Some old finishes

of which I have finally taken pictures...

One was started in August of 2008 and finished at some point in time that I have not recorded. My first piece of hardanger. At least, the first one I started. In the middle I went on to make quite a few hardanger bookmarks, but I eventually finished it. The pattern is from one of those "Beginner Hardanger" books.
It has the standard Kloster blocks, buttonhole edging, eyelets, Algerian eyelets, woven bars, picots (I hated every single one of those), Dove eye variation and spider wheels. Everything from the basics to the frustrating.



It was supposed to be wrapped around a small potpourri bag-type item. I thought for all of two seconds and decided to make another tote bag to add to my growing collection of shoulder bags.



It was the first bag I made and there are quite a few errors. A majorish one being that the bottom black panel and the middle blue panel are actually not connected at one corner...And the shoulder strap is far too short. I had fun making it and will probably make more bags, but not anything soon since none of my finished cross stitch work is suitable.

The other one is my SALexandre wallet which I finished in May, but still have as a WIP because I've been far too lazy to take pictures. I put it off till it slipped my mind. Or at least that's my lame excuse.

It was a free SAL from Tempus Fugit in 2008. It's on 28 count black in two DMC variations. The different blues show up very well and I love the effect, but the cream all looks the same and I can't help but feel that I might as well have saved myself the trouble.



That's what it looks like all folded and tied up.



The outside is of four different alphabet samplers. I don't really care for samplers and I don't think I'll be doing any more ABC ones.



From left to right, the inside has a pouch to put patterns/papers. I don't use it. The bit with the button covers up pieces of felt that hold needles. The third is a scissors holder with a motif that repeats as my scissors fob. And the last, extreme right part is actually supposed to be horizontal, not vertical and is to tuck floss in. My floss is wound around bobbins and the strap is actually too long to fit horizontally so I just put it vertically. Technically I can still stick floss under it so it works for me.

Due to the pain of having to undo ribbons, open it, take what I want, fold it up trickily, and tie the ribbon (yes, a most Herculean task), it's mostly an ornamental piece. Extra needles that I'm not currently using and my most pointy and best hardanger scissors are in it. My more everyday stuff is in less beautiful holders.

That's all for this dig from the near past. Soon there will be a few pieces from the ancient past. Over 8 years ago...