3.29.2011

needlepoint with my mommasita.



My mom was in town this past weekend, and it was so fun to sit down and spend our saturday afternoon working on creative projects together. There is no denying that my creative sensibilities come directly from my very talented mother..in fact, our handwriting is so similar it is scary. When we were little, my mom was able to work from home and support our family while my dad was in school designing needlepoint patterns. She did very well for herself, publishing her designs through a company called Cross Eyed Cricket. She actually designed her best selling samplers, #32 Alphabet, when she was pregnant with me. When I was studying abroad in France, me and my fiber loving peers would hit every sewing/ fabric/ notion store in every village we were in. One of my favorite memories was happening upon my mom's old design phamplets being sold in France! Of course I bought them.

Well, this weekend, we were both hard at work on new needlepoint projects. My mom is working on a stocking for her and Mike, by designer Mary Beale, who has greatly inspired my mom. She designed the sampler stockings my mom needlepointed for us years ago similar to the pattern above that my mom is now working on. There is something simply gorgeous to me about a sampler..I love the combinations of color, imagery, and lettering. What I love about Mary Beale's designs, is that they still have that very historical and colonial feeling to them..beautiful.
For my project, I am taking a rose fabric that I bought in Brimfield to inspire a small pillow. I'm picturing one rose in the middle with a big polka dot background, backed in the actual fabric.
What a fun weekend!

1 comment:

Michele said...

You and your dear mamma never cease to amaze me with your undying energy and creativity!!! I made so many of your mom's designs from the cross-eyed cricket ... I spent hours stitching when I was a young mommy and loved it! You have inspired me to start a new project!! BTW...your mom needs to use this pic for her profile pic on fb...it's FABULOUS! xoxox