Finally: Progress on My Family History Sampler

For the past several years, I've focused on quilting and ignored my cross stitching. The main reason, I think, is because I haven't done the same traveling I did when working in high tech. But earlier this year I went on a Panama Canal cruise which included several days at sea and I knew I needed a project to work on during those days. The solution: a cross-stitching project.

When I got home I decided it was about time that I started working on my family history sampler again.

This is the sampler I designed to represent some key people in my mother's father's line.You can read about the people represented by the different squares here. It is being stitched on 40-count fabric with silk floss over two threads. The inspiration for this sampler came from the Carriage House Samplings Hawk Run Hollow series.

Since it had been a while since I stitched (and my eyes aren't getting any younger), I first stitched up the center medallion on 32-count fabric to give to my mother. She decided she wants it finished as a pillow -- which I have yet to complete. But it is such a classic view of the home where my mom grew up.

Albert Lee and Selma are my mom's parents, along with their 10 children. Grandma was a quilter, so I had to include some quilts. Grandpa was a dairy farmer, so yep, there are a couple cows. His horse Old Chief is depicted, as well as their apple trees and their iconic derrick.

And here's how far I am on the complete sampler on the 40-count fabric. It's slow going, but I'm loving the results.

And close-ups of the individual blocks. I haven't done all of the outlining yet.

Still a lot of stitching to do, but it will be a real heirloom when done. 

I've just begun designing a similar project representing my dad's father's ancestry.

No stitching or quilting for a week because I'm running two back-to-back events with a total of about 350 combined. And, it will probably take a few days to fully recover. But, when it's over, I will be fully retired!