My grandson Alex is crazy about Mickey Mouse. I made this pattern for his second birthday. My daughter and I conspired over the pattern. I thought I had a book with Disney characters in needlepoint and I thought it would be adaptable to cross stitch. This was just a few weeks after we moved and I was having trouble locating anything, let alone a specific pattern. It turns out that I never have found that book – perhaps it was given away in the clean up I did before the move.

It was a rush job as we were in the middle of unpacking, organizing the new house and painting a very large fence that surrounds our property. I clearly remember taking breaks from power washing and running up to my studio to get in a few stitches before I had to go out and relieve Pat.

When I was expecting my second child my sister made me a crewel embroidery with this verse.

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

I purchased this companion kit many years ago and when my third child had her third child I thought it was the perfect time to dig it out and get it done. It was years in the making but, once I retired, I really made an effort to get it done for Elizabeth’s 30th birthday.

Of course there were “issues” when I made it. I ran out of wool for the verse so had to start all over on that portion with embroidery thread (thanks for the suggestion Diane). Once I finished I realized framing was going to be a problem because we don’t have a Michaels or U-Frame-It location in town. I needed to learn how to miter corners for a quilt project so I started small by self-binding the picture much like I would a quilt.