Lovely Long-Term Finishes

Okay, so, I promised you photos of a finish. Waaaaaaaay back in 1998, my BFF got hitched, and I started a sampler for her. I JUST FINISHED IT. Now there's a rule that you have a year after the wedding to get a gift to the couple in question - I missed by, oh, 11.5 years. I know this. However, it's finished (and now I can work on finishing the next one). At this point, I have to do samplers for: (1) my BFF (again); (2) my Steampunk Goddess friend M; (3) my boss; (4) my kid sister. They are, at this point, six, four, three and three years late - and of them all, only (1) is actually started (but I have the supplies for all of them). Except for (1), they're all original designs, too, which doesn't help... but that's not important right now.

What's important is that it's finished!!


This is supposed to be a pink-roses pattern. I've stitched it before for my college roommate; that one I actually finished and framed the night before the wedding (and they're still married. Of the dozen or so samplers I've done, about half still belong to married couples, which is keeping with the national average). So, for this one, I had to change the colors (Bright Primary Colors!), and I stitched it on smaller-count fabric (18ct v. 14ct), not that it made it go any faster (CLEARLY). Made up the lettering as I went (most of which is obscured, but you can see bits of "September).



The back is just red velvet ("Place fabric facing; stitch around design, leaving small hole to invert; invert, stuff, seal the hole") and some DMC #796 cord made from one skein of #3 Perle Cotton.


Used the leftover velvet on the Scots Santa, and made some quick cord from the leftover dark green silk from the tartan.



Now I have two things I can hand off the next time I see the ladies to whom they go!