Wednesday 16 August 2017

One last rescue

 Remember in my last post I showed you a picture of some tiny cross stitch pieces I had made into cards for for my Mum?  I was touched that she had kept them and delighted that I had the fortune to find them. They are wonderful mementos of both my Mum and also my very early days of cross stitching. I had done quite a bit of tapestry and needlepoint as a child and teen. Kits were often received as Christmas and birthday gifts. Sadly all of those pieces are now gone. Then there was a break until my second child was due in 1992. There was a new cross stitch magazine on the market and it was advertised on tv while I was pregnant. I went out to look for a copy. I didn't really like that one, but noticed others on the shelf beside it. One had a freebie on the front!  I was hooked!
I didn't have to wait long before the next issue and another freebie came along.
While I can't tell you the exact dates these pieces were stitched, I can confidently say they were all freebies, from magazine fronts.
Sew anyway, I had a look through my scrap bin and tried out a few different fabrics, the original thinking was this layout but all bordered with the same fabric. Nothing seemed to feel right though. Then as I continued to mine through the scraps I came upon a seam of batiks.
Now we're talking. And as they were off cuts from charm squares, I didn't even have to trim much away.
Unfortunately one piece required a little addition! But I can live with that.
 Then I wondered what to do next and remembered a neutral Bali pop that Tony had gifted to me a few Christmases ago. When I pulled it out I discovered some off cuts tucked into the back of the open packet. (I cannot for the life of me think where I used these fabrics). and again, there was just enough to add a little to each side of the colourful pieces and three pieces to join them all top to bottom.
Then back into my pop I went and found the same design but in a slightly darker colour way. 
 Enough to border the whole thing and a final two very similar slices to add binding. 
The back is just a piece of boring beige fabric.
I quilted it using my walking foot and some of the pretty vine stitches on my sewing machine. 
I didn't want anything too much, just simple stitches to show case the tiny designs I had stitched for my Mum. 
The addition of the hanger and it is almost complete. One day I'll make a hand sewn label  that explains the piece.  It is a little too big to hang with my other recent rescue and refinish jobs.
So has a space of its very own in my quilting room.
I'm delighted with it. Sweet but simple.
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For those of you who are waiting.......
A froggie update.
This first picture was taken on Sunday morning. 
I did get to stitch on Sunday evening for a while.
Then after I had finished with the wall hanging on Monday, I stitched until Tony came home and then again after dinner.
Sometimes a cross stitch project can seem to drag on and on. So it's nice to take and date progress pictures then I can see the difference made in a session or two. The first half of this piece did seem to draw out a little, not so this second half! 
Today, after I do the domestics, that middle frog will get his eye!
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Maybe today I'll make another row of the bitty quilt too. But if I'm going to do that I need to put the lap top down and get on with my day!

Have fun today, what ever you choose or have to do.

3 comments:

AnnieO said...

These sweetly framed pieces are a lovely remembrance of your Mum, whom you miss so much. They look wonderful in the little wall hanging. More cross stitch time sounds good--I need to pick up some linen for my latest pattern purchase. Enjoy!

Janice said...

I think your latest rescue is my favourite. A really lovely memento. Your frogs are coming along nicely too.

Maria said...

It is hard sometimes to find the right fabric but your lovely stitcheries look fabulous now as the wall hanging.

Yes cross stitch is time consuming but such fun...