I Think I Can

Although I've committed to finishing my UFOs before starting anything new, I did grant an exception to new embroidery projects.

This is the sixth and latest page, finished last month, for my Juvenile Embroidery Book. 

 

Here it is with the inspiration fabric.

After I finished the block, I found "The Little Engine That Could" for sale at a library, so I bought it.  

I hadn't read this story since I was very young.  I reread it the other day and realized I only remembered 10% of it.   I didn't remember the moral tales in it, other than the importance of persistence and determination.   I don't want to spoil the story for you, in case you want to read it for yourself.  But there's even a section in there on "good things for boys and girls to eat" and it includes oranges, apples, milk, and spinach!

The reason it says "retold by Watty Piper" is because the story has been around in various forms since at least 1906.  Watty Piper is the pen name of Arnold Munk, owner of the publishing firm Platt & Munk.  This book, from Scholastic, is the 60th anniversary edition with the original text and artwork of Platt & Munk's classic version from 1930.

There's been a couple of movie versions.  I tried this one earlier this week and quit it after 1/2 hour.  To turn a 35-page picture book into a 82-minute movie, you have to add a lot to the plot.  It was so different from the book that I had to stop.  I didn't want my nice cozy book feeling getting usurped by false memories implanted from the movie.

Some of the juvenile embroidery blocks feel creepy to me.  I wasn't sure I wanted to sew them.

But on this page, I saw a clown, a bear, and toy soldiers that are all going to make some good kids happy.  They look like they're having fun.  Do I think I can embroider them now?  Yes, I think I can.