Old cross-stitch

agi · Post by **agi** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:10 pm

I have just found the very first cross-stitch I made.

I thought maybe others have some old pieces - why don't you take pictures and show them? We could make up quite an exhibition here!

Now, about my apron. I was about 10-11 years old. We had a class called something like Practical Skills, where girls learnt how to embroider, knit, sew, cook etc, boys did other thing. (I wonder what.)
Now this project was mostly done as homework, with my mum helping, showing me how to do it. If you check my gallery, there is a picture of an old cloth made by my mother, and my work has the same pattern, only in one colour.

It is a bit frayed - it was all hand made, no sewing machine. And I remember using it when mum taught me how to bake or make pasta. It has some stains on it, too, that I couldn't wash, but I didn't want to apply chemicals, I am not sure about the thread being colourproof. It was not the 6-ply thread we use now, but another type. Perle - is this the name for it? I also found a whole bag of those... Must be about 20 years old.

Jilly · Post by **Jilly** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:26 pm

I love your apron Agi, It's a very different look from your mums original.

I made this in my first School many years ago

agi · Post by **agi** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 7:41 am

Oh, how cute, Jilly!

mags · Post by **mags** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:11 am

These are both lovely Agi and Jilly

I'm hoping to remember to take the camera to mums when I go so I can take a pic of my first tray cloth

lacemaker2004 · Post by **lacemaker2004** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:10 pm

I believe that my first counted cross sitch is the piece I did for my grandparents 50th and it's in my gallery. I do have lots of needlepoint that I did as a kid and there was lots of embroidery that is long gone. I could dig up the first tree skirt but it was a printed cross stitch and it wasn't much older than the 50th anniversery piece.

~threadbear~ · Post by **~threadbear~** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:11 pm

They are both lovely and so neat! Obviously that talent was showing through even from an early age!

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:34 pm

Back when I first started this I never thought to take a picture for my records and so much is long gone. I don't even know who got the quilt we did for my grandmother. When she died the family went crazy fighting about everything and mom only got a china cabinet that was stated in the will. So many gifts were given I would love to have pictures of but I have moved so much and lost track of people over the years. It is a shame but that is life. I will have to see what I can find from my begining years.

mauveme · Post by **mauveme** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 7:54 pm

I cant even remember what the first thing was, but I think it was crossstitching on gingham. But like most eerything else I do, Most of it was given away as gift and I never go pictures of any of it. Now I take pics of everything

agi · Post by **agi** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:24 pm

Just one thing to add: it is interesting that my mom didn't teach me to do all my crosses in the same direction. I checked her work and it wasn't done that way either. I don't know why. I will ask the old relatives when I visit them whether they were taught this or not.

Alexanie · Post by **Alexanie** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:11 pm

Can't tell either what my first project was. I've done several cross stitch at school. Well, I think I could find a lot of my early projects at my father's house.

I know, I've always done some stitching all over the years but just realized how much I've stitched as I helped my sister at her home and found a pillow and oven cloths. There should be some Chirstmas table cloths, too.

Jilly · Post by **Jilly** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:35 pm

The crosses on that first one of mine were not all in the same direction, but my later, but still very early crosses were, I just think as I got older it seemed logical somehow. I do find it interesting that some works in magazines and kits are worked with all stitches bottom left to top right, and others all bottom right to top left, is it something to do with being left or right handed?

mags · Post by **mags** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:03 pm

Finally got round to taking a pic of my first counted thread embroidery from I guess when I was about 10. (not cross stitch)

I have also put in my gallery photos of a couple of my first serious cross stitch attempts - I designed a few samplers for friends/family depicting their houses and surrounding them with appropriate animals, flowers etc. I really enjoyed doing these. Unfortunately the photos aren't very good.

http://www.crossstitchforum.com/phpBB2/ ... ser_id=453

Jilly · Post by **Jilly** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:09 pm

Seeing your 1st work has made me remember doing very similar sewing at School, I have a vague memory of working on gingham fabric, not sure how that would work though.
Love the little houses

agi · Post by **agi** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:10 pm

These are really nice, Mags! Thanks for sharing.

mags · Post by **mags** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:11 pm

Thank you both

Mmmm now, gingham rings a bell with me too

An apron perhaps ?

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:43 am

I am not sure if what you are talking about is what I used to do on the gingham fabric but we used to call it chicken scratch. I have done many different table clothes for family members back when I was in school. Here is a picture of one pattern I still have. I also have a wholoe book of othere patterns.

Jilly · Post by **Jilly** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:09 am

I thing maybe gingham was the thing Schools had issued to them worldwide,with the instruction to use their quota or else

An apron does ring a bell with me too, with contrasting stitching, zig-zag style

I love to see old patterns, brings back the feel of the era

Serinde · Post by **Serinde** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:01 am

How good the first attempts are. Well done.

My first one is in my gallery, but at school they did (briefly) teach me to use a sewing maching in Home Economics. Made an apron, which my grandmother used (bless her little heart) until she died, when my mother inherited it. Blue gingham!

I didn't last long in class, though: pulled out to study Russian! Which is why I can embroider and can't sew, to the puzzlement of many friends.