Previous Projects: The Final Chapter

Here it is.

The Final Chapter.

The Last Part.

The End of the Saga.

The final batch of previous works. I could probably stretch it into another two posts, but I hate it when they do that with films so I won't be doing it here! Take that Peter Jackson!

So, top of the page we have The James Younger Gang.

One of my earliest framing jobs and not one I'm overly proud of to be honest, as I didn't do a very good job of sticking it to the backing board. Still, I love the picture so it stays on the wall.

Next (erm...just wait while I grab a random picture...)

Ah, ok, that's Golden Gate Avenue.

Primarily it was the colours and variety in styles for each house that drew me to this design.

Also, I'd just finished Gift of the Eagle Feather and I really wanted to do something easy.

The frame originally had a wolf picture in it (professionally framed) which I was never pleased with. So, recycled it was.

Now, onto Titanic

I really like this picture. I'm a fan of old style posters and product labels so this one appealed to me.

As an aside, this design also caused a bit of a fracas on Facebook....

In my early days of joining Facebook (last year) the first cross stitch group I joined were quite happy to blatantly discuss breaking copyright law.

One particular lady had stitched this design from a chart she'd found on the internet. But, it was a very small image and missing bits, so she'd had to improvise.

Needless to say, it looked like dog poo! Even so, people were saying how nice it was and asking where she got it (hence knowing it was an illegal copy).

Me, being the diplomatic soul I am supplied the information for the official kit and where to buy it - along with this picture to show how good it could look if stitched from a genuine kit.

I won't repeat here the names I was called by those so-called 'friendly ladies' whose love of cross stitch obviously didn't extend to respecting the copyright ownership of the things they worked on.

I didn't stay around long enough to even suggest they wash their mouths out with a bar of soap.

Thankfully, I found better groups later (*waves to anyone from the groups I'm now in* Hellooooo!)

Erm....moving on swiftly.

To: Humphrey's Corner

I LOVE this little elephant and his family. They're just adorable. But, what really makes the designs for me is the attention to detail in the shading and back stitch.

I have two more in my stash. Yay!

Here we have Not For You from the Hummel range.

As far as I am concerned this is one of the loveliest ranges of cross stitch figures. We own a few Hummel figurines (including this one) so it's great to stitch them too.

For my next trick I present...Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Ok, technically it's Foxes and Tigers and Bears, but let's not quibble!

These little foxes were stitched as a present for Nigel.

 My first ever tiger. I hated doing it, but loved the end result.

And this is Heavy Going Grizzly. Whenever we have guests this is the one that usually gets the comment "I thought that was a painting". Always makes me smile.

By the standard of today's charts - many of which really DO look like a painting, this one doesn't. But, it's still nice to hear.

I always find it amusing though, because, when I was stitching this one I really loathed it. Too many shades of brown. My first experience with confetti stitches and all that damned snow!

When it was done I chucked in my stash box (Yep. Back in those days I only had ONE box!)

6 months later - while looking for something else - I came across this picture and thought "That's nicer than I remember". So, off I trotted to the framers and this is what I got.

Now I absolutely love it!

Bored yet? Well, were in the home stretch, so just hang in there!

This is the imaginatively titled Lighthouses.

Another design I really enjoyed stitching. Varied colours but really easy to stitch.

One of my earliest professionally framed projects was this Winnie-the-Pooh Yearly Calendar design.

I'm not overly fond of it now, but it took me so long to complete I keep it around.

And last, but by no means least, the only two designs - to date - that have been made into cushions.

Nigel is a dab hand with a sewing machine and he created these.

The 6 small designs from the Woodland Folk range I bought in a local store for £2.49 each and the material was a bargain bin swatch that also cost £2. The ribbon and buttons cost about £2.50.

So, including the small amount of thread to sew it all together this cushion cost us less than £20.

Bargain!

I should also say that the button cushion behind and to the right, and the beach marquee one on the left were also made by Nigel. Told you he was a dab hand!

This next one is Strawberry House Sampler.

Another massive bargain. This one I picked up in an antique store for £2. Complete kit.

Once again the material was a £2 bargain bin swatch.

So, all told (including the inner pillow) this one was about £12.

So, that's it.

No more trips down memory lane where I reminisce about each of my projects.

I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have.

But, from this point forward...it's just NEW, NEW, NEW!

(Which is probably a good thing given the amount of Tilton Crafts charts I've bought - check out my entry about TC to see the 4 new ones I bought today).

HAPPY STITCHING!