I’ve mentioned before that I save things in an inspiration folder. Quite a few years ago, I ran across a mousepad with an image of vintage needlepoint on it. I couldn’t tell if they were supposed to be llamas or horses, but they were definitely 1960s-1970s colors and style. Into the file the image went.
I later thought about that old image, so I looked for the mousepad website again but couldn’t find it. I did find another website showing the same image, with the same name as old seller with the mousepads. I wrote to the person for info about the origin of the design, but never received a reply. The image was clear enough and the design simple enough that I was able to draft a pattern to make a miniature reproduction for my personal collection. That was as far as I got.
Moving has its upside in that you find stuff you forgot about. As I was sorting needlework patterns, I ran across my pattern. I went back to the website with the photo of the needlework and found a different website for the same seller. I wrote to her again and heard back this time. She wasn’t sure of the origin and thought the needlework had been done 35 years ago.
In the meantime, I also did a new google search and a different image of the same design showed up at an auction house. No idea if this was related to the mousepad seller or not. I don’t even know if it is a one of a kind work or if there was a pattern for it way back when.
I stitched my adaptation of the design on 32ct Jobelan fabric in parchment using two strands of DMC floss in half cross stitch. Needlepoint (half cross stitch) goes twice as fast as full cross stitch. I finished the stitching portion of the Nine Horses tapestry in 38.5 hours.
I turned under the edges and hung it in the bedroom of Otter Cove. The final measurements are roughly 4 x 3.5 inches.
