Cross Stitch Shame

I’ve loved peeking at all the beautiful cross stitch creations that have been on show for the last week or so thanks to Chookyblue’s interest.

I don’t have any to share.

I did do lots of cross stitch in the early 90s, but I was a member of a local craft shop and I just made many, many cards and book marks which have all been sold, so nothing to show for it.

I was introduced to cross stitch very early.  I fell in love with samplers after seeing one in the museum at Port Macquarie while on holidays.  It was completed by a 7 year old and that just amazed me, as I was about that age at the time.

This basket hides my shame.

This is my first cross stitch UFO. I know that Grandma was still alive when I started it and she died when I was 9 – in 1974.

It would have been much better worked in more than 2 strands, and as I didn’t like the way it was looking, didn’t finish it.  It is supposed to be a placemat with a row of little Dutch girls.

My next foray into cross stitch was in Year 12 Textiles and Design. The little slip of paper is the marks from the teacher – 88/100.

I found the acorn border pattern on the inside cover on a beautiful book on stitchery.  The remainder of the designs came from this little book which Mum had given me. There was very little available on the subject back then.

As you can see there is still a lot to do.  This is the design which is supposed to go in the big area at the bottom.

Thread and colour selection were determined by the contents of Mum’s thread box, hence the rather mish mashed look.  None of them were bought.  They are Semco, Coats Anchor and even some old Perilusta – no DMC back then.  That was all very well until you ran out of a colour, and that is what was happening with the green for the forest. I think I was also daunted as to what colours to use for the sleigh and horses.  Therefore, it got put away. 

There were much more fun things to be doing when I had just finished school, so I never pulled it out again. Also, if you look closely, all the cross stitches are done back to front.  They were started from the top left, not the bottom.

Maybe one day I will finish it off.  Nah, probably not.

While I’m sharing my shame I will show you my oldest UFO of all, which also resides in the same basket.

I know that I started this little tapestry when I was 5! Once again, the threads came from Mum’s box and the green was going to run out before the grass was finished.  Therefore, it was put away.  In hindsight, I’m really surprised that Mum didn’t push me a bit more to finish it. Oh, well, it will continue to languish in my basket. It will never be thrown out, but never finished.

The most recent little bit of cross stitch I have done is this lovely bookmark.  I bought the kit in 2007 at Fort Augustus on the shores of Loch Lomond and worked it while we were travelling around.  It was lovely to sit quietly and stitch at times and is a nice memento of that trip.

I’m guessing that as a result of Chookyblue’s inspiration there will be a cross stitch revival among the blogging community as so many have also been cross stitchers. It will be interesting to see.