Arrant Knaves All

I recently read If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio.

The novel tells the story of a group insular theater students at an elite conservatory who end up part of a murderous plot. In addition to murder (!!!), the seven students go through the typical coming of age trials while quoting Shakespeare in a constant and dramatic fashion. If you've read Donna Tartt's The Secret History, this book is very similar in plot and not quite as well crafted. The set up is a little clunky and some of the characters could be better fleshed out. That said, the book kept my interest and I really enjoyed the beautiful bits of Shakespearean language scattered throughout the story.

In fact, it almost inspired me to go back and re-read some of Shakespeare's plays. I didn't end up doing that, but I was inspired to create this Halloween themed cross-stitch project featuring Hamlet's quote "We are arrant knaves all. Believe none of us."

I've done a few cross-stitch projects and I like the challenge of developing designs that work on the square grid patterns. It's creative but constrained by the structure. Lately, however, I've been browsing the embroidery boards on Pinterest and I'm loving the variety of stitches, the curves and textures that just can't be achieved on a piece of 14pt Aida fabric. Maybe I'll give it try. Any embroidery fans out there? I'd love to hear your tips for getting started.