Cross Stitch Pillow Tops Invade Farmsville

My Gran was a very handy woman to have around the house. She made all kinds of goodies, including this needlepoint chair bottom you see above. I have two of these chairs, and even though I've had them forEVER, I have just begun to appreciate what they truly are -- handmade masterpieces that have lasted quite a long time. I'm not sure when Gran made them, but I doubt they were designed with 2012 in mind.

Since I've been all into needlepoint and cross stitch lately, I thought I would make something stitchy for my mother's upcoming birthday to follow in Gran's footsteps. I wanted something that looked like I made it -- not anything too old-fashioned or meant for... an antique chair.

I found this Pansy Garden Pillow Top at The Stitchery, which is perfect because my mother LOVES bright flowers -- and she has a soft spot for pansies because Grandma Blonderson adored them:

While I was at it, I ordered this Bunny in the Garden Pillow Top for Little's birthday (it's on backorder, but that's OK because we have some time):

And, because I lurve orchids so very much, I couldn't resist and ordered this Pink Orchids Pillow Top for ME:

Even though Ma's birthday isn't for a few weeks, I brought over the kit to her house and shoved it in her face. LOOKIE! SEE WHAT I WILL MAKE YOU WITH MY INCREDIBLY CRAFTY FINGERS! She wasn't as excited about it as I was, but that's OK. She'll swoon when she sees the final product, I just know it. (She also probably suspects that I will make her help me sew on the backs of these pillows, which may or may not be true. I'm going to try really hard to do it ALL by myself.)

Last night, Pa and I had a movie date. Ma had a meeting with her women's organization, so we watched a movie that would no doubt have scared her quite a bit (28 Days Later) and I began work on Ma's Pillow. It's a cross stitch pillow, but the directions recommend that you do all of the half stitches first to not waste the yarn. Also? These pillows come from Belgium, so if I run out of yarn, I can use the handy form that came with the pillow to request more, but I would have to write in whatever language that is on the form (Belgiumish?) and then wait a LONG time while my note travels overseas, gets translated into the real Belgiumish by someone, and then travels back to me. So yeah, I'm doing the half-stitches first.

Of course, I totally forgot my camera to show you what I've done so far, but it wasn't very much, so we can catch up with photos next time. If you look in the first picture for a blue/gray color at the bottom and middle, that's what I started with. I love the color -- it kind of changes from blue to gray to white to green. Really pretty. And the yarn that comes with these kits is SO SOFT. I was worried it would be kind of scratchy, but it's going to be perfect for snuggling with when I'm finished. Awesome.

I'm still working on my sister's birthday gift, which is already late (but that's OK because she's coming to visit soon and can get it then) and is NOT a pillow over at my house, so I left the pillow goods at Nerdtopia for safekeeping. Plus, I get a swoon of joy over working on a project near my parents, so they can watch the process and be involved in a way. Now, Ma will always remember that I made that very pillow right there on that very couch. Fun, no?

Ma's pillow is going really fast, so it should take no time at all to get it finished. Then I can work on Little's and the one for myself. And then I can do MORE PROJECTS BECAUSE PROJECTS RULE!

Meep.

(NOTE: The Stitchery did not pay me for this post, and we are NOT affiliated in any way, but their stuff is super cool, so you should check it out if you're a stitcher.)