Yahoo!! I have a FULLY FINISHED PROJECT!! My Come to the Garden piece by Teresa Kogut is all finished. I am totally in love with it and so happy with it.
Let me take you in for a close-up picture.
Modifications and fudging happened on this one. The first and most noticeable modification was changing the words. It originally said, “Come to the Garden. Thy sense will be overjoyed”. My daughter Kayla helped me rechart the words for this to “I Come to the Garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses.”
I so vividly remember going to the funeral home after my mom had passed. We were trying to make funeral arrangements and we kept asking my Dad for input. He was a quiet man but was especially quiet on this day. Us siblings would kind of come up with an idea but didn’t want to make decisions without my Dad approving them. I would explain the decision to my Dad and then say, “Is that okay Dad?”. He always approved.
When we got to the part to pick songs for the service, the funeral director asked, “Are there any songs you want to be played at the funeral?” My Dad, who had been so quiet the whole time, immediately said, “In the Garden”.
Years later when my Dad passed, I made sure the same song was sung at his funeral.
It’s a song I’ve always loved as well.
Fast forward to 2019 when my niece Jody was dying of cancer, I was at her bedside. The doctors had said it was a matter of time before she passed. I started asking her some of the hard questions. I asked where she wanted to be buried. I asked her if there was something special she wanted at the service. She said, “Play the song, In the Garden.”
So besides recharting the words to commemorate these three influential people in my life with the words to the old hymn…I left out a bird and a couple of do-dads so I could add the initials of my mom, dad, and niece Jody.
This was stitched on 40-count Vellum by Picture This Plus. I used all of the called-for colors.
This piece was a nightmare for me. I had border trouble. Motifs got moved a stitch this way or that way. I ripped out a lot but I finished it and didn’t let those snags stop me from finishing it.
I started this last June…I stitched a bit and set it aside after my border mishaps. Then I picked it up and was again plagued with troubles. I set it aside again. Then last year at Thanksgiving time I picked it up and told myself I had to put in one thread each week. That led to one night of stitching each week.
It was slow stitching but it was progress. Then the last two weeks or so, I stitched primarily this until it was finished.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have this finished.
My frame was cut down from a thrift store frame. I think it was perfect for the piece. You can see that it is a complimentary gold with a deep red in the center.
I actually took the frame with me to the frame shop trying to decide if I wanted to spring for an expensive frame or use this one. When I was there, the owner and both decided we liked my frame best. She offered to cut it down for me and finish it.
Oh, happy day!! That’s what happened. I paid $4 for the frame when I originally got it. The frame shop cut the frame down, put AR glass with it, laced it, and put it all together for $80. I was THRILLED. Better yet, they did it all in a week’s time.
I am so in love with the frame shop I found. It’s called the Perfect Edge. It is in Decorah, Iowa. I asked if they would do work for customers that would require mailing pieces to them and they said YES! So if you’re interested, you can contact them HERE. I’ve only had WONDERFUL experiences with them.
Someone asked where my pieces are going being my sampler wall is filling up. I’ve put my latest two pieces here. This is a built-in in my dining room that is FILLED with quilts.
I have more places in my house so I can stitch for quite a while before I have to worry about not having room. HA!! I have a whole staircase and a whole long hallway in my upstairs. All I know is that once I leave this place, someone is going to have a lot of nail holes to fill…and I don’t care.
The pleasure of having this one finished is totally worth the frustration of stitching it!!
If you would like the charted words, you can find them HERE. Many thanks to my daughter Kayla for helping me with the wording.
Your In the Garden turned out so beautiful!!! It gives me hope that mine will look as nice and maybe I will finish it in my lifetime! Ha! I do not stitch like you do. Definitely not as frequently or for as long, so it will take me a while. Your finish is motivating me to get with it.
Beautiful work Jo!! It looks like quite a challenge but you did it!
Your stitching turned out beautifully. That is one of my favorite hymns. I can’t decide whether to use this pattern or the one from Heartstring Samplery’s Sunday Stitches book. I might have to stich them both.
In The Garden has always been one of my many favorites! I love the way you changed the words. Do you still have the chart? I would love to have it so I can change mine, I’ll pay!
Hugs,
Betty
The word change is available for free. Just follow this link. https://www.joscountryjunction.com/dewonroses/
SPECTACULAR! Especially the back story for the word change. It makes it so meaningful.
I replied to your newsletter/blog yesterday but thought maybe I should also reply in the comments. Here is what I wrote.
Hi Jo,
I so enjoy your blog and have been frustrated to miss many of your articles because they do not load properly. So, I finally bugged my son about it and asked him to see if he had any input as to what was going on. He said that the link in your blog, the blue “Read more”, is bad. He says that for instance today it opened a Json file that contained three URLs to different, older articles with similar titles to your title today, “Kayla and Jasper are in the House!” Also, the same thing with the other article, “Quilt Tops, Anyone??” Other than that, he said he wasn’t really familiar with Json files, but was sure there should only be one URL in the link. I know you and many of your readers have been frustrated with this issue. I don’t know if this will help you, but maybe your tech clever daughter can make some sense of it.
Best wishes, Christa Jackson
Thank you. I will pass this to Kayla.
Well, the gremlins finally hit me too. All the posts have been good until yesterday’s “well so much for that plan”. All code and mixed text. On both my laptop and iPad through Safari. Hope this helps trouble shoot.
Your Come to the Garden piece is absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations on the finish!
Oh, your Garden piece is beautiful! Congratulations!
It is lovely!!!!!!
Your sampler is simply outstanding. Congratulations on a job well done and you could not have chosen a better song to include in your work. Something to enjoy for years to come.
Oh, Beautiful!!! I am so glad you changed the words, at least I agree that they are more fitting. For anyone who knows and loves that song, just so much better than the original words. Your frame is perfect, perfect!
I love that you personalized the verse to the people that meant a lot to you. It’s a beautiful piece and you’re lucky to have a frame shop that does such a nice job of framing fabric. Not every framer knows how to do that. What are you stitching next?
FWIW, when I tried to load this post on my Android phone I got code when I hit the blue “read more”, but got the article when I tapped the headline just to see what would happen.
So glad I was able to read this post today!! I love this song, but it always makes me cry. It was one of the songs sung at my brother’s funeral – he was 15. Such a beautiful piece of work! I’m so glad you powered through the errors and made the change in the words – you have smart kids who are able to help you in so many ways!!
I look forward to the possible solution of the scrambles. Although I’m reasonably sure it’s something I’ve done or will never figure out. Hope it works out for everyone else.
Hi Jo, An absolutely beautiful piece!! It’s a wonderful tribute your family members. The frame is beautiful too. Hugs,
Absolutely beautiful! I love the story behind it and the personalizations you made. I think you do this, but if not, you should write up that story and put it on the back.
Also, you should send the photo and story to Teresa to feature on her FlossTube. She would love it.
Beautiful finish! What an accomplishment and so meaningful. Excellent area to display the finish. It will attract attention as it should. Such a nice verse and appropriate.
Thanks for sharing. Congratulations!
Beautiful Jo! And shout out to Kayla’s talent with the chart alterations! I too love that song and the words. Mornings are so peaceful and calming especially enjoying roses!!
I absolutely love this, Jo! I like your verse better than the original too. Perfect frame. I’m glad you persevered and finished it.
So glad I can read and see it all so clearly today. Wonderful work and beautifully done!!❤️
The earworm from when you first changed the wording is still singing each time you’ve mentioned this glorious cross stitch, and now it is triumphant! Love the intricate border that you tamed, a lovely addition to your gallery.
So happy to be able to see this today, very well done Jo.
Trust the eyes keep smiling !
Cheers, Dot
A beautiful finish! I always like the colours in your pieces, Jo.
Your finished piece is beautiful. No mistakes seen by me, just personalization.
I don’t think anyone would notice your “fudges” without close scrutiny, and no one needs to be that critical lol! It’s a lovely piece and has a wonderful back story. Blessings!
Jo, I love your in the garden piece.
One oddy for you. When my husband and I got married in 1980, I asked my youngest brother-in-law to sing something. he chose In the Garden. I hear it and it brings back sweet memories.
As a genealogist I suggest you put on the back the three initials with their name, date of birth, date of death and your relationship. Your grands will appreciate it in about 50 years.
Your sampler is absolutely gorgeous! I’m stitching it right now and found out quickly that mistakes aren’t allowed. Thanks for sharing the charting for the words. I love that!
Holy smokes, Jo! What have you been eating for breakfast? All the yummy quilt finishes and now this gorgeous cross stitch finish! We are all so proud and happy for you ❤️. Way to set the bar just a little bit higherEnjoy your retreat and take lots of pictures. Safe travels…