Let Love Be Your Guide, Revisited...

 As I hand applique' the plates for Handsome's Princeton Plate quilt, I

want to share another one of my favorite completed needlepoint pieces.
 (I wrote about here three years ago, but I'd like to share
it again for those of you who might have missed it last time.)

This design is by Nantucket artist, Claire Murray. It's called,
"Let Love Be Your Guide". I decided that my angel should have red hair,
just like our younger son and his younger daughter. I stitched the
hair in wool French knots. The rest is straight needlepoint on canvas.

Unfortunately for anyone interested in doing this piece themselves,

the kit is no longer available. When I checked Ebay, I found this chart for

counted cross stitch for the same design. It could be adapted for needlepoint.

 The finished needlepoint is 14" square, and I still can't decide how to finish it. It
would probably love to be a cushion, but really, how many pillows does a person need?
I still have that issue with light-colored dog hair, too and then, where would I put it?

 So, while I try to decide how best to finish it, I'll share it with you and

 be content to unroll it from time to time. Each time, it reminds me to

"Let Love Be Your Guide".

Let Love Be Your Guide...

I did this needlepoint piece a few years ago. It was a Claire Murray kit. I just love her designs! It was a fun piece to stitch, and I even did the hair on the angel in auburn French knots. (Our younger son's hair is red!) The design area measures 14" square, so it's not a small piece.

Claire has a home and shop on Nantucket. You can see the Nantucket influence in her work. She loves hydrangeas and whales, and those quaint, rose-covered cottages. I've been to her shop and I really love the hardwood floors, her hand-hooked rugs, bedding, tableware and all of her designs all around the space. Who wouldn't?

I've never done anything with my finished piece because I couldn't decide if it should be framed, made into a cushion or if I should do something else with it. (I have to admit that I hesitated to make it into a cushion. Black wool background. Yellow Labrador hair. See my dilemma?) So hard to decide. What do you think I should do with it? (Disregard the yellow dog fur issue.) I really value your opinion.

PS. It turns out that I have twenty ATCs to make and it's taking a little longer than I thought. I'll write a post about the finished cards just as soon as they're done (this week, I promise!). Again, my sincere thanks to each of you who requested one. I'm honored, and this is truly a labor of love for me.