In 2012, I spent approximately two weeks worth of hours stitching a family tree for my grandmother’s ninetieth birthday. I started in April and didn’t finish until the morning of her party on September 14th. I alluded to this project several times on my blog throughout 2012, but I never quite felt up to posting about it.
It was, hands down, the biggest thing I accomplished last year. (And only my third cross-stich project!) There were many ripped stitches, many tears, and many times that Ian got up for work at five in the morning to discover me still sitting at the dining room table, needle in hand with crazy eyes. I spent months of my life worrying about spills, the oil on my hands, and not being able to finish it in time.
Presenting it to my grandmother on my birthday was a freeing experience. The second she saw it at the restaurant, I let out a huge sigh of relief that I’d been holding in for months. Honestly, had someone spilled a glass of red wine on it after dessert, I would have been okay. Presumably it’s hanging up in her house now. I’m just glad I’m not responsible for it anymore!
Honestly, as crazy as the whole project made me, I’d do it all again. Not only did my grandmother have a fit over it, but I’m sure it will become a family heirloom. Here are some photos that I took while I was stitching to mark my progress:
April 16: The kit arrives in the mail. Looking at the amount of thread, I immediately regret it the whole idea and don’t open it for two weeks.
May 22: After ripping out a huge line of stitches, I buy the Easy Count Guideline and start again, this time with a grid.
May 28: Thread insanity.
May 30: The nameplates on the bottom start to come together.
June 15: I finish the rabbit hopping next to the tree trunk.
June 29: After accidentally blacking out the wrong part of the pattern, I have to recreate it on graph paper.
June 29: Progress.
July 5: Squirrel completed.
July 5: The tree keeps growing.
July 15: Ian surprises me with a ring on our anniversary by hiding it in my cross-stitching box.
July 22: The middle is complete.
August 16: By this time, I’d managed to keep my thread more organized.
September 8: The pattern is complete, except for the names.
September 9: I sign my creation before mounting it on foam board.
September 14: Attaching the nameplates in the hotel room the morning of Nana’s birthday.
September 14: Completely stitched, mounted, and framed in the hotel room. Done!
Wow – that is just beautiful! Well done!
Thanks! :)
This is so awesome!
Thank you so much! :)
Emily, that is beautiful. As an amateur genealogist, a huge fan of grandmothers and an admirer of cross-stitch, I really appreciate it. Buuuuutt, I would never attempt it. Fortunately, I’ve had two cross-stitching friends in my life who have supplied me with some lovely pieces for my walls. Because I will never do it – any kind of needlework just makes me cross-eyed and crabby!
Thank you, Jean! I have more patience for needlework than I do for cooking shallots. haha
Oh man. It’s so much more than I realized. This was a good post. I liked seeing the progress altogether!
Thanks! I’m still sort of amazed that I did this all when I look at photos of it. :)