A Personalized "Mom and Dad" Cross-Stitch for a Baby Nursery
You may remember awhile back, I offered a free tutorial on how to create a family portrait using cross-stitch. Today, I used the same technique with a new twist: a special handmade gift for a dear friend's nursery.
My friend Marri is due to have her first baby, a little boy, this June. I'd been wanting to do something wonderful for Marri for months as she's been such a great friend and given me incredible advice. Her simple ask was that I make something for the baby's room.
So, given that Marri and her husband are super awesome and have a modern vibe to their home, I decided the perfect thing would be to create a cross-stitch of them as "Mom and Dad."
My hope is that because this cross-stitch just features Marri and Bryan, it will become a well-loved family heirloom and something that can be passed down and enjoyed for a very long time.
As I make things for friends and clients, I've been thinking a lot lately about heirlooms and the things we take with us... and the things we leave for others. I think it's important to stop and reflect on your life looking at what you've given to others. What things have you made or imparted that will live on, even if you weren't here tomorrow. When I stop to think of these things, I feel good that I've created some things that stay with people and that brought joy into their lives.
I was just talking to my sweet friend Hilly who reminded me of a box I made for her years ago, decorated to look like her favorite candy - a snickers bar. I'd almost completely forgotten about it. But her bringing it up really hit home on this idea of making sure that you live a life that gives something of yourself, in both those small and big ways. It's funny too how those things you nearly forget about can pop up and remind you of the good you've put into the world, almost like a message you cleverly sent yourself just when you really need to hear that what you do does matter.
If you'd like more info on how to create your own cross-stitch, here's the tutorial link.
