I’m linking up with Rachel, the Ten Hour Stitcher again this year to share my FFO’s (Fully Finished Objects) each month. This blog hop is wonderful motivation to keep those finished pieces out of a drawer and instead get them up on display!

My first FFO’s of 2021 are framed pieces.

First, I framed The Pink Sparrow Sampler by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle and Thread.

This is the first reproduction sampler I had ever stitched. Until several years ago I had little appreciation for reproduction samplers. In fact I even was so bold as to tell Jean, the owner of Attic Needleworks, that I just wasn’t drawn to them! She must have thought I was an apostate I’m sure for Attic Needleworks is the mecca for sampler stitchers and they display over 200 stitched models! Surely I could find one I liked! Well, I saw the model of this piece and I thought, that bird is cute. I like the symmetry in this one. Many reproductions are off kilter to my eye (further, many reproductions are faithful even to the young stitcher’s errors in her own pattern and that bothers me-that’s why I changed my Jane Marshall). And I like the flowers and colors. And it’s not too big. And it doesn’t have a house or an Adam and Eve on it. (I really don’t like Adam and Eve samplers. Houses are OK but it depends on how big it is and what color and so on. I’m picky about my houses. Maybe because I live in the Southwest and our house style here is nothing like the house styles you see on samplers so something with a “colonial” house on it seems incongruous with my more contemporary home). Anyway this sampler checked my boxes: flowers, birds and animals, alphabet, pretty colors. No Adam and Eve or house. I thought I would try it out. And I really really liked it!

Fast forward 3-4 years and I would say I have more than 20 charts of beautiful reproduction samplers or modern samplers done in an old style. I especially love the variety of stitches used on 17-18th century samplers, like Bathya. And through spending time on social media, I have learned that where symmetry is wrong in a reproduction, SOME stitchers do make corrections, center patterns, change colors, leave off bands they don’t like or even just stitch their favorite motifs. Their freedom made me realize that I could enjoy reproduction samplers: many as they are as I have grown to appreciate them, and others by virtue of taking liberties to make them my own. And that was a long digression but now you know! 🙂

My second framed piece this month is not something I stitched! This is the baby record my sister-in-law stitched for my littlest, Natalie. I think she finished it in 2019 but then Covid kept me from getting it framed in a more timely fashion. My mom needed something for part of Natalie’s Christmas present and it occurred to me to just have her get the frame. Thanks, Mom! I’m really happy with the frame (It is from Michaels, but I would not trust Michaels with actually framing my needlework! I don’t know, maybe your Michaels has a good framer for needlework but I can never tell about mine). I’m glad I can get a custom frame from them and do the framing myself!

The pattern is a bespoke design from NiaCrossStitch on Etsy. She has many celebration and holiday theme designs and can make any name you would like with her cute lettering, for baby, anniversary, etc. My main part in this was picking the design and providing the materials, and then doing the framing. Another nice joint effort of several pairs of creative hands across space and time! 🙂

And finally I have these fobs to show you. I have been itching to make them. I always pick up pretty beads and dangly charm things on clearance at the craft stores with plans to make something out of them. And I finally did!

The fob with the tassel is actually a kit from a company called By Jupiter. The tassel is one whole skein of DMC! The fob on the left and right, the charms are from Green Girl Designs. The left one is a “heart in hand” not a fish (It might look a little fishy in shape). These are so fun an easy to make, I really have to restrain myself. I think I still have 2 scissors with no fobs so I will make some more sometime when I get that itch to do something quick and sparkly. Then I will need to buy more scissors! Ha Ha!

To see more creativity, head back to Rachel’s and check out the FFO Gallery for this month!