Old Cross Stitches Completed.

 I found a couple of cross stitch kits in a storage box where I keep some yarn. They were old ones that I started way back in the 1990’s and the designers themselves have long since stopped their businesses. So these 2 items as positively ancient.

The first one, a conservatory picture designed by Barbara Thompson, one of a series I think, just needed back stitching on the plant in the bottom left corner. It only took me half hour to do, so why did I leave it so long? I really don’t know.  As you can see from the chart the pattern was copyrighted 1989! 

Anyway having been shopping in Poole, I bought a frame in Wilko’s and I had a small piece of mounting board to cut to size.  It was washed, dried, ironed and framed by Saturday afternoon. It fits into a 5” x 7” frame.

With this was another cross stitch kit, which again only needed back stitching detail, but more than the one above. This one is called the Flying Scotsman at York designed by Masterplan. I used their kits before as they specialised in vehicles. I remember making a Metro one when David was a driving instructor during the mid 90’s and it was one of the learner cars that he had at the time. I don’t know what happened to that 

Anyway, this kit had typed instructions and drawn symbols on the chart and been printed, so no swish computer stuff.

The detailing has taken longer and I have measured up the frame size and will need to get a sheet of mounting board as I haven’t got a piece big enough for this.This will fit into a 10” x 8” frame. So this will be this weeks task. 

EDIT to post (14/6) the Flying Scotsman is finished!

I have since found another cross stitch kit which is an Arsenal shield kit.  Both my sons support Arsenal and this was for their room when they were growing up.  Both are now in their mid thirties and have their own homes now.  This is in an envelope and the postmark is 8 May 1997 - 24 years ago!  I don’t know if my eyes can take working on this, we’ll wait and see.

These were the start of my creativity - cross stitch led to patchwork and quilting, later embroidery.   Though I’ve always been a maker as I’ve knitted and crocheted and made my own clothes from a young age, but these things waned and it wasn’t as easy to get yarn or fabric during the 90’s . I know that for patchwork fabric it was mainly by post (no internet ordering then) or at exhibitions.  There was an embroidery shop locally, closed down years ago and I first saw the cross stitch picture which started me on this. I bought the kit, picture below, and that was it.

I made this for David in 1992 when he qualified as a driving instructor, which he did for 6 - 7 years.

I went on to make more cross stitching pictures which are dotted around the house

An alphabet sampler on the landing

A Morgan in the office

This is in the living room

This one is also in the living room, but I only half finished this one and it was finished off by my  Mum! Very subtle, dark shades were difficult to pick upon this one.

Anyway, that was a potted history of my cross stitch and there might be more sewing content soon.