Christmas Lights

I stitched this in October - November 2005. It was not for Christmas, but for the American Needlepoint Guild charity auction 2006, a good six months away at that point.

One thing I try to be 'well ahead on' is DEADLINES. Mostly they're self imposed, sometimes it's for an exhibition or a gift, but I always like to be finished well ahead of time. I hate to be in the position where there is a deadline looming and the stitching isn't finished, there's still the finishing or framing, the artist's statement to write or other paperwork to be completed. Not that I'm compulsive about it, but if I can I like to have the completed piece in my hands a good month ahead of the deadline. (Sad or what?)

This hit the deadline with time to spare. It's actually about 3" x 2" and stitched using metallic and rayon threads to give it a gloss. The background is worked in a very fine machine embroidery thread and is much less open in reality than the image suggests. (I make no claim to any photographic skill.)When held with a light shining on it the bulbs reflected the light and looked as though they were on.

I don't know how this was finally finished, how much it was sold for, or what happened to it, and I don't really need to know. The important thing, for me, was to "give something back", even if it is only time and a few threads.