Throwback Thursday - 2002 (Part 2)

I made these projects from June through September 2002


Alaskan Whale Christmas Ornament

This is the fourth in a series of ornaments I picked up while Dale and I were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in Alaska.

I used 14ct tan aida. I finished it using a flat ornament method and made the (strange-looking) cording from some variegated 4-ply yarn.

Russian Church Christmas Ornament

This is the fifth in the series of Christmas ornaments from Calico Cache. It depicts the Russian Cathedral in Sitka, Alaska. I really wanted to explore this church, but since we were in Sitka for such a short time, I didn't get the chance. I did see the outside of the church while on a bus tour. I stitched this ornament on a scrap of 25ct white Lugana and finished it like a little pillow with a satin ribbon hanger.

Totem Pole Christmas Ornament

This is the sixth and last in the Calico Cache designs from Alaska. The bottom of this totem pole is a beaver, the center is a whale, and the top is an eagle. This is also stitched on 25ct white Lugana, finished as a little pillow, and has a picot edged satin ribbon hanger. Lugana is one of my favorite fabrics to use for cross-stitch.

Hydrangea Blossom Daydream

I whipped this Dimensions Daydream kit up in a day for my ailing next door neighbor. My teenage daughter Julie was invited to her 72nd birthday party. I wanted to give Peggy a special gift with flowers because she filled her yard with flowers that I got to enjoy. Peggy's illness made it almost impossible for her to go outside anymore.

These Daydream kits are simple and pretty. The color blending is very nice. The charts are quite detailed. The little dragonfly charm was part of the kit, along with the green corrugated cardboard. The kits in this collection retailed for about $10. The finished size is a 5" square.

Twill

Gosh, I enjoy this set of fairy designs by Ronda Jean! There were three or four in the series, but Twill is the only one I've stitched so far. I've kept it for myself. The designer describes her piece this way:

Have you ever wondered where all those lost needles go? Well ... let me introduce you to "Twill" -- the guardian fairy of lost needles. Making his home in or very near your favorite cross-stitch place, Twill gathers needles of every size for his collection. If you're quick, you might see his twinkle of light as he goes about his rounds.

Twill is stitched on 25ct blue Lugana. The chart called for a lot of specialty fibers that I didn't have, so I made a lot of substitutions. The blue button is from my grandmother's button collection. The spool at Twill's feet is wrapped with a silk ribbon that ends in his hand, threaded through a real needle. Another real needle rests below the spool of thread. I made the tiny tassel for the tip of his cap to put some of my tassel education to use.

I framed Twill in a simple gold frame with a maroon mat, adding a touch of fiberfill between the stitching and foam core to give the finished piece a soft appearance.

I think of Twill more as an elf than as a fairy and display him every Christmas.

A Mouse?

I found this kit in a half price bin at my local needlework shop. The goofy expression on the cat's face drew me in. My oldest daughter really liked it, so I stitched it for her as a way of congratulating her for getting through a tough school year.

Stitching on perforated plastic was a nice change from fabric, even through it goes a bit more slowly because I needed to alter my usual stitching style. By stitching on plastic, there is no way to poke the needle through a wrong hole, like can happen when stitching on an evenweave. There are no quarter stitches, so stitching in all whole cross-stitch takes much less mental effort.

I enjoy the finishing on this piece. The paw print, the fish, the sign, and the cat are all separate pieces which are assembled on a twisted piece of wire.

I'll finish showing my 2002 projects in my next #throwbackthursday post.