I used to do a lot of counted cross stitching. Then as time went on and I started having less energy when I got home from teaching, things began to fall by the wayside, and cross stitching was one. A few weeks before last Christmas, something spurred me to dig into a basket and pull out a tin I knew contained little cards for St. Nicholas type Santas. And there I found one in process, started I don't know when. I decided it would be a good TV project and began to stitch again.
Counted cross stitch is another area where I prefer primitive type projects, and a company called The Prairie Schooler was the source of my favorite St. Nicholas designs. They published a card every year with a new design and somewhere back in the '90's, I chanced upon them and began collecting. I don't have them all, but I have quite a few!
I have several framed that I have used for probably at least twenty Christmases, but in the tin I also found two completed St. Nick's in addition to the one I began working on. They are the two on the bottom and I finished the top one today.
I've discovered two things. My eyes are older!! I need to use reading glasses and take out my contacts. If I do that, the stitching is easy; if I don't, not so much. And the fabric I use, 18 count Davos in khaki, is proving very hard to find. I have enough for one more, but there are all those others! I've found one source on line, but I've not taken the plunge yet. Scratch that. With Dan's blessing, I just ordered a yard. A very expensive yard.
Merry Christmas! ♥
Your primitives are lovely! Years ago I tried to do counted cross stitch scenes. I just loved them. In fact I can think of at least four kits I still have in various stages of completion. But, I've had to accept it's just not my medium. I'm proud of several nice pieces that daughter Hallie has done.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you and Dan decided that expensive yard of Davos is worth the price. It brings up another--that materials and various costs change as we go along. For instance, I want to make old-fashioned sock dolls, but today's socks aren't like the ones "back in the day."
Well, if you're looking for perfection, don't look at my work! As I worked on the "found" St. Nick, I discovered numerous errors (must have been an exciting TV show on when I stitched it!) that I had to work around, but as I told Dan, who'll know but me?
DeleteHmm, seems like I've seen socks for dolls in some craft catalogs, but maybe just the ones for the monkeys?
You're right that no one will know but you, and it doesn't matter. The design is just a guideline anyway.
DeleteIf you see socks for doll making, please let me know. Today's "one size fits all" sock stretches (and stretches and stretches). Very disappointing for doll making. Also disappointing is that in my previous lives, I've tossed many vintage socks.