Hand-Stitched Vintage Photos

My fiber-art group has a tradition of exchanging postcards on our birthdays, usually quilted, painted, stitched, or otherwise artistically enhanced fiber. This year I wanted to do something a little different ... hand-stitched vintage photographs. Here are two of them ... I can't show the others yet because they haven't been gifted yet.

This flapper was stitched for Nancy.
She wears a Guatemalan worry doll pin.

I thought Connie just "needed" this crazy lady!
She is also enhanced with a worry doll pin.

These were a lot of fun, but a little more difficult than I had imagined. Each hole had to be individually punched before stitching, and I found that I needed a stiff backing to prevent tearing of the photo paper. Some rubber thimbles ultimately came in handy too. I really liked the effect of colored thread on the black-and-white photos.

A little tribute to Mariah

Not to get maudlin, but I miss my little Mariah-cat more than I can say.  Sweet Meg reminded me on my Facebook page of the tiny little artquilt I had made years ago, in a workshop at QSDS with Susan Shie.  It was all about Mariah, and I thought I'd post it here.  (Thanks, Meg, for reminding me of this little piece!)

Mariah Needs Her Mama
3-1/2" square

Just in case you don't want to twist your head (or your computer) upside down to read the stitched text, here's what it says:

Mariah needs her Mama 
She purrs even while she's biting me - ouch!
No bouncing!
Sandpaper tongue
Sweet sharp kisses
Only crunchy food, please!
Velvet fur and tuna breath, Yum

There is a little shisha mirror, and she's wearing a collar tag that says "Be good".

I'm so glad I made this, back in the days when Mariah was young and lively.  Thank you, Susan, for the wonderful class and this little memento that I probably never would have made otherwise. 

If Mariah (and her Uncle Buddy and Aunt Peaches) aren't allowed into Heaven, then I'm not going either!