*NEW* French Harvest Basket (an Antique Reproduction)

When I spotted a matched pair of framed needlepoint baskets in a French etsy shop, it was love at first sight. I considered only buying one, but in the end, just couldn’t break the pair up. Besides, I justified to myself, what if one of them is in bad shape and I need both to complete the chart? Well, their trip from France was thankfully short, and I only needed to un-frame one to complete the chart, so the story has a very happy ending.

I did take liberties by calling for linen fabric, cotton floss, and cross-stitches rather than needlepoint. In all other ways it is a match to the originals, pulling elements from each (they have slight differences), the colors being very similar, and all stitches being charted as accurately as could be. Some of the original colors are so faded that a claim to exact reproduction would be false, as I had to make up fill stitches in a few areas. And I did add the words to the bottom, as well as a place to the side where you can add your initials and date.  If you prefer to keep it as close to the original as possible, simply leave off all lettering.

I chose to add words because I wanted to impart a certain French-ness to the design, so the casual viewer would realize its origins. I played around with an online translator until I found the words La Récolte, which translate, “harvesting; collecting; gathering”.

When I put out a call for help from my model stitchers, the words “antique needlepoint reproduction” must have sounded scary, because not one volunteered to stitch it. With a little arm twisting, I convinced Donna Gabbard to take it on, and she did a lovely job, despite the many color changes and very different style from my usual. Thank you, my dear, I appreciate you and your skilled fingers and the time you invested in this project!

The entire model is worked with cross stitches, using one thread worked over-two.

Stitch Count: 81 x 80

Model stitched on Picture This Plus 28ct. Legacy

Using flosses from The Gentle Art: 0350 Mulberry0530 Pumpkin Patch,0540 Brandy, 0560 Nutmeg, 7005 Old Red Paint, 7007 Cidermill Brown, 7049 Lambswool, 7057 Roasted Marshmallow,7072 Raspberry Frost

And flosses from Weeks Dye Works: 1230 Havana, 1273 Grape Vine, 2241 Chrysanthemum, 3910 Mascara

This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will be going out to my distributors and the shops on my automatic shipments list soon. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com