Strawberry Needlepoint Bracelet

This was a small needlepoint experiment done on 14c needlepoint canvas. It is far from perfect as most experiments are. I call it an experiment because I decided to break the rules!

I must admit to being the kind of person that likes to do things "my way"...many of my crafts have been self taught because I don't like to follow the rules, it is too confining. I also like to do things that others say "can't be done"...hmmmm.....what does that say about me?...either I have ADD which is a possibility, or I don't like to be confined by rules...which is also true, what ever the case having this personality trait has defined many of my most interesting and successful designs.

Many years ago I decided that I wanted to set antique buttons in sterling silver and was lucky enough to find a teacher that shared many of my traits and was willing to teach me and allow me to experiment ....she liked to use the expression "running with scissors". Taking on this challenge led to a successful jewelry design business and even landed me in a book on button crafts.

When I started this project it was only the second needlepoint project that I had tackled. I began by drawing the design on 14 ct needlepoint canvas and then I free-styled the stitches...this is something that is a "rule breaker"... not usually done. Needlepoint stitches are always supposed to go in the same direction, slanting to the right, mine are willy-nilly, "flying by the seat of their pants" kind of stitches..I like that about them, I mean, how else are you supposed to achieve those fanciful, twirling curves! When my design was complete I proceeded to fill in the background around those crazy stitches. I am not sure that I would attempt this again, but I don't think it turned out to awfully bad.

I finished it off as I did my cross stitch bracelet, backed with vintage fabric and closed with a crochet loop and antique porcelain button.I have started collecting antique samplers that have provided me with inspiration and a whole slew of motifs to be worked...what rules can I break next?