Stuck in Baby Birth Record Land!

Yeah, that's why I tend to do something like the Victoria Sampler's Heirloom Birth Sampler. I can stand to work on it, plus it's easy to change around a bit to make it different enough for each child. I also like that years down the road when there's no more nursery for it to hang in, it can still fit in somewhere else in the home.

Best wishes, Ericka

Good point! I often wander that when the kid is older will my stitchery end up in the box of baby memories in the attic? Probably so. But I guess that is the way with a lot of the stitching I do. I hate to let go of it for fear that one day it will be relegated to the bedroom closet never-to-be-seen-again box. I make a lot more of my pieces to keep now than I did years ago. Most of the pretties that I finish have a certain point during the stitching where I have to fall in love with them just a little or I wouldn't be interested in finishing them. So how do you let go of a something like that? aeromom

Oh, it's *really* tough. I busted my hump to do the Columbine Design's Proposal Pillow as a ringbearer's pillow for my SIL. It was expensive and gorgeous and I later entered it in the Woodlawn exhibition and won a first place for surface embroidery with it. I really wish it were MINE, MINE, MINE! I just keep telling myself I love my SIL and one day I'll stitch it again for me ;-) I took lots of pictures. Pathetic of me, eh? I figure it must be character building. A lot of my stuff goes to family or really close friends, so it's not *so* bad. I don't do pieces for people if I don't think they'll appreciate them to at least *some* degree, or if they don't, it's at least done for someone I really care for. Plus, while I like enjoying the finished project, it's the process of stitching I really love.

Best wishes, Ericka

Or even in the local charity shops! I have often seen birth samplers of varying kinds in second hand and charity shops :-(

I have to say though that they have all been of the *nursery* type, little fluffy bunnies, baby bears, toy soldiers etc. They have all been less than

20 years old too, so perhaps teenagers just aren't sentimental about that sort of stuff or find it too silly to hang in their student flats?

It's extremely sad to think of the hours of work gone into them and see them consigned to a junk shop.

Tracy

If I don't know the tastes of the person, but still feel like doing a xs gift, I make something more quick/simple. There's one favorite birth sampler that looks quite nice but stitches up in a week of evenings. Has alphabet, numbers, plus 2 angels, simple but nice. I usually give that one because it's not too baby-ish, and if they don't like it, I haven't invested *too* much in it.

I do more complicated pieces for those who I know will appreciate them, or have them pick the piece out so that I know they'll like it. I'm doing a sampler right now for a friend's baby. It's taken me too long to do it, so I asked if she still wanted it (baby is now 4), but she said she loves my work (everything I've done is displayed somewhere in her house) and will keep it even if the son doesn't want it when he's older. So I also try to do stuff that the mom might keep even if the kids don't. If it doesn't make it beyond the one generation, that's fine, as long as the person I made it for (usually means mom not kid, though the kid liking it is a plus) enjoys it during their lifetime.

Another example, my best friend is one person that I know would appreciate the time and effort, but when she got married and I asked if she wanted me to do a xs for her, she declined appreciatively, because xs just isn't her decorating style. She didn't want me to make something that she would cherish but not display.

Short answer - I don't make something I can't let go of unconditionally.

Barbara

I suppose it is similar to raising children. All that work you put into them and then, poof! they leave for other places! You're right we should be able to let go of them unconditionally knowing we enjoyed them while they were ours.

Why are mothers giving teenagers their birth samplers? As a mother, I hang onto this stuff until the "kids" are old enough to appreciate it. This usually means a house of their own.

Dianne

Yeah, I have all three of my own children's xs birth records on my craft/guest bedroom wall. I would not even consider giving them to my adult kids. They bring back sweet memories for me but I don't think the kids would really want them in their homes at all.

delighted that I was named for her, designed and stitched a very lovely crib quilt. It stayed at her sister's house (my grandmother's house) in the crib there for several years since Grandma didn't have a nice crib quilt for when one of the grandbabies came to visit. And, my mother had quite a few crib covers that were pretty and much easier to care for. Later, the crib quilt came to my mother's house, and she carefully tucked it away, finally giving it to me when I graduated from law school. I treasure that quilt!

When I went to visit my family last Christmas I went up to my nephew's bedroom to watch him play his new guitar. I was pleased to see my old Dragon Dreams dragon alphabet "JAMES" still hanging up on his wall. James is 17 & just started college this year. I'm sure it didn't make it to the dorm with him, and would never expect it of him, but it was nice to see it in his bedroom at home. :-))) I guess that is why I still make things for my family. Unlike DH's brother & sister in law, who didn't know what to do with their wedding tabletopper. She had it folded on top of the microwave oven so her DH used it as a pot holder & scorched it. They will never get anything else stitched. Liz from Humbug