08 August 2017

Oh, the miles these paws have seen!

Tiger Lily may be world-famous, but long before she waddled into our lives as a six-week-old rescue, I had dogs. From my late teens through my twenties, I had two beautiful red Chows. For a while now, I've been thinking about them a lot. Remembering them. Missing them. I've often thought about stitching something as a tribute to them, but none of the designs I had seen were quite right. And then I found this one. It was absolutely perfect.

 This is "Oh, the Miles" by Goodflora Stitchwort (Etsy). When I saw it, it just tugged at my heart. A joyful dog, running as hard as he can run...

...leash left far behind...

...scattering birds and flowers, trailing muddy paw prints, and catching twigs in his coat.

 And that beautiful sentiment: "Oh, the miles these paws have seen!" That simple sentence captures the life of a happy, well-loved dog. It's bittersweet. Beloved dogs, long-since gone, but oh! What a life we had. 




 I stitched this design as a tribute to the dogs no longer with me, but it would work just as well as a celebration of a still-present friend. The chart is keyed for DMC, but I converted it to hand-dyed threads. I stuck pretty closely with the original colors, except for the blue and the green, which I brightened up a bit. Here are my choices:

 3820-->same
738-->CC Chai
407-->omitted
3045-->CC Straw Hat
931-->CC Morning Glory
580-->GAST Mistletoe
3790-->GAST Maple Syrup
3787-->CC Hickory Sticks
3799-->GAST Soot
***dog's eye is a Smyrna cross in Hickory Sticks
***dog's nose is a Smyrna cross in Soot

If you've got a pupper around the house, give 'em an extra cuddle from me.
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17 comments:

  1. Robin in VirginiaAugust 8, 2017 at 8:14 PM

    Oh Honeybee! What a delightful piece you have stitched up in memory of the dogs no longer with you. I love the sentiment. So, how will you finish this precious piece?

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  2. CathieJAugust 8, 2017 at 8:42 PM

    What a pretty piece. I haven't had a dog since my teens and I do miss her.

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  3. MaryAugust 8, 2017 at 9:32 PM

    Well,since this made me remember and feel the heart tug for my lovely Golden Retriever Copper - I need to ask...who is the designer of this perfect chart?

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  4. Goofin' Off Around the BlockAugust 8, 2017 at 10:39 PM

    What a beautiful sentiment and a lovely stitch. We've never had a dog. The only pets we had were a crab named Erica and a hamster named Oxnard. Neither of them were particularly cuddly. Poor hubby is terribly allergic to most cuddly pets. I do love reading about my blogging friends' pets, though. Happy stitching! Andrea

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  5. MarilynAugust 9, 2017 at 4:00 AM

    This is too cute!
    Marilyn

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  6. VickieAugust 9, 2017 at 8:15 AM

    Oh. Oh. I am afraid your post touched a soft spot in my heart. I am crying for our Mabel once again. It is okay. As you say,"It's bittersweet. Beloved dogs, long-since gone, but oh! What a life we had."
    This is such a darling piece Sara.

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    Replies
    1. HoneybeeAugust 9, 2017 at 9:39 AM

      I thought of you and Mabel while I was stitching this, Vickie. Such a hard loss.

      Delete
  7. BarbAugust 9, 2017 at 10:00 AM

    I love your piece it is so cute. I had dogs when growing up but was always a cat person and as an adult have had and still have cats. I like everyone else's dog though and will love them.

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  8. ShellyAugust 9, 2017 at 10:28 AM

    How pretty! I instantly recognized this design as a Goodflora Stitchwort. I have a couple of her designs stitched up. Whimsical is what I think of when I look at her designs. You have such a good eye for colors, your changes look great!

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  9. StitchyDragon CreatesAugust 9, 2017 at 6:30 PM

    Oh that dog!!! What a beautiful stitch & a perfect way to remember your dear faithful friends. We lost our dog last summer, a few weeks shy of her 14th birthday and maybe after a few more years have passed I will stitch something in her memory (I would find it way too hard just now). By the way I found some craft sticks in sizes I think will work in a local store today so thank you again for the info & the fab tutorial on those stands! Have a great week,
    Helen

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    Replies
    1. HoneybeeAugust 9, 2017 at 8:33 PM

      Helen, I'm so glad to hear you found craft sticks that will work for you! I completely understand how you feel about not being ready to stitch something in your dog's memory yet. Mine have been gone for 15 years and I'm just now getting this done, but I also waited for the perfect design. You'll know it when you see it, and you'll know the right time. I'm so sorry for your loss.

      Delete
  10. MaryAugust 11, 2017 at 7:59 AM

    What a nice way to remember you beloved pet. Lovely stitch.

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  11. RitaAugust 11, 2017 at 8:26 PM

    What a sweet stitched remembrance of your beloved dogs.

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  12. DebAugust 12, 2017 at 6:06 AM

    What a truly lovely sentiment to think of all of your paw family. The work is just lovely

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  13. RJAugust 17, 2017 at 5:52 PM

    I love this perfect stitch for a beloved pet. We lost our Golden, Sunny when she was 15 and I miss her everyday. I keep thinking of getting another and maybe someday. But, I would love to stitch something as perfect as this. RJ

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