Dangerous Business!

This is the first of several finished needlepoint canvas' I recently found. I love to scour antique malls for nicely stitched pieces that I think have potential, with a little TLC and imagination, to be transformed into a personal treasure. Let the metamorphosis begin!

Once I find a piece I like, the first thing I check for is any sign of damage, fading, and/or odors; stitch quality is also a determining factor. Oh, and did I mention it has to be inexpensive, say up to $20 depending upon size. I also have to like the design or at least see it's potential to add color to a room. Pillows are what I usually have in mind, but some designs just don't lend themselves to pillows. The jury is still out on what I will do with the Chagall Window above (I think it is anyway); it's one of four stained glass window type canvas' I now have. Two were found in different States and the other is a pair found together.

Obviously all of these have been framed making the recycling process a very dangerous business indeed. Using various techniques, I find what they all have in common is adhesive and staples. Good grief, disassembling the framing is perilous....tetanus waiting to happen so to speak. So you have to be really careful.

Take it from me, do not attempt this process late at night when light and energy sources are low. Lest one might end up with a nasty gouge on one's leg from a protruding nail or staple. Ouch!

This final piece is actually my favorite, for one thing it is pictured just as I found it except it was tacked to stretchers. Total cost $8.00, clean and charming, my kind of treasure! This is the Eva Brent canvas I mentioned in a previous post. I have cleaned and reblocked it and am now debating if I want to embellish the flowers with beads. I may be a little too anxious to get this made into a pillow to delay the process with beading..or bleeding as I call it. All the stitching was done in basketweave and is even and uniform. This will definitely be a pillow and will probably be the first piece I finish. In my next post I will show you the progress I've made on this and all the other wonderful treasures that made their way into my car recently! Thanks for stopping by, see you soon.