Cyn’s Finished Projects
Posted by Cyn
I don’t have pictures of all the projects I’ve done—I wish I did! Most of them have been given away as gifts. I’m working on getting images of those given to my immediate family members, but some were given to former in-laws or ex-SOs with whom I am not in touch. If you’ve ever received a stitched piece from me and want to send me a photograph of it, I’d be most grateful!
I have a bad habit of not framing any of the pieces I keep for myself. I just never get around to spending the money, so they all sit around in drawers. The real joy is in making them, of course, but it would be nice to display them someday.
Most of these pictures were taken using a borrowed and new-to-me digital camera or our dinky old webcam. I laid the pieces on the dresser, which is very dark brown wood. I didn’t really have the best lighting for most of them, either. Because they aren’t yet framed, they aren’t all laying completely flat. But darnit, I finally have some pictures!
Click on the small image to go to a larger one
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This is my first cooperative project, started and finished in April 2012, done with my friend Jeanne for little Abbey Road, who arrived on May 10. I stitched the star and rattle, and Jeanne did the ball, added the birthdate to the rattle and did a beautiful job of framing the whole thing. The designs are by Ursula Michael, published in Pitter Patter #2 by Jeanette Crews Designs (leaflet #2502). I’ve been promised a photo of the piece hanging in Miss Abbey’s nursery, which I hope to add here sometime soon. You can see details of the individual motifs below. |
  
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I finished this one in March 2012. I can’t quite remember when I started it, but I chose it because I liked the colors and freedom is important to me. The languages are Chinese, English, Hebrew, German, Russian, Yoruba, and Spanish. The design is from the October/November 1990 issue of Cross-Stitch Quick & Easy magazine, which I apparently bought just for that pattern. |
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I did a Disney Tigger pattern, Splendiferous for my nephew in May/June 2005. It’s a Janlynn kit. I don’t normally do kits, but it used DMC floss and it was a really cute pattern. It is the first time I’ve stitched anything on Aida in more years than I can count, though. |
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I made this set of hotplates for my parents as Christmas presents in 2004. I’d originally meant to give one each to them and to my siblings, but decided full sets would be better. I used the “Tidings of Joy” patterns from the Leisure Arts book Something for Every Season. |
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This pattern came from the Leisure Arts book Professional People, designed by Terrie Lee Steinmeyer. I think I began it in the late 80s or early 90s for my father. I finished it in December 2003. |
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I actually did everything but the backstitching on this alphabet piece for Katie’s nursery in 1990. Three months before she was born, her father informed me that he hated it and didn’t want it hanging in his house, so I stopped working on it. I finally finished it in November or December 2003. I’ll post a picture of the fully finished piece as soon as I get access to a good digital camera. Maybe it’ll hang in a grandbaby’s nursery someday. |
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Make a Joyful Noise from Dragon Dreams designs was a 2001 Christmas gift for my mother. |
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The Golfer’s Serenity Prayer from Cross My Heart’s Basically Borders book was stitched for my father in December 2001. |
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This design came from Cross My Heart’s Basically Borders book. It’s “The Cook Rules the Kitchen” stitched on the Aida band of a chef’s hat for my brother-in-law in December 2001. |
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Celtic Cross from Y‑Knot Designs. I like Deb Davis’ work and enjoyed using Needle Necessities fibers for the first time on this piece. I think was finished in December 2001. |
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After reading a Green Egg review of the patterns Witches Stitches are publishing I immediately ordered the Elemental Cosmos design — it’s marvelous! I’ve put up a picture of the finished piece here on the site if you’re interested in seeing it. This was also finished in December 2001 — it was a busy month! |
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One of our Girl Scout troop’s leaders had to move out of state in December 2000, so with some help from Katie I stitched a Girl Scout logo on a tote bag as a farewell gift, and all the girls signed the back of it. |
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| The Mandala I series from Amaryllis Artworks: Tranquil Sky, Deep Forest, Sunset Desert, and Peaceful Sea. These geometric designs use a lot of stitches I haven’t done before as well as a wide variety of fibers and beads, and I just can’t tell you how lovely they are — there’s no way any photograph can do them justice. I understand the designer is doing a Mandala II series, and I just can’t wait! I think these pieces were stitched in 1999 and 2000. | |
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Around 1998, I stitched one winged cat from the “Divine Feline” design in The OmniBook of Winged Things onto a small linen tote bag. Katie has been carrying it around for several years now, and it’s a bit worse for wear. I found that it isn’t easy to scan, either. |
     
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A wonderful piece from StitchWorld that was apparently first published in Stitchery Magazine — it’s called Wisdom & Harmony Sampler (item 03–212). It’s based on Asante Adinkra symbols, and I’m absolutely fascinated. The colors are simple and wonderfully bold. I finished this one in 1999. |
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Mélange by Linda Connors, published by Calico Crossroads. This one is for me (although Katie likes it too)–in fact, it’s the first piece I ever did that isn’t intended as a gift for someone else! (Still, Katie’s so fond of it that it will probably end up framed and hanging in her room.) It has a very interesting technique that is used to make it appear that the piece is surrounded by a textured mat–reed, square ray, double leviathan and double framed eyelet stitches done in pearl cotton that matches the linen (unfortunately, that doesn’t show up well in the picture). This is also one of the most challenging pieces I’ve done in terms of learning new techniques. Now I’ve just got to get it framed — I only finished it in 1998! |
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Mom has this tiger lily piece based on a Janet Powers watercolor hanging in her sunroom. I’m thinking it was done around 1991 or 1992, but I’m not really sure. |
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Daddy has this Marine Corps emblem I stitched for him hanging in his office at work. I stitched it the same year as the tiger lily above. |
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The reflection from the glass in the frame is a nuisance–sorry. Still, it’s the only picture I have of this project. It’s the crest for Wayne’s (Katie’s father, my husband v.2) fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha. It was done in October 1991. The pattern came from Your Accents. |
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This piece is from the leaflet Spring Bouquet from Debra Designs. I remember finishing it while I was in the hospital to deliver Katie in October 1990. I borrowed it back from Mom in December 2003 to get a photo. |
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Shells on a Windowsill is a watercolor by Janet Powers that was adapted for cross-stitch by Green Apple Company. I did it back around 1989. |
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I couldn’t begin to tell you when I stitched this little piece. I do still have the book — it’s Notable Quotes That Count from Designs by Gloria & Pat. |
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I have no clue when this one was done, either. It has the look of something I did to pass time, using a scrap of cloth from something else. |
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I can say with some degree of surety that this would have been done while I was in high school, but that’s about it. The leaflet was ThumbThoughts from The Graph Menagerie, Inc. The critter is referred to as a “ThumbPrint by Ron Ransom.” |
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Not only do I not know when I stitched this thing, we have no idea how it got damaged. I’m thinking I probably stitched it around the time that I was working at Roderick’s Arts & Crafts, which would have been 1983–1984. This picture was taken before I started trying to clean it. If it works, I’ll post a photo of the recovered piece later. There’s more about it here. |
I don’t have photos of the following pieces, but I do have images from the design books so that you can get an idea of what they look like. I’d much prefer having photos of what I did, and if I can get those in any way I will.
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There’s only one piece that I’ve ever stitched twice. It reads “Engineering: The reward of a job well done is to have done it.” I did one for Wayne and one for an old friend, Ed. I know I have a picture of this one too, but I can’t find it. |
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My first husband, Scott Hall, had a piece with sandpipers on it that hung in his office at one time. The design was from Along the Coast with Ray Davenport, Graphs by Barbara & Cheryl Inc. |
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I did the Pheasant from A Tisket, A Tasket for my first father-in-law, Gary Hall, Sr. |
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I stitched the Christmas Miniatures from A Tisket, A Tasket, but I have no idea what happened to them. |
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Finally, I stitched the True Friend piece from A Tisket, A Tasket. It might have been done for my youngest sister-in-law, Dawn, but I’m not certain. |
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I did a whole series of teddy bear alphabet squares for Scott’s niece Rachel’s birth in 1986. I think his mother sewed them into a quilt or wall hanging. The designs were later published in the August 1989 issue of Just CrossStitch, which is where I got the picture here. |
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I did a a baby sampler from Anne Powell Heirloom Stitchery for Scott’s nephew Jonathan David’s birth around 1985. |
   
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| Somewhere between 1985 and 1987 I did four pieces from The Vanessa-Ann Collection’s A Tisket, A Tasket book for my first mother-in-law, Jean Hall. I mounted them under the glass of a Sudberry House serving tray. The patterns are named Garden Salad, Vegetable Stew, Blueberry Basket, and Fruit Basket. | |
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Michelle, one of my best friends in middle and high school, has the first significant piece I ever stitched. The pattern was in the Unicorn Collection leaflet published by Candamar Designs. I know for a fact that this one was not done very well, as I didn’t find out until afterwards that you were supposed to make all the stitches go in the same direction. |
I don’t have any kind of image for the following projects, but of course I’d like to have some if any of the owners ever happen across this site.
- In December 2001 I did two other Dragon Dreams designs — Those Who Teach for my sister, and Guide the Hands for my brother. I know I got pictures of them and I can’t find them!
- I did at least three small Mill Hill beaded and stitched pins, given to Mom, Katie, and a friend’s ex-wife. I’ve also done lots and lots of small Christmas ornaments over the years. I think my brother has an entire set of Mill Hill beaded teddy-bear ornaments I made for him when he first got out on his own.
- I did a wedding sampler for my sister and her husband when they got married in 1999. She also has a small paperweight I did with a rainbow on it, and a larger piece with her name and rainbows. She’s actually started that last one herself, and lasted all of maybe 30 minutes before she decided that cross-stitch was not for her.
- I know I’ve done one piece about skiing for my brother. I thought there was something else, but my memory is failing me.
- My first husband has a silly little plastic canvas (I think) piece that I did as a gift for his graduation in June 1983. I made stockings and a tree skirt for me and Scott, as well, but they’re long gone. They were based on some of Dale Burdett’s teddy bear designs.
- Madame Gustafson, one of my French teachers from high school, had a rose and lattice piece that I did from the Hearts and Rainbows leaflet from Bette Ashley Designs.
