Branching Out Into Free-Style Embroidery?

I realise I have said in my profile that I want to branch out into free-style embroidery, having been a needlepointer and cross-stitcher since for ever, but looking through some of my craft stuff a little while ago I realised that perhaps I aught to say 'getting back to' free-style embroidery.

In my 'stash' here's one of the first free-style embroideries I ever did; a little Hummel boy. I think he's called 'The Hiker'.

Now ........ I can't remember if someone bought him for me or whether I bought him myself, but I think I did this kit when I was about 12 or 13 years old ....... certainly early teens in any case.

The kit came with a really horrible plastic oval frame but, although I decided at some point that this was really tacky and threw it away, thankfully I kept him! He has been hiding away ever since.

A search on the Internet found one example of him and the description of 'vintage embroidery kit' ....... feel quite odd to think I'm old enough to have done a 'vintage kit' when it was new!!

Cross Stitch Rug Progress - July Holiday

OK ..... big alert! Here comes a very unflattering photo of me!

However, by having me in the photo, I think it gives a better idea of the size of this rug! I deliberately took it on 3rd July, the first day of our holiday, as a record so I could see how much I managed to get done whilst we were away.

And here's a closer one on the same day ......

When we are on holiday, I always manage to get lots of sewing done. Here's my progress by the time we came home on 17th July.

There is still a chunk to do, but I am getting there :)

Trio of Cats Gobelin Picture

Midnight in Winter was not the first picture I did from the Gobelin Company. This picture claims that spot! As I think I may have mentioned, I love cats and this picture ticked all the 'cute' buttons as far as I was concerned!

Again, I can't remember when I started it but on the back of the picture I have written the date I finished it ....... May 1984.

It was soon after completing this that I started the Midnight in Winter and discovered an awlful fact ...... I had made a rather fundamental error in doing this picture! I should have used 3 strands of stranded thread but I only used 2! Don't ask me how I mis-read the instructions, but there you go!!! I don't think anyone else notices the mistake ....... but you can see if you look closely that the thread coverage is not as good as it could be and some of the fabric shows through, especially in the areas of the dark thread.

Still! Never mind! Live and learn ...... and I still like the picture!!

This picture is still available from the Gobelin company (just search on their site for 'cats'). By the way, it measures 31 x 27 cm. At the moment, this kit is being sold for just over 57 Euros which seems like a lot of money. However, I think their kits are very good quality. The picture is worked from a chart which is very clear to use. The fabric is lovely to work with and you are given plenty of materials [Yes ...... I know! ....... I would have plenty left over since I didn't use enough strands :) However, with Midnight in Winter, done correctly(!) there were more than enough threads to complete the picture!].

This was the very first kit I ever did from a printed chart on non-painted fabric and I thought it was marvellous to slowly see the picture 'develop' from the black and white printed chart into a vibrant picture.

Midnight In Winter

My thanks go to RosyTint for suggesting on another post that I try photographing the picture by laying it on the floor. That suggestion works a treat!

So ..... here is probably the picture I am most proud of! It certainly took a long time to do. I think I started it in 1984 and I finished it towards the end of 1991. However, I wasn't doing it solidly during this time! Being entirely made up of different shades of blue or white, I got fed up with it a few times and did other things!

Still ...... a chunk just underneath the left-most sheep was done whilst I was in the early stages of labour when my son was born in November 1990 ....... although I can't detect any tension changes in the stitches in that bit :)