See Me Flossin'

Posted by Valerie, Senior Editor

I may embarrass myself by revealing this, after all the posts where fellow Blueprinters showcase their stitchwork, but I've got a thing for collecting vintage needlepoint, rather than making it myself. It's got all the kitsch value of paint-by-number, but with more texture ... and, I think, more surprises.

Maybe it's the month I spent working on a cross-stitch rendition of the iconic Farrah Fawcett red-swimsuit poster, only to finish about 10 square inches of the 144 total. (I even sent it with my sister on a flight to and from Asia, and she barely made a dent! This stuff takes forever.)

 

So for now, I've put down the needle and floss and have resigned myself to being a mere appreciator of needlepoint (and needlepoint-esque) projects, and I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you.

I picked up these adorable critters for about a buck apiece in a thrift store in Oklahoma the last time I went home to visit the folks. They live on my desk at work and genuinely make me happier when I see them sitting there, nibbling away on their yarn grasses and corn cobs.

These floral designs were only slightly more expensive ($4 each) at an antique store on Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue. I'm convinced the frames alone are worth at least that much.

A couple more, from thrift stores in Pennsylvania (if my memory serves). It's hard to tell in this picture, but the Boston Fern number is three-dimensional: The plant poofs out like a real one, and the planter hanger yarns project outward as well.

Recently, I've been on eBay looking for more pieces to add to my collection. Here are some that have caught my eye:

Love him. He kinda looks like Willie Nelson wearing a fisherman's hat, with his braids tucked up inside.

This colonial couple reminds me of a recent road trip through Virginia.

I also love this graphic pillow kit ...

 

... and this adorable needlepoint ring.

But I should probably stop skulking about online and work on finishing Farrah. Ah, so many stitches, so little time.

Comments

[Tracey Redfern]

love the cross stiched ring...where can I find the ring base in order to make one for myself?

Thanks...
Tracey

[Christie D'Anna]

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[Christie D'Anna]

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[Petra]

Julia - Sublime Stitching has some fun stuff (sublimestitching.com), though it's more fun/silly than Adler-esque.

[Julia]

Can anyone recommend any cool, sort of modern needlepoint kits? Most of the ones I've seen are too grandma...I would ideally like something between Subversive and Grandma, if that makes sense. In the vein of Jonathan Adler. Are there any resources or websites you can recommend? THanks!

[Beth]

The female half of the 'colonial couple' is 'Pinkie' by Sir Thomas Lawrence. This painting and Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy' are both owned by the Huntington Library in California. The combo were a popular decorative element in the 50s.

[Devon Cook]

The colonial couple are actually the figures from two colonial paintings. The boy is "The Blue Boy" by Gainsborough, but I'm not sure who the girl is.

[Kelly]

Hello - off the subject, but do you know what brand the stainless steel range hood is on page 126 of the May/June 2007 issue?

It's too hard to read in the photo. I'm remodeling my kitchen and have to have it!

Can you please help? Thanks. Kelly

[ambient]

That is a truly massive picture -- I'm not surprised you ran out of steam! I try to stick to cross stitch patterns that have many smaller elements to them -- I did one picture of a shelf with kitchen collectables on it, and now I'm doing a sampler-style pattern. When you have one large subject or scene, your pattern is zoomed out, so it's mostly abstract. It's also much easier to make errors in an abstract pattern (though, I suppose it's easier to hide them too!).

I find it much more fulfilling to put in the same number of stiches, but be able to say "today I completed a coffee cup" or "today I completed 'L' for lamb", rather than "today I completed part of Farrah's upper arm."

[May]

Thanks for showing off your cross-stitch. Keep going, it's looking good. It does take a long time to make but it's worth it.

[Hsien Lei]

How fun to see needlework and cross stitch on a Martha Stewart blog! I have to be honest, though, if I were stitching Farrah, I'd probably have given up too. My personal favorite motifs to stitch (not that I've been stitching at all since my son was born almost 5 years ago...egads) are teapots and related paraphernalia. :)