQ+ youth. They're hosting their second annual Pride Prom later this month for youth in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. Pride proms have been happening for the last few years giving a safe place to enjoy prom. Safe Space NOVA is expecting to host 300 attendees at this year's event. In addition to a place where they can come and be themselves, attendees can also partake in games, art, and win door prizes. You can donate to Safe Space NOVA or help provide door prizes for prom (that's what I did this year). 

If this month's theme bothers you, well, that's a you problem, not a me problem. Maybe use this month to reflect on why this bothers you and maybe take some time to educate yourself using the resources I share. If that's not an option for you, you can get the fuck off my blog. I have neither time nor patience for hate or ignorance. 

Here's this week's recap:

June 1 - French knots, stem stitch, chain stitch, satin stitch

June 2 - buttonhole wheel, lazy daisy, French knots

June 3 - buttonhole wheel, whipped back stitch, satin stitch, seed stitch

I decided not to combine the first three days of June with next week, so there will be five posts for June. Bonus! Next week, I'll share some updates on the Iconic series and will be embroidering on the road again while I visit family in Detroit.