Union Forever was designed by Maggie Bonanomi for Blackbird Designs. In the past, I had never really had any desire to stitch this particular design. Then a number of stitchers shared their finished projects, and it grew on me. When the chart was donated as a giveaway, I decided to stitch it first.
I selected a piece of 16ct aida I had in my Stash. I’m not sure of the color but it is a mottled tan. I used mostly the recommended floss with a couple of changes.
- WDW Havana
- GA Gold Leaf
- WDW Bark/DMC 3781
- GA Tin Bucket
- GA Raspberry Parfait/DMC 3721
- GA Barn Gray/VMSS Bedazzled
- GA Chamomile
- WDW Swamp Water
- GA Cidermill Brown
I started stitching on July 15, 2022
Finished Stitching: July 29, 2022
I decided to finish this one as a drum. Finally using all the crushed walnut shells, I bought a couple of years ago. I followed Vonna Epperson Pfeiffer’s drum making tutorial in the Summer 2022 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine. Only thing I did different is to use a circle of foam core rather than all matboard so my pins would actually stick into something while I stitched the top and bottom to the drum tube. Vonna also has a video tutorial on finishing as a drum. I followed her tutorial for making the twisted cording. Next time I will use more strands to make it thicker. The little stuffed heart was from the Summer Sweets kit.
Your piece is looking good, Pat. I really like your fabric choice.