Needlework: An introduction to some of my finished pieces
One of the first pieces I remember stitching is a combination stamped cross stitch and crewel embroidery rendition of an old-fashioned coffee grinder. I don't know if I knew what a coffee grinder was at the time - I was probably about 12 or 13 years old. I still have this piece, it's actually quite good and it is still displayed in my kitchen.
Many of my completed cross stitch pieces were Christmas decorations or gifts. I have a dozen nieces and nephews. Over the years I have made a personalized Christmas ornament for each of them and most were completed in time for their first Christmas, except for my goddaughter, Emily. Emily's stocking took me a couple of years to complete because although it started out as just a cross stitch design of a Christmas Panda, we were experimenting with crazy quilting in EGA around that time, so I decided the stocking had to be crazy quilted. I have always been more comfortable following charts and instructions . . . actually, I need them. In this case, I had to be creative and make it up as I went along, which was torturous, but the results were quite wonderful, if I do say so myself. When it came time to assemble the front and back of the stocking, my trusted old Kenmore sewing machine refused to stitch even one seam. That's when I began looking for a new sewing machine with maybe a few extra features . . . and ended up with my Husqvarna Viking Designer SE. Emily's new little brother, Richie, didn't get his ornament in time for his first Christmas either, 'cuz their dad requested a second stocking. Nephews #11 & #12 just arrived in 2007, so I still have time to finish those.
Another Christmas-themed piece that I am very proud of (and display in my home all year long) is my adaptation of Santa of the Forest (designed by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum--Told in a Garden / Lavender & Lace / Butternut Road). This piece took me several years to complete. I worked on other projects in between, but I got "stuck" a few times; I worked on this piece consistently after 9/11/2001 and had completed all but the wolf's face, when I lost my first westie girl, Wyndi, and I just couldn't bear to look at it again for months. I eventually was inspired to finish it and I'm so glad I did. Santa's face is stitched one over one, and I have made a number of color/fiber substitutions and added gold-toned moon and stars charms (because my Santa is in the forest at night). The framing was done at Where Victoria's Angels Stitch. This piece won a third place People's Choice award at our Bergen Needlework Fair in 2003.
Shortcut to my Needlework Links page (links to designers' pages and other resources)
Many of my completed cross stitch pieces were Christmas decorations or gifts. I have a dozen nieces and nephews. Over the years I have made a personalized Christmas ornament for each of them and most were completed in time for their first Christmas, except for my goddaughter, Emily. Emily's stocking took me a couple of years to complete because although it started out as just a cross stitch design of a Christmas Panda, we were experimenting with crazy quilting in EGA around that time, so I decided the stocking had to be crazy quilted. I have always been more comfortable following charts and instructions . . . actually, I need them. In this case, I had to be creative and make it up as I went along, which was torturous, but the results were quite wonderful, if I do say so myself. When it came time to assemble the front and back of the stocking, my trusted old Kenmore sewing machine refused to stitch even one seam. That's when I began looking for a new sewing machine with maybe a few extra features . . . and ended up with my Husqvarna Viking Designer SE. Emily's new little brother, Richie, didn't get his ornament in time for his first Christmas either, 'cuz their dad requested a second stocking. Nephews #11 & #12 just arrived in 2007, so I still have time to finish those.
Another Christmas-themed piece that I am very proud of (and display in my home all year long) is my adaptation of Santa of the Forest (designed by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum--Told in a Garden / Lavender & Lace / Butternut Road). This piece took me several years to complete. I worked on other projects in between, but I got "stuck" a few times; I worked on this piece consistently after 9/11/2001 and had completed all but the wolf's face, when I lost my first westie girl, Wyndi, and I just couldn't bear to look at it again for months. I eventually was inspired to finish it and I'm so glad I did. Santa's face is stitched one over one, and I have made a number of color/fiber substitutions and added gold-toned moon and stars charms (because my Santa is in the forest at night). The framing was done at Where Victoria's Angels Stitch. This piece won a third place People's Choice award at our Bergen Needlework Fair in 2003.Shortcut to my Needlework Links page (links to designers' pages and other resources)
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