Starting a Family Treasure

The first large stitched piece I ever finished was by Marilyn Leavitt-Inblum - her "Once Upon a Time."  After that, I moved on to Mirabilias, deciding that Marilyn's style was, in most cases, too floofy/Victorian for me (don't get me wrong, though, I still love my Once Upon a Time princess!).  And then last month I stumbled upon her "Family Treasure" patterns on eBay....and look what I've started now....

This is "Family Treasure III," a long, sampler-style design that looks like an English garden bellpull when it is finished.  I'm stitching it on some banding I picked up at my LNS, but I'm thinking of framing it instead of making a bellpull.  I've also added a few beads....there are some in the pink flowers at the top of the design, and I'm adding white ones in the side borders as well.  Maybe I'll add a few more throughout the design...we'll see if the mood strikes me!