Throwback Thursday - 2004 (Part 11)

In September 2004, I finished these four lovely projects:


Rose Pillow

One of my online friends decided to try stitching a design on a pre-finished pillow sham. This means the front of the pillow is made of cross-stitch fabric, and the back is a plain fabric with an opening in which the pillow is inserted. The pillow sham is already completed, so you stitch the front through the opening on the back. It's a little tricky at first.

I mentioned to my friend that I also had a project in my stash that was stitched on a pre-finished pillow sham. We decided to have an informal stitch-along where we would each work on different patterns, but on this "new-to-us" item.

This pillow took a little longer than my usual "year of the small project" where I complete the stitchery in five days or less, but it was still a fairly quick piece to stitch. Best of all, I got around to stitching a project that had been waiting for me for a nine years.

It matches the Rose Bellpull I stitched in 1995.

Halloween Whimsie

I started this simple project one night simply because I had a headache. This appeared to be a pattern I'd be able to stitch without having to think too hard.

It's a simple, small hanging decoration, stitched on perforated plastic. It came as a complete kit from Dimensions. It's got pretty detailed shading for such an easy piece. 

I still have this Whimsie and display it on my front porch each October.

Pretty Heart Bookmark

I fell in love with this leaflet called Pretty Bookmarks by Leisure Arts through an online auction. This is the first of three bookmarks I stitched for October birthday for women in my quilt group.

Pretty Autumn Bookmark

This bookmark is made from the same leaflet as the Pretty Heart Bookmark above, but I made a few changes from what the pattern called for.

First, I picked some nice autumn colors instead of using the pastel colors called for in the chart. I also added a 5th color to give it more pizzazz.

Next, I decided to make this bookmark shorter. I used three motifs instead of four.

Finally, I decided to make this bookmark with a point at the bottom. So I took the gold "dividing line" and adapted it into a stitched point that follows the point of the completed bookmark.

It's amazing to me that such little changes can make a big difference in how the finished pattern looks.