Sunflower Stitch

Another of my longest WIPs completed

I began this project way back, before the turn of the century, before I left my home state for the first time. It was intended as a gift for my stepmom, who at that time was still married to my dad and living in Kansas, next to a field of sunflowers. I often wanted to make her things because she was the one who taught me to cross stitch when I was 7 or 8 years old.

Teenage me got *this* far. And no further. I don’t remember anything about stitching this or stopping this, only a vague notion that I may have bought it at Michael’s when I lived within walking distance of one.

Cut to twenty years later, when I was picking up all my crafts again, with a vengeance. There were so many crafty things that I wanted to buy, but before I could allow myself to spend all that money, I had to prove to myself that I could finish things. Otherwise, I might just be throwing money away.

I quickly knocked out a little embellished fairy, then turned my attention to this piece. I no longer felt right giving it to my stepmom, perhaps less because she and my dad were long divorced by that time, and more because I am bad at keeping in touch and we hadn’t talked in a while, and she no longer lived in Kansas, so the sunflowers just felt silly.

But it really was never my taste, so I had to give it to someone if I was going to feel like it was worth finishing. And eventually I did find another relative who was glad to take it off my hands. So I set to work.

I don’t recall how long it took me. But looking at the photo dates, it was about a month and a half between the after unpacking photo and the finished piece.

I used this oval frame to stitch in, because I very much dislike putting stitches under hoops. I really liked it in there and was inclined to make it permanent. But upon discussion with the intended recipient, it was determined they wanted a regular frame, so I proceeded to mount it.

We also discussed the bees. Now, I love bees. But I really didn’t love these bees. They somehow made the piece feel cartoony. And we both agreed I should leave them out.

I have not seen this piece since I gifted it, so I do not know what kind of frame it ended up in.

Sunflowers

Designs for the Needle, 1992