Saturday, April 08, 2006

It came from the 80s

I've done needlework in one form or another since I was a child. I'm 36 years old now, so that's a lot of years spent with needle in hand. I did a few bits of cross stitch here and there as a kid, but the bug didn't really hit me until I was in college. That would have been in the late 80s/early 90s, for any of you who do not want to do the math. ;) Needlework has come a long way since then.

I give you Exhibit A...

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I found this little beauty while sorting through some of my stash this afternoon. I had no idea that it wasn't quite finished. I guess that makes it my oldest UFO. I feel like I should finish it-- those last few missing stitches bother me. And yet, if I did finish it, WHAT ON EARTH WOULD I DO WITH IT??? To say that it doesn't reflect my tastes now would be an understatement.

It didn't reflect my tastes back then, either.

No, what this project represents is a lack of available designs and a lack of stash money, combined with a desire to stitch something. ANYTHING. Just as long as I was stitching.

You see, it was the late 80s, and I was a poor college student. Those of you who have done needlework for 20+ years will remember what the design choices were like back then. It was, as they say, slim pickings. Add a miniscule stash budget (and no internet!), and you get things like this. The booklet was by Kappie (anyone remember them?). I was tired of stitching teddy bears, and this was something different. It even called for Balger blending filament, which I had never heard of. The patterns were all of stylized ladies, and all outlined in black.

I chose this particular pattern out of the booklet because it had the fewest colors, and I already had some of them on-hand. This meant that I didn't have to buy any additional supplies, other than the Balger and fabric (14 ct. white aida).

Looking at this project reminds me of how lucky we are to have so many talented designers producing a wide variety of patterns, and how fortunate I am to have a stash budget. Maybe I should frame this project and hang it in a place where I can see it regularly as a reminder.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember Kappie books too, in fact I still have a few. Lots of designs and low cost also. She still looks good. Perhaps in a guest room she would look fine?

Von said...

Lol! Juanita, I could have done without that particular reminder of the 80s! :D
Time has very much improved our stitching options!

Erin said...

How funny. I'm a few years younger than you, but my first finished piece was from about 1989, and it was a little Amish couple holding hands. After that, I resorted to the "flower" patterns - nothing else I saw really suited me (and even those weren't great). And then I quit stitching until about 1996, when I found a little Dimensions kit of a castle....

Anne S said...

Haha, I think we all have some of those older designs in our stash ... have to admit, I got rid of a lot of them, and next time I go home I'm on a bit of a ruthless mission for the same ... it does look good, though - and you never know, if you don't want to keep it yourself, someone else might like it :) My Mum's great like that, doesn't matter what it is, if I've stitched it, she'll love it for life :D

Kimmie said...

wooo-hooooo! Love that 80's Art Deco thing! LOL. I have a porcelain art deco doll with the feather collar and the whole thing. She's in a box somewhere so she doesn't scare the kids.

MysteryKnitter said...

Beautiful! So beautiful! As someone told you, just put those stitches where they belong to...(please, do not misunderstand that)...and then...if you don't want to keep the lady, find a new home for her. She is so pretty!