One of my 2017 goals was to be craftier.  I started out with the goal to can jam (never happened).  Instead, I got swept up with the idea of pulling out my old sewing kit and starting to cross stitch again!  You might be thinking “this is a little bit of an old lady hobby, no?”  Well you’re probably right, given that I learned this skill from my grandma Judi.  She passed away 10 years ago (in 2007) so it was a fitting time to pull out something I had abandoned since doing it with her.

I started by completing a half-finished piece that I found in my sewing box — a design I had started with my grandma and that perfectly reflected what my childhood self would have chosen.  I used the rest of this piece to essentially relearn!  It was perfect.

I found new patterns on Etsy and this became my relaxing evening activity.  My first finished piece went to my husband for his office (Pooh Bear and Piglet) — and then I really enjoyed making this Friends piece for our kitchen.  It reminds me of my grandma, my childhood with my sisters, girls nights with my Madison friends, and my cousins all at once — can’t ask for much more than that in a small piece of art!

Friends Pattern – Completed ~August 2017

Pattern source: NataliNeedlework on Etsy

“Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” -Epicurious