I've Not Been Stitching, But...

I have a confession to make. I've not been stitching, but I have been shopping!

Each year, my sister and I meet in Springfield, OH for a BIG antique show and flea market. I say "big," because out of all the years we've been going, I've only made it to all the vendor areas once - and that's over a three-day period! This year, I got lucky and found an affordable cross-stitched piece that was looking for a good home.

I've seen a number of similar pieces, but none completed on a piece of linen like this with what reminds me of Battenburg lace around its edges.

This looks to have been a stamped design. The stitching is fairly well executed compared to the other pieces I've seen. But I didn't notice the faint marks of a stamped design until I imported my photos. The other stitched pieces I've seen of this nature have a similar horse and carriage theme, and they've all been completed with black floss. I did a quick Google search to see if I could locate any information on the pattern or the time period. Do you know anything about these designs? What do you think - something from the 1950s or '60s? I'd be interested in finding out more.

There is a bit of water damage on the bottom of the mat. And the frame is literally falling apart.

You can see the linen peaking out from the back edges, so I'm guessing the fabric was just laid flat in the frame.

This one will be going to the framers so that it can be properly conserved. After that, I have just the place for it!

And, "what," you may ask, "does a long day/weekend at the Springfield show look like?" Like this closing photo of course!

I certainly don't know where the days go, but here's to a fun summer and a great holiday weekend!