IHSW - January 2013 Report

Evening, and apologies for the delay in posting.  I have spent the last two nights doing emergency babysitting while my sister and brother in law dealt with my eldest niece's brief stay in hospital recovering from an asthma attack.  She is home now but it was worrying at the time.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot to show for my hermitting and stitching weekend, or for the week that preceded it.

I wasn't exactly laid low but I was in some pain and thereby distracted from stitching by a gum infection for which the dentist gave me a short course of antibiotics.  On top of that, I spent most of Saturday entertaining my youngest niece, which was fun but exceedingly tiring.  However we did manage to reach a decision on what I am going to stitch her for her 5th birthday in June.

This is "Enchanted Garden" by Joan Elliott, a chart from issue 98 of Cross Stitch Gold.  Apologies for the photo - I couldn't eliminate the glare off the magazine page.  Littlest niece wanted fairies and I am reasonably happy with this - it is not too cute or too complex to achieve in the time frame.  Despite being a Joan Elliott, there is no beading or metallic threads.  The finished piece will be framed rather than turned into a cushion.

I did manage to get a few extra stitches in on my Turkish Challenge piece, but I really need to get a grip and use my lunch breaks more profitably.  At the moment I keep getting distracted by other people's stitching blogs.

Finally the usual update on Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose.  Last week's three blocks were full of confetti - that is another Chinese lantern starting to show behind the rose bushes.  To be perfectly honest, I am more concerned about getting my three blocks a week done on this piece than any of my other deadlines.  This is my BAP, this is the piece that my mother takes seriously, this is the piece that makes me feel that I really can achieve something worthwhile.  I am not saying that it is perfect - there is the occasional stitch in the wrong colour, the back is more like a carpet than a piece of stitching, but this piece is the special piece.

I have booked the day off on Friday - I need a duvet day and the first full moon of 2013 is on Sunday so a WIPocalypse post is just around the corner.  I am going to have a lie in and just potter and stitch.  

Wishing you all the best for better weather and peace to stitch in.