February SBQ

I'm trapped in the college library this afternoon - working until 4:30 - and since it is SUCH a hotbed of activity (harhar), I thought I'd take some time to answer the Stitching Blogger's Question. An interesting question this month from Lee: We like to stitch things for people we love. Show us and tell us about one (or more) of your favorite needlework projects that expresses your love for someone.

As I read in someone else's answer, I rarely stitch for someone I DON'T love! Picking out the perfect pattern, making modifications, and stitchng a gift that I know (or at least hope) will be treasured and appreciated is one of my favorite things about my hobby.
I really love stitching for my mom, and I know she loves the things I've given her. She has a little garden elf piece, a "woodsy welcome" that I stitched from a kit years ago, the Wine a Bit flat-fold, a couple ornaments, a Britty Kitty pillow, and the one I'm including here, Cricket Collection's "Reading Sampler."I gave this to Mom in 2008. Mom and I read together for years....I'll never forget giggling about Heffalumps with her, her wonderful Eeyore voice, looking forward to the next chapter in the "Little House" series, and all the other stories we shared. I only hope my daughter and I can do the same soon (right now she just likes to hit books and eat the pages - LOL). I had originally planned on having Jill Rensel frame this, but a coworker recommended a local shop and I'm happy with the end result. In retrospect, I might have changed the fabric or a few of the floss colors, because they get a bit lost...but Mom loved it. So I love it too.

I don't often stitch for my husband. I've done a few little things - a couple years ago I stitched up the Plum Street Samplers' freebie, "Lovely You" with our initials as a Valentine's gift - but while he thinks my stitching is neat, he isn't quite sure about having/displaying it everywhere. That's why I was quite pleased with the stitched piece he DID decide to show off -- his gnome.

This is from an old Designs by Gloria & Pat leaflet. When DH moved into his current job, he was told by the other folks in his hall that he needed to decorate his workspace -- but not with garden gnomes or pink flamingoes. So of course he went right to the internet, printed out a bunch of garden gnome pictures, and plastered them all over his office door! LOL I got into the spirit and stitched this for him. Over one, too, so he'd better appreciate it....

While I have stitched a birth sampler for my daughter, I'm not including it here. Certainly not because I don't love her, and I adore the piece, but at the same time I don't feel a lot of sentimental investment in it like I do the ones above. ::shrug:: I'm really looking forward to a day when she will say, "Mommy, make THAT for me." Then, no matter how much I might hate the piece, I know I'll love working on it.