Throwback Thursday - 2007 Part 07

This time I'm traveling back to May 2007. when I completed five cross-stitch projects. Jump in the Wayback Machine with me and let's take a trip.


Love One Another

This design by by Alma Lynne of Jeanette Crews Designs was stitched for a charity quilt with an Americana theme. Each stitcher used one of several patterns picked specifically for this quilt. All the patterns were found online at PatternsOnline.com — which is a very convenient way to purchase them.

One of the things I loved most about being a part of a charity stitching group was that the patterns for most of the quilt squares didn't take long to stitch, and there was a huge variety of themes to choose from. It gave me a chance to stitch patterns that I might not have a place for in my own life, but that someone else can enjoy.

Skating Reindeer #4

This is the May ornament I stitched for a charity project. It's an extremely small reindeer pattern that I found in a book of borders: Bordering on the Edge, Collection 1 by Designer: Lynn Waters Busa of Graph It Arts. The silver skates weren't part of the pattern, but I added them in since I was on a "skating reindeer" kick. Then for a little extra fun, I stitched a real bell around his neck.

Blackwork Bookmark

In 2007 I had a goal to stitch a bookmark each month for a charity program. They were donated to children's hospitals. Since children's hospitals care for kids up to 18 yrs old, I decided to make a bookmark that might appeal to a teenager. 

I found this blackwork pattern from Cross-Stitch and Beyond as a freebie online. I used up some floss left over from a kit, so I stitched the "blackwork" in salmon and green. Blackwork is a technique where you stitch in a way that the completed piece is reversible.

To finish it, I stitched a row of nun's stitch along the edge, then fringed the edges to the stitching line. I added a row of green running stitch behind the nun's stitch to balance the colors.

Humble Gratitude

Here's a piece by 4 My Boys that I stitched in 2006, but completed the finishing in May 2007.  I used the stitching as the pocket of a tote bag.

I used an old crushed velvet bedspread as the fabric for my tote. This is one of my favorite pieces. I kept it for myself and use it every Fall.

Pray for Peace

This design from Birds of a Feather was one I started in October 2004 on United Nations Day. I chose some colors for the dove that were very harsh. I didn't like the way it was stitching up. So it sat around for several years before I figured out how to fix it.

I decided to remove the original stitching and re-stitch the dove with softer shades of grey. It changed the feel of the piece quite a bit. I also altered the pattern a little, changing some of the colors and leaving off some of the elements that looked "junky" to me.

I ended up finishing this as a "No Sew Decorative Cube" in February 2008. That's called persistence ... or maybe procrastination. In any case, I kept the finished cube for myself and use it as a decoration each year around the 4th of July.

The next installment of #throwbackthursday will feature more cross-stitch from the summer of 2007.