Antique Art from a 1970s Craft

For those of you who grew up in the 1970s, you might remember the crafty fad of crewel embroidery pictures and pillows. Not to be confused with the act of being mean (ha ha), crewel is a beautiful form of embroidery stitching that makes raised, textured patterns that create gorgeous works of art. As a girl, I thought it was ugly and old-fashioned, but after moving to London in the late 90s, I developed a great love for the English antiques and artwork, of which crewel embroidery fits in nicely.

This particular piece is a lovely floral my mom did years ago and made into a pillow. I confiscated it from her Goodwill pile and placed it on my breakfast room sofa for years until age got the better of it and the linen became frayed. So I put it away, thinking I would frame it one day. Well, today I took a chance and went to Michael's, finding the perfect matted frame (on sale) that enhances the antique look.  Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my family who loves these old things and finds beauty in them - most everyone else turns up their nose and sneers until they see it in our house and see what I've done with it. 

This picture is gorgeous and will most definitely make a statement on the front wall near our foyer. Mom, thanks for making such a beautiful piece. And thank you family for allowing me to cash in on all these wonderful family treasures!