Item #0011 – Welcome cross-stitch sampler with cameo ceramic frame

When I saw this wholesome pleasantry, it made my heart squishy. Yes, we’re drawn to the “1985” showing possible vintage value points (have you no heart?!), but thinking that someone’s cookies-and-milk mama made this to display her welcoming spirit makes me want to cuddle on the couch with reruns of Parenthood while drinking chamomile tea and writing decades overdue thank you notes on fancy stationery.

I’m thinking this might have been hanging in Mom’s foyer by a collection of random family portraits, or it was possibly sitting on a wicker side table by dried flowers on her enclosed back porch. It’s also hard not to wonder if there were times when “the kids” saw this as a beacon of possible restoration when members of the family weren’t on the best terms. How many visiting friends came over after school wishing they had so-and-so’s mom after seeing the framed work? Oh, the stories we could make up! (Anyone else feel like binge-watching The Wonder Years now?)

I dabbled a little in the world of cross stitch in my youth. It’s rather easy to begin–just pick up a pattern, thread, embroidery needle, aida cloth (or a gridded canvas), and an embroidery hoop to keep your fabric taut. Cross-stitch is a form of counted thread embroidery where x-shaped stitches are used to create a design on fabric. Girls for centuries would display their sewing skills via “samples” of their embroidery work. Today, cross-stitch is still popular and has branched out with “subversive cross-stitch,” a tongue-in-cheek style where a funny phrase or shocking design is stitched into the fabric while usually retaining traditional form. (In my unscientific opinion, this makes up approximately 67.8% of all cross-stitch on etsy).

Along with picking up this Welcome sampler, I was also drawn to the adorable ivy green cameo ceramic frame. The fact you can place a picture by just sliding it in through a small slot makes it great for a little girl who wants to display a small photo or her latest doodle without messing with prongs, glass, or matting (i.e., what annoys and/or injures me when it comes to framing).

I love these two items together. They create a way to sprightly display memories that reveal what is often taken for granted (a simple welcome or an easily overlooked photo of a special memory) while doing so through heartfelt mediums (the effort and time of completing a cross-stitch or the elegant detail in such a small frame). The little things, people, it’s the little things!

Do you have any little homegoods that hold big memories?

Status: For sale here on etsy.

Random for You:

What if you’re ready to move beyond the x’s of cross-stitching into free-form embroidery? It’s time to work on these 10 hand embroidery stitches from the blog at Craftsy.com.

What’s better than a good embroidery hoop? A tambour frame with a hoop and table stand! This is serious business.

The picture in the cameo frame is an illustration from a 1919 Little Folks Magazine.