I remember building sand castles as a child on different beaches in California. I remember trying to build bigger and better sand castles. I remember running around with buckets and trying to get the perfect shapes for my castle. I remember building too close to the shore line and the ocean washing away a wall I had just built. All of of my memories center on two aspects of humanity - imagination and time.

It took imagination and time to create a cross stitch design like Sand Castles* by Linda Gillum. It took imagination and time from Kooler Design Studio to publish and market this cross-stitch design. It took imagination for a stitcher to see the a finished project hanging on their wall. As well as time to gather supplies and skills neccessary to stitch this project.

Unfortunately, imagination then fades with time as time slowly takes back the skills or the motor functions needed to see and hold a needle. Projects started with imagination and time sit unfinished and abandoned. Sometimes these projects are thrown away by family members who just don't understand their value. Sometimes these projects make it to a thrift store who have to consider space and profitability.

I was given this project, along with others, by a friend whose mother decided she didn't want it or could't stitch it anymore. My friend understood the value of this piece even in its unfinished state. She also knew that I am willing to take unfinished projects and fit them them into my WIP rotation. I may not have the time to finish every project that I currently have started, or others have started. But, I do have the imagination to see all the work behind this one unfinished project as well as the love that went into its creation.

*Sand Castles is one design a trio called By the Sea that appeared in Just Cross Stitch magazine back in 1989.