This was the very last gift I made and just barely done in time. It was for my brother in law and it’s the name of his band. And a large band it is. So I drew all the instruments in the band and embroidered them, then did the name in cross stitch free hand.  I got a little nervous that I wouldn’t finish in time toward the end of “flatpickers” and I think  it shows.  I’ve learned that cross stitch requires actual planning (this was my first attempt) so maybe next time I won’t just wing it.  On the whole I like how homemade it looks.  Folksy and modern–just like the band it’s for.  I wanted the hoop to be the frame, but a quick look around the internets didn’t turn up much, so I put another piece of fabric behind the embroidered bit and just cut them both to fit.  It’s pretty slippy, does anyone know how to do this properly? The gift is still within my grasp and I could fix it if need be.

Hope everyone had a very merry christmas and got at least something you wanted.