Tip for saving a chewed on cross stitch..

lacemaker2004 · Post by **lacemaker2004** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:42 pm

....and letting the puppy out of the dog house!

Hi everyone! Just thought to share with you an idea that we've had for saving a chewed on cross stitch.

About 20 years ago I made my first counted cross stitch for my grandparents 50th anniversary. Well, my grandmother passed away last year and my mother returned the cross stitch to me. It had gotten rather dusty so I thought I'd clean it and reframe it. Well, stupid me I left it on the chair with some other things to take with me when I went out and my 6 month old puppy got hold of it and did a good job of teething on it. Now to say she was in the dog house is a major understatement. The only thing I was thankful for was it was something I had made for my grandmother and not something she had made for me.

I went to the framer/stitch store and asked their opinion just about cleaning it since I figured it was hopeless and was just going to store it away with my antique lace collection. They came up with a brillant idea to use matting to hide the chewed on parts. The picture is a little anniversary saying bordered by wedding bells and a ribbon. Lila managed to eat most of one of the bells and part of another corner. We're going to basically mat off the bad sections and make it look like a kind of partial view of the bell.

I do have a picture of the before and I'll post a picture of the after once I get it back so you can see what they've done since I'm sure my description is not very clear.

So remember, when all looks hopeless ask your local framers. They may just have a great idea to save the day and the puppy!

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:31 pm

Oh puppies can be such a pain in the cross stitch. What a shame to have to lose the whole piece but thatnkfully you had some one take the time to come up with a solution. I hope it works as advertised and you will have a lasting reminder of a speciel couple.

rubyviolet · Post by **rubyviolet** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:33 pm

cats aren't innocent either! i put my cross stitch down one day to go get a drink, and i come back with my cat poko clawing at the thread trying to ripit out of the pattern

luckily she didn't do any damage other than getting it a little wet. now i keep whatever i'm working on in the sewing box at all times!

Collette · Post by **Collette** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:54 pm

Yes, I have to put mine away when I am not doing it as my kitten has decided that the threads look like fun to play with - and if im trying to do it with him awake he thinks it a good idea to sit on my chart that is on my lap preventing me from seeing what I have to do

rubyviolet · Post by **rubyviolet** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:56 pm

lol my cats do that too! they also lay on my notes when i'm studying for an exam and look at me with this delightful look on their face like they know that they're stopping me from doing my work, heh.

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:30 pm

Yes, my youngest use to climb up and lay on the frame in my lap so I would have to pet him until he went to sleep and then I could move him to a different chair. But if I tried to move before he was a sleep he would grab my thread or frame or something to get me to pay attention to him. He hasn't done that for a while now.