Warm Christmas Wishes

Warm Christmas Wishes

6 Hem Sampler

I thought I would add a couple of pictures of things I have had framed recently. Warm Christmas Wishes is an Emie Bishop (Cross 'N Patch) design that I finished a long time ago but hadn't gotten framed. The 6 Hem Sampler is designed by Catherine Strickler of Indigo Rose Designs and was finished quite recently.

Want to see My Son Framed....?

Here it is finally.....I picked this up from the framer a week or so ago but hadn't posted a picture, so enjoy. LHM is very happy to have 'his needlework' at home and hanging on the wall. As an aside, it is the LHM's last single-digit birthday tomorrow *sigh*. He is becoming so grown up. I really miss my 'baby' but I am enjoying seeing him grow into a great little man!

Stitching Goals for May

This is what I hoped to do in April....
:
1. Finish Indigo Rose's "My Son" (WOOHOOO DONE! Pick it up from the framer Saturday!!!)
2. Complete at least 20 hours on "My Country" (A bit more than 20 - it's really progressing well now!)
3. Finish MvS "night" (about 10 hours to go!) (Ummm errrr no didn't even touch this one but THIS MONTH!)
4. Reward myself with a start on the Permin Sampler! (Was strong - held back! but I did do the other two little projects :)

SO for May *drum roll please*

1. I WILL finish MvS "Night" no matter what.
2. I WILL complete at least the third line of text of the My Country Sampler.
3. I WILL have a new major start.....not sure which piece now!

Wish me luck!

Embroidery......a great decorative art

I am reading "Samplers" (Cambridge University Press, 1997) by Carol Humphrey which is a handbook describing the Fitzwilliam Museum's collection of samplers. I read through the 'Preface', which describes how the collection was bequeathed, etc (an interesting story of two very different collectors. But it wasn't till I started reading the 'Introduction' chapter that I got this funny little furrow in my brow?.

Let me quote from the very first paragraph.

"At the end of the twentieth century the story of the sampler is far from over. Surprisingly, at a time when virtually all textiles are mass-produced and women are increasingly employed outside the home, there has been a revival in embroidery. Of course embroidery can never again be one of the great decorative arts that flourished prior to the Industrial Revolution."

I would be very interested in others' opinions here....why would embroidery have ceased to be one of the great decorative arts, and just when did that occur. Embroidery is by default decorative in all its forms......now, it's not one of the "great" decorative arts? I find this statement disturbing to say the least. I still consider it the greatest of the decorative arts, perhaps someone forgot to tell me of its decline.....Yes, I know its popularity has declined, but I just can't agree with that statement. Perhaps the practice of 'hand' embroidery has dwindled, but even modern machine embroidery is still decorative is it not?

The book however, is a great reference and is full of gorgeous pictures and very detailed histories and descriptions...a must for any sampler lover.

What 'gender' is MY brain.....?

I saw this on someone else's blog and though it was a bit of fun. I think it describes me pretty well!

Your Brain is 53.33% Female, 46.67% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

Take the quiz yourself....

Celtic Heart - M Designs

My Latest finish is a design by M Designs called Celtic Heart (Just Crossstitch Magazine - August 2004). This was stitched on an unidentified piece of blue-ish grey 32 count linen I found in my fabric drawer and Caron Waterlillies Antique Rose. I might do a few of these as gifts for friends - four days from start to finish. I call these projects 'holiday stitching' - they are the things I stitch when I want to take a holiday from a difficult or larger piece!

Forgive me it's not pressed yet :) I was keen to have a picture posted so I just threw it in the scanner :)