Spring 2024: Google ended its email subscription service in 2021. I believe I've found a replacement, but haven't had time to test it. I have been stitching a little bit here and there and have some posts ready for when the email subscription is active again. Fingers crossed, I'll have time to rouse this blog out of its dormancy sometime this year.

08 September 2017

Crawling Crewel

I like this little Elsa Williams crewel sampler, but it's taking way too long to make progress. I think I should have been done with it ages ago! I feel like I'm crawling.

I enjoyed stitching the most recently finished motif. It has purple which is always good!

Crewel Sampler (by Elsa Williams): Blue trellis

I bought a second kit which came with a colour picture of the finished piece. I'm beginning to think that my first kit never had a colour picture and might be quite a bit older than I originally thought, perhaps from the early 1960s.

The kit is fairly easy to find on ebay and it's not usually very expensive.

Crewel Sampler (by Elsa Williams): Colour photo of original version

The other reason I bought a second kit was to obtain more yarn. I wanted to play with colours and change some of the stitches, but didn't think I had enough yarn in the original kit for experimentation.

I changed the motif below a bit from the original instructions. The image on the left is what it's supposed to look like.


I did buttonhole rather than satin stitch on the light blue edge, changed the trellis from the darkest blue to medium blue with dark blue tie-downs, and slightly adjusted the colours and added little rounded ends to the purple sticky-outy things along the stem.

I have a new helper. Here he is on his first day on the job. He hasn't quite learned yet that when I pull yarn through fabric it's not an invitation to play.

Crewel Sampler (by Elsa Williams): Siamese kitten (Koji) helping

The current status isn't especially exciting, but it's coming along.

Crewel Sampler (by Elsa Williams): Beginning to work the central motif

Switching to the squared hoop has proved helpful. It fits just right.

4 comments :

  1. Does your new helper have a name?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, he is Koji. He's a rescue and I think he's about 5-6 months old. I have his sister, Suki, as well, but she doesn't sit still long enough to help with embroidery yet.

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  2. Love your new helper! Sounds like he is a free spirit and does what feels right! 😸
    Oh, and the stitching looks great. Really like the changes you made. Makes it look more flowing and clean. 😊

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  3. I just saw a puddy-tat.... : )

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