Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Everything Old is New Again!

This is so exciting! I have reconnected with an old love of mine!!!!! Cross-stitching! Here is how it happened. As you read in the previous post my Mom and I were in Indiana last weekend. We remembered that there was a cross-stitch shop in LaPorte, Indiana called House of Stitches. You see a long time ago I was crazy about cross-stitching. Actually for awhile it for sure saved my sanity. I will tell you that story in a few moments. Anyway, I have not stitched in quite a while. The last time I tried to do it I could not see the squares in the fabric! That was about 2 years ago. Well, recently I finally bought a pair of reading glasses as I was increasingly unable to read magazines and small print in books. So, with the new magnifying glasses coupled with the stop at the cross-stitch store........Voila! Love for cross-stitch was reborn!

The picture above is a gorgeous quilted bag that my friend Kim sent me a while back. It is the most perfect craft bag for my current stitching project! It is lined inside and there are numerous little nooks and crannies for needles, scissors, hoop, pattern, etc. That was half the fun of starting a new project; getting it settled in its little project bag.
Well I definitely did not need to buy a new project. I have quite an extensive stash of projects from years past; and luckily I really still like most of them. But the lure of all of that NEW, NEW, NEW stuff was too much for me. I looked at many, many lovely patterns. I chose the one above because it was quite simple and I figured for my first foray back into this craft I would pick something that would be relaxing. I am going to make the project pictured on the bottom.
The sample was done in blue which I love; but the lovely Linda of House of Stitches showed me this varigated Christmas color thread and I was off to the races!
I have not progressed very far yet, but what you see completed above has all been done since Sunday night. I think that is pretty good for working full-time. I have found lots of new cross-stitch blogs which I will add to my blog roll for any of you who might have this fever also. I also found a perfectly wonderful cross-stitch forum called CrossStitch Forum.com

9 comments:

Relyn Lawson said...

Yeah! It is always exciting to find (or rediscover) a new hobby.

Patti said...

Cross stitching is fun! I did it many years ago and made many gifts for others but never anything for us. My dad (!) actually used to cross stitch and it makes me very happy to have some of his work around me always (since he is no longer with us). Enjoy!

Diane Duda said...

Cross-stitching is an old hobby of mine, too. So simple and yet such beautiful results.
I've got a few unfinished projects myself. Someday. :)

xo
di

Jeanie said...

Oh, Laura! That's going to be so lovely! Isn't it fun to reconnect with something old and make it new again? I've never been a huge cross-stitcher, but have done a couple things and they still give me joy. I'm lucky, though, to be the beneficiary of several beautiful gifts and really appreciate the art!

Aren't reading glasses the best?!

Sue said...

What a lovely blog you have, Laura. Thank you for the welcome to Let's Stitch. I agree with you...it is lovely to be stitching again.

Jeanne said...

Hi Laura - I found your blog via "Let's Stitch". I'm glad you are coming "home" to cross-stitching. I really enjoyed looking thru your blog and your many photos. I love vintage things too, and your lamb cake looked just like the one I make every year! I used to live in Clarendon Hills & Willowbrook. Are there any stitching shops around the suburbs anymore? I will be visiting relatives in Tinley Pk in October and may try to fit in some stash shopping! (My email is in my profile)

Toni said...

OHHHH! I've always loved to embroider (Toni-style, which means whichever who how way!!!) ... now my eyes are so bad I'm skeered to try again. Cross stitching looks ('looks') easy ... is it?

dogfaeriex5 said...

giddy up sister with that cross stitch needle!! what power are your reading glasses??i might have to hook you up with some...xoxo

Anonymous said...

Hey you :) Love the cross-stitching piece you have started. Especially the varigated thread...it's gorgeous.

p.s. Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a great comment. It was good to hear from you :)