Embroidery - or Paint-by-numbers with thread

Lately I have appreciated the art of embroidery. It is one of my many "needlework" related hobbies, but I have always followed a pattern designed by others. For example this number (from a while back)

The pattern IS from a magazine, so there will be copyrights....

That being said, in essence, an embroidery, whether cross-stitch or tent-stitch (petit-point) or more elaborate stitches, are really Paint-by-numbers as can be seen in this picture (since all threads come coded with a number DMC 7402 for example):

Although both examples are fairly recent, embroidery has a long history, that according to some websites dates back to the Iron Age. I am more intruiged by the use of embroidery in the Bible, where gold-thread was used for the robes of Kings. I wish I could see an example of this type, just simply because embroidery is so fragile and does not usually last. I can find only historic military uniforms embroidered with gold thread that would give me an idea of what it looked like.

The veil in the temple also was embroidered with blue, purple and scarlet (all very expensive colours - as blogged about previously under the series of All the Colours of the Rainbow). How fitting that no expense was spared for God's temple.

But jsut like an embroidery takes shape, so our lives are taking shape as God forms and transforms it. Often the analogy is that our lives are a tapestry that we see from the back, where things seem quite messy. But, when we are with Him in heaven, we can see the beautiful picture that He has created from the mess of this world. An example - the same embroidery (tapestry) seen from the back and then from the front.

This shows, that no matter how messy our lives get, He can create a beautiful picture.