Some recent embroidery projects...

I love handwork and enjoy sitting in the evenings with the hubby watching TV with a sewing or embroidery project on which to work. Here are a few projects that I have started and finished these past three or four monts. Recently discovered a source on eBay for vintage (un-worked) Jane Snead Embroidery kits, this is one of the kits I purchased on eBay. These kits come with floss, but I usually substitute a color here or there or all together, like I did with the "character" sampler below.

Here is a link to Etsy for Jane Snead Samplers: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TraditionalKeepsakes?ref=seller_info.

I also have a passion for maps. Here are two maps samplers that I embroidered this past fall, the "History of Transportation" was finished this week. The kit came with floss, yet  I used some of my own thread, substituting colors here and there, especially had trouble using red floss for the train wheels as suggested in the pattern key. This particular kit dates back to the 1950s ... you can see towards the bottom where the first 3 numbers (195...) are printed...you were to embroider the date you finished the piece. I stitched a "0" for 1950 plus "+ 62" for 2012.

Found this awesome colonial era map for a very reasonable price on eBay last month. It was already embroidered and who ever did it, really did a nice job...the stitches are lovely!

Since I am on a roll showing embroidery, here is a sweet thing I found at a local antique mall recently. It's a piece of muslin mounted in a plastic frame with a pattern printed on the muslin. Am sure it's for teaching embroidery...notice the "Stitch a Story" logo at the bottom of the frame.  Love finding things like this for my quirky collections... it's vintage, it's about embroidery and it's a cute little cowboy...how fun it that! 

This is definitely 1950s era. Check out this Etsy link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/82873268/vintage-stitch-a-story-childrens

I just saw some later versions of this "stitch a story" toy on eBay with starting prices ranging from $38.00 to $150.00...YIKES, what are these sellers thinking? 

The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary.  ~Mary Kurtz