Art with My Needle ~ Week 31
About three weeks ago the craft post was about my beginnings with cross stitch on evenweave, today I want to show you something not a millions away - canvas work.
The stitches are worked in rows in a line of diagonals facing in one direction. The piece above has some different textured threads worked through the pattern.
This square is worked in straight stitch (vertical or horizontal) and started in the centre of the piece, using carpet thrums - the threads left on a weaving loom after the cloth has been remove. If you live near a carpet factory it is possible to buy a bundle or bagful quite cheap. Usually they come in a mixed bag and half the fun is sorting and sifting the colours. It can be a little dusty so wear a face mask if you are worried about inhaling the fibres.
This piece goes way back and has a story to it…
Like so many of my stories they begin with a bundle of energy that masqueraded as my doll Elly! We received a gift for her Christening from a Master Baker employed in the same company as Jack. When he (the baker) came to Northern Ireland for Shows and demonstrations, it was down to Jack to look after him for the week. Many times he joined us at home for a meal in the evenings. So this gift was a little thank you for our hospitality. It was a christening cake and it arrived in a wooden box.
Recycling may be the ‘IN’ thing right now, but I was well converted long ago. A wooden box… I would find good use for it some day so set it on a shelf in the garage. With the eventually of gradualness, my princess found her toddling feet. Being of strong independent mind she wanted to do everything unaided and this included sitting on the throne! Thrones are a little high for little legs, so mammy set her mind to solving the problem…. 
The box! I gave it a coat of paint and it became a much needed step!
Time passed, legs grew and the step/box was redundant once more. Carefully scouring and returning it to the shelf I vowed I would give it a new life one day.
A few years passed and once more my attention was drawn to the box… removing the top completely I covered and lined the inside and outside in fabric and worked the piece above for the top.
Ah! A handy foot stool I hear you say,,, well maybe but it has another life too….
Not much sewing going on here, since the scissors is still in the packaging. ;) But why would she when she still has a mammy to do it for her!
The little Gigolo has a story to him. he was not made by my fair hands, I do have one that I made many years earlier to match a workbox of my own. This little Georgio was made by a young Elly, it is a needle case and ALL the work was her own. Always one to jump in at the deep end, this was her first attempt at real sewing and craft work! I supervised to make sure that no fingers were lost in to process, and as she used my electric sewing machine for the first time.
I do have the pattern for Georgio Gigolo somewhere so if you are interested let me know in the comments and I will go into more detail another week.
Bye the way Elly, I just realised that the three buttons on the front of the needlecase are real glass. I originally had six, they were given to my by the late Mary Moreton. I had forgotten we used them here, I searched high up and low down for them when making your wedding outfit. Two were used on your wedding outfit to hold the tiny bag of ‘Something old, new, borrowed and blue’!
Marian said,
March 24, 2010 at 1:13 pm
What a fantastic use for something that most people would throw out. I love the colours.
Nancy said,
March 24, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Grannymar,
Many years ago when our Granddaughter,Julie, was a little girl,there was a contest for all the school children. The contest was to make an original ornament for the Christmas tree in the White House.
The ornament that won the contest at her school was made by Julie and looked very much like your gigolo except that Julie’s figure did not have spools of thread but had pine cones and sprigs of holly on him.
This was a National contest and all the winners were invited by President and Mrs. Clinton to spend the day at the White House and put their ornament on one of the many trees that graced the house.
It was a wonderful day for a little 8 year old girl and the rest of the families were invited to the White House the next day to see the beautifully decorated trees.
I’m happy that you featured Elly’s Gigolo today because you brought back a lovely memory to me..
steph said,
March 24, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Grannymar,
Are you sure you’re not my MIL?
She was always recycling things and especially boxes. She would love to have seen what you made of the christening cake box.
It’s super and I love the story attached to it. A very special heirloom.
Grannymar said,
March 24, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Marian, I have another box… bu that is for another day.
Nancy - What a wonderful story with a lifetime memory for Julie. I am glad to recall that memory for you.
Steph - No! I don’t think I am your MIL, unless you were a baby bride!
Nancy said,
March 24, 2010 at 3:19 pm
How did you KNOW that Steph was a baby bride.GM?
I heard that on her wedding day she asked her groom what time to be at the church and he told her,” THE BIG HAND WILL BE ON THE TWELVE AND THE LITTLE HAND WILL BE ON THE THREE.”
wisewebwoman said,
March 24, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I am totally taken with this box, GM. How lovely Elly has it to pass down.
Yes, do share the gigolo story!
You are both so talented!
XO
WWW
Grannymar said,
March 24, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Nancy - Steph must have been a baby bride, she is far too young to be my daughter-in-law!
WWW - I will return to the needle case pattern another day.
steph said,
March 24, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Grannymar and Nancy
I’ll be 33 years married in September so I must have been a baby bride…
as I’m only 39 and a lickle BIT now!
Grannymar said,
March 25, 2010 at 7:59 am
Steph - How fortunate you are to have your hubby for 32½ years, alas we had under 21!
Grannymar » Art with My Needle ~ Week 36 said,
May 5, 2010 at 6:12 am
[...] a month ago I promised you The Gigolo Story and finally I managed to find the [...]