Cross stitch mug rug - or not.
Last week when sorting out a cupboard I came across a small embroidery I made 70 years ago. The design was printed on the linen, I did not like the gaps between the crosses then and still don't, but my mother insisted I did it as printed. I made the seam and did the crochet edge. You can see it has seen better times.
I decided to digitise something similar and made the design into a ME mug rug and today, after a very busy time, I wanted to do something creative. Not until I was halfway through the design did I realise I should have hooped the stabiliser, not the fabric. So no mug rug after all. I might finish it on a sewing machine or use it for a pocket on a bag.
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78118Oh my, how very clever you are. Original still looks lovely but I love the digitised version as well.
11700Oh no,no,no--please do mug rug. It is gorgeous as is your original. Shame to not finish your project. I see not one thing wrong--no wrinkles, nothing. Loving it.
1 comment
by mops
01 Sep 2016
Thank you. It was intended to be done as an oval, ITH. I'll finish it one way or another.
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299559Wat je allemaal zo vind bij het opruimen,de nieuwe is ook heel mooi
Lgr Lammy
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261163I like both the new and the original version very much. Good time spent.
66907Oh, it's so beautiful. I just love it.
Your mother wanted you to learn to follow the directions and your little creative mind wanted to do it your way. Both are beautiful. Sounds like a battle of minds that wages between mothers and daughters everywhere. I so loved gently heated discussions between my darling daughter and myself.
158715I just wonder if this is called Assisi needlework embroidery.?? The style is reverse cross stitch, it is a negative style of embroidery.This is traditionally done by hand, with white fabric and blue cotton thread or blue fabric and white cotton thread. Advanced Embroidery Designs have designs for the Embroidery Machine. Janette
2 comments
by mops
31 Aug 2016
It looks a bit like it. Asissi needle work usually has outline stitches as well and was traditionally done in red with black outlines on white even weave linen. DMC offered a lot of embroidery patterns in the 50s and 60s. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has examples of Italian bands depicting Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel dating back to the 17th century where the background is done in long-legged cross stitch without the outlines. You find the red and black in Hungarian work and that had a great influence on European embroidery in general.
by jgwatchorn
31 Aug 2016
Thankyou for expanding my knowledge on it .....dating back to creation..I was just guessing on the style of work. Thanks.
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2735866021They are both beautiful, I love how you have modernised the design. Looks like they both took quite some time to create
1 comment
132439792They are both lovely Martine. It's wonderful how you have created this modern reproduction to celebrate memories from your childhood. Your mother is smiling from ear to ear!!
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234495Memories are made of this....how precious! You did it 70 years ago and still looks so good and classic. But also the blue cross stitch version which you have made now is lovely.Adorable how you can use old and new crafts - hand and machine embroidery for the same design! Thankyou for sharing - Maria
54557Both are lovely, Martine...the older one has a kind of filet crochet look at first glance...
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360641A lovely story Martine. Your original embroidery looks lovely and the updated modernised version too
115749How beautiful the older is that you did as a child Martine. I love the old handmade things that we did when young. Your new digitized one of course is beautiful too but will never mean as much to you as the one that took so such time and patience to do. An heirloom it is, why don't you frame it and give to one of your children or Grands your work is impeccable and evidently has been all your days. Your mom was a good teacher.
2 comments
by mops
30 Aug 2016
Thank you for your kind words!
Funnily my mother hated doing cross stitch. She embroidered a few bed sets when she was expecting me and did not do any embroidery after that till she was in her seventies. She let me do the embroidery, dresses for my sister, cushion covers, table cloths. And even volunteered me to embroider on a cousin's dress.
But she kept a few things I made that were not too worn, which is some sort of a miracle as she was a perfectionist if ever there was one.
by grossfamilie
30 Aug 2016
I love the idea of framing it - I mean your youth work and maybe you add some lovely wording in a tiny whitework romantic font !?!
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