Weekend Progress Report #45

Hillery left a comment yesterday suggesting I combine my own designs for the Bride's Tree SAL into a Christmas Spot Sampler, perhaps adding a few more designs. I thought about it for a few moments ... you know, going over all the reasons it would be difficult. For example, many of the motifs I have designed make rather large ornaments, 70hx50w, stitched over two on 28ct linen. To make a spot sampler using these designs, I would have to either re-design them to be smaller or use a 40ct linen, stitching over two or a 25ct evenweave , stitching over one. Also, the Bride's Tree SAL motifs make up a set only because each symbolizes a wish for the bride's home [e.g.: security, plenty, beauty, hospitality, fertility, love, etc.] and are not all icons necessarily associated with Christmas [e.g.: a rose, a rabbit, a teapot, a fruit basket, a fish, etc.]. But the more I thought of the challenges, the more I thought of ways to resolve them, e.g.: frankly titling the piece Bride's Tree Spot Sampler and including all the words as well as a central Quaker medallion for the married couple's monogram and/or wedding date. And the more I thought about it, the more the whole notion began to intrigue me. I also thought of motifs I might add to the mix to make things more Christmas-like: star, wreath, pine tree, gift, creche, candle. I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing this but it is now firmly esconced in the mental file I carry around in my imagination ... or maybe that's my subconscious. Even if I don't do the spot sampler, I definitely see a creche ornament in the very near future. The general shape is already envisioned: the bottom half of an Quaker octagon [to represent the animal's crib] topped with the upper half of a Quaker circle [to represent Christ's halo] all supported by diagonnally crossed narrow Quaker bands [serving as the legs of the creche]. Thanks, Hillery, for your interest and your inspiration.

But as to actual stitching going on this weekend:

Plum Street Sampler's Halloween Greetings: I couldn't resist starting this one. I am using a 32ct linen, Country French Latte and the recommended Crescent Colors overdyed cottons. It was designed for 36ct, so my finish will be larger than ornament size ... I'll probably finish it as a pin pillow or a gift bag.