WIPs and firsts

I'm actually going to take a whack at finishing a couple of Christmas ornaments. I'm going to try flat finishes, because my sewing skills are...pretty much non-existant, and I'd like to have them done by this Christmas.

I've made a bit of progress on my Crossed Wing Collection snowmen, and started on a geeky Star Wars-themed thing. It's dorky and I can't wait to get it done.

This weekend I took some pictures of the first cross stitch projects I ever completed, which I gave to my parents.

It's been a good 20 years since I did these, and I don't know the provenance of the patterns. The first one was a kit, I know that; and the second came from a cross stitch pattern collection book I had checked out from the library. But that's all I know.

EDIT: WHAT. I dug out a box of keepsakes looking for some papers, and waaaaay down at the bottom I found the old kit pattern. !!! What are the odds that I would run across it today?? It's a 1995 Cross My Heart, Inc. kit called "Sabre Wing Hummingbirds."

First cross stitch project ever:

From an oooooold kit by Cross My Heart, Inc.
Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking. Blending filament, 1/4 stitches, an absolute mess of back-stitching... And I'd never done cross stitch before. At least it was on Aida cloth. But it turned out really nice, I thought.

And then, instead of learning my lesson from that first project, I immediately chose another project (on linen this time, wtf) that required blending filament through 95% of the pattern.

From a book of cross stitch patterns; don't remember the book or designer

After this one, I did a couple of projects that ended up with my sister, and then I did the Lavender and Lace Angel of Autumn, which was for me, took like ten years, and is upstairs. I'll have to get a picture of it.

Speaking of Lavender and Lace, I also got a picture of the framed Nantucket Rose from my parents' house; sharing because it's purty.

Nantucket Rose by Lavender and Lace/Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum




Comments

Katie said…
Beautiful pieces! My first piece ever was crazy complicated too. Nothing like jumping into a hobby with both feet haha.
Justine said…
Just found your new blog - you have some lovely finishes! I did exactly the same as you and started with really complicated pieces. My second piece was a Teresa Wentzler castle which I would struggle to complete now! I think ignorance is (sometimes) a good thing.
Deb said…
Wonderful stitching! Love your nantucket rose. Have that in my to do pile.