Friday, January 9, 2009

Another BSFG Update and Looking for ideas...

Hi Everyone...

Most of today was spent chipping ice off the driveway in preparation for the storm predicted to be coming in tomorrow night. I was able to do a little work on BSFG yesterday and this morning before my adventures with ice. So here is the latest update photo on this...



Now on to some other things I've worked on in the past...the one I'm going to post today I need some assistance in what to do with it. This was one of the first projects I EVER completed with counted cross stitch. I saw this in a magazine and fell in love with it. The original design of it was for the center to be a clock. Well, I loved the "border" of the clock and thought it would make a very unique border for a wedding photo. During July of 1991 I had some surgery which meant I was home on medical leave two months before my wedding. So I did this project and it was completed before my wedding day. Fast forward to 2009...this piece has lived through moving into my home with my husband just after our wedding, lived through a house fire which destroyed many things because of water damage, survived our move to our new home almost ten years ago and now I'm still trying to decide how to use it.




I have long since lost the pattern and have no idea what magazine it was that I found it in originally, so hopes of finding it and completing the center as the clock as originally planned is hardly an option. I would still love to use it as a mat for a photo but not sure how to go about doing that. Any and all suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.

10 comments:

Jane said...

I think this would be lovely as a frame. A lot of the magazines give instructions on how to mount fabric for a mat. You probably would want to pad it a little bit. Let us know how it turns out.
Jane from Illinois

Unknown said...

its gorgeous!!! how about filling in the center as a sampler? :)

Gillie said...

I agree with Annie, or maybe a family tree? Better yet, family "flowers" with family names in - since you have that beautiful border.

Anonymous said...

Oh, my that is beautiful! Don't worry about finishing it, send it to me, LOL.

Seriously, it would be lovely as a mat in a frame - I would buy a piece of acid-free mat that you would normally put on TOP of the photo to fit the stitched area plus however much fabric on the outer and inner edges to make the width you want - I might do 1/2" to 1", plus enough to turn under to attach to the mat.

I'd do a backstitch border at the outer and under edges where I was going to turn it under, to keep the fabric from unraveling where you have to cut the inner corners.

Then I'd pad it a little - just a LITTLE - and turn the edges under the mat, mitering the outer corners. I would glue it to the mat, but I know not everyone likes to use glue on their finished pieces, so it could be laced, then I'd finish the back with felt - again, I'd glue, but you could leave the felt off if you're using it in a frame.

Insert in a frame, using it as a mat, to frame a photo - maybe a wedding picture?

I know that sounds like a lot, but it's just an idea...Deb

Joan said...

I like Deb's idea.
OR, you might want to make it a wedding sampler by stitching in your names, dates, etc - just like on the wedding announcement or invitation.
Joan

Zonnebloemetje said...

I think a family tree would be great.
Good luck with this piece.

Meg said...

I like Annie's and SJo's ideas best. This is a lovely, lovely piece, and I would hate to think of it being just an accessory to another picture -- it deserves its own place of honor on your wall.

Anonymous said...

This is a gorgeous piece of work!

While you could certainly fill the center with alphabets to make some kind of sampler, I love the idea of making it into the mat for a beautiful photo - perhaps one of your wedding, or some other special picture?

My framer's will make fabric mats, they use spray adhesive, mount the whole thing on a solid matboard and then cut the center out after the adhesive is fixed.

Not sure if this is how you would want to go, but check with your local framer to see how they would do it, maybe get a couple of opinions.

It's important to use the archival quality stuff, so that it doesn't discolor over time and dry out/fall off, but I think it could be done.

Thanks for sharing the pic!

Anonymous said...

I think this pattern is from an old Cross Stitch and Country Crafts. If you like I can have a look through mine to give you the exact issue. I will watch the comments to see if you are interested

Carmen

PurpleTX said...

I would say go for the clock.
You can pick up a clock mechanism at any local hobby or craft store.

Making a clock is really easy.... you'd just need to add a couple of steps due to the fabric.
1. Pick a number set you like & stitch the numbers for the face onto the existing piece.
2. Layer the finished piece with thin batting onto a single piece of foam board. Pin in place at extreme angles to keep from piercing the front of the foam board.
3. Cut and fray check the hole (like 1/4 inch or so) as needed for the stem of the clock. Cut thru the batting & foam board too.
4. Insert clock parts.

I think it is beautiful.... if someone was to find the magazine it is in... I'd love it too.