Many years ago, Susan introduced me to the world of stitchery. I started
with a fairly simple latch hook kit of Kermit the Frog's face. Later I tried
a stamped cross-stitch (x-stitch) kit but never really got interested in it.
Then Susan gave me a counted x-stitch pattern, and I decided that's what I
like to do best. I've also done needlepoint, both traditional and longstitch.
I tried crewel once, but that requires more skill and artistic ability than
I have. As an engineer, I like fabric that already has holes where I'm supposed
to put the needle.
My first needlepoint projects were a couple of pillows. One is bargello and the other is a sampler. I worked on the latter on a plane flight, which caused my boss (and fellow traveler) to nickname me Madame Defarge. Obviously I can't scan them to put their pictures here, so I've taken pictures with my digital camera.
Some of the latch hook projects we've made have been very large. I'm currently
just over half way
into a picture of a grey Arabian horse's head. It has 14 colors, which isn't so
bad, but the rug is 27" by 40" and will require 15,000 stitches.
Actually, many of the projects either haven't been completed, or haven't been
framed. Sometimes the fun is in the sewing, or even just collecting pattern
books. We've both made x-stitch pictures as gifts to other people. I've done a
few birth announcements, although I haven't finished the one for my niece and
she's 15 now.
Susan likes relatively simple projects. My mom likes to do needlepoint on plastic canvas, and I got her started on counted x-stitch. I've also made some refrigerator magnets and a doorstop. I prefer samplers or complex pictures. Below are some of the projects I've completed. They're roughly in chronological order. I'll start a picture, get distracted or lose interest, maybe start a second one, and eventually get back and finish it. Sometimes the process takes several years.
| There once was a stitcher named Pete. |
| On the 'Net, many friends he did meet. |
| But this took time away |
| From his stitching each day, |
| So he stitched while he typed with his feet. |
Click on any picture or its description to see a larger version.
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