Every time I am in a Goodwill, no matter which city I am in, I always run the the department where there is wall art. What I am really hunting for is cast off needle point or counted cross stitch. Crewel work is an exciting find as well.
In doing so I have come across many treasures. I have turned a wall in my TV room into old frames and old counted cross stitch treasures, and old needle point treasures.
Here’s an example of one that I found.
Hideous? Most likely that is how it was described by the recipient. Or maybe someone got divorced and wanted to turn that knife blade sans physicality and only do it by giving away something precious. “There, I’ve given your grandmother’s cross stitch to Goodwill, and you’ll never find it again”. However it came about, it’s a good find for me.
Here’s another one.
I’m sure this one dates way back. In fact, it has a date in the corner that I believe reads ’66.
So yes, I do like to collect these.
I came across one that was kind of hideous. But something stopped me. Remember in the 80s when everyone was doing Noah’s Ark in their baby’s rooms? Well, I found a counted cross stitch. I found one of Noah’s Ark. This was undoubtedly made for a new baby. I don’t like Noah’s Ark paraphernalia but I bought it anyway.
That’s the other thing I need to mention. I never spend a lot on these little finds. In fact they’re almost all under $10.
So I thought that I would make something modern using something hideous from the 80s.
I surrounded it with fabric by Cotton + Steel. It’s the wave fabric from the Kujira and Star line by Sarah Watts. I added some scallops using Robert Kaufman Essex Linen metallic. I then set about quilting it with a wave pattern.
I’m willing to take suggestions for binding and when I have it all bound I will show it here again.
It’s a rather fun endeavor. I have no baby to present this to. Well, I do, but his grandmother is already making a quilt and I don’t want to upstage her hahahaha. Everyone knows someone that is having a baby. I may just start stockpiling baby quilts with salvaged cross stitch pieces!
