I'll start where I finished last time - I went to the opticians on Monday afternoon to have my eyes checked as I had been experiencing some worrying phenomena. However things had improved by that point in that I wasn't seeing flashes anymore. Anyway the optician did a thorough check and I am very relieved! There are no holes or tears in either retina and my general vision is the same as it was last July when I had new glasses. I do however have a lot of floaters in both eyes, and at the moment the ones in my right eye are making themselves known. The optician said that either I will get used to them or they will settle down. In the meantime, if I experience flashes again, I need to go straight back. So all's well that ends well.
On the stitching front, there has been some progress on Enchanted Garden, but not a finish because I was out every night Monday to Thursday this week with one event or another.
However the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. All that remains is to finish stitching Fairy 4 (wings already started), the leaf she is kneeling on, some more ground surface and then the last of the back stitching. It is half-term this week so I will be home every night except perhaps Thursday. The plan is to have this piece finished and at the framers on Saturday.
The weather has improved - it was so sunny and warm today that I went out without a coat and ended up carrying my cardigan. Here's hoping that you are getting some sunshine too.
Where to start? Well, the doctor has referred Mum back to the hospital so we are waiting for an appointment letter. Other than that, he told her to carry on living her life, unless she experiences strong pain for more than 20 minutes, in which case ring 999! So we carry on ....
I have made good progress this week with Enchanted Garden:
Having mentally divided the unstitched lower part into three sections, I am pleased to report that two of the three are now complete, including back stitching, and that I have started the third and final section on the far right hand side. This section consists mainly of Fairy 4 and of the stalk to the toadstool that Fairy 3 is sitting on. It is less than a quarter of the whole piece but more than an eighth. However I am going to be a little short on time this week as my diary is booked up every night until Friday, when I propose to collapse in a small heap. I plan to stitch what I can when I can, and then whatever is left will get my full attention at the weekend.
I haven't a lot to say tonight - I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon - it may be nothing or it may be something. Work knows because I have to take some time out, but nobody else - I don't want to worry the family when they have enough on their plate. If it is nothing, they don't need to know - if it is something, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
May the sun shine on you, your loved ones and your stitching!
What can I say? Life just loves to bite you on the behind sometimes. I've been nagging Mum to go back to the doctor and have her heart checked out again for some time now. Thursday morning just gone she had a funny turn and finally made an appointment for this coming Wednesday. Today I get a call from my cousin, a cardiology nurse. In the course of the conversation, Mum's funny turn comes up - J doesn't like the sound of it at all, says that Mum should get herself seen sooner rather than later, says she really should have had herself checked out on Thursday. So I've spoken to Dad on the quiet and fingers crossed, he will be making her an emergency appointment in the morning. I may find myself in the dog house over this, but "de Nile" is not always a river in Egypt where Mum and her health is concerned, so needs must.
EDITED TO ADD: The dog house is very crowded - me, my sister and my cousin all convicted of not talking to Mum and doing things behind her back. She is seeing her preferred doctor on Wednesday. But she still loves us :-)
On a brighter note, there is stitching progress to report.
This week I have back stitched the top section of Enchanted Garden as far down as was feasible. I then moved to the bottom left hand corner and started to work across. I am now back stitching as I go so that once an area is done, it is done and I don't have to go back to it later. The green lines that Fairy 2 is standing on are the bottom of the piece, which makes it easier for me to see how much more there is to go, because I know where the right hand edge is.
The next section to do is the bunny's body and various clover flowers etc. The final section will be Fairy 4 with her adapted hairstyle and the stalk and surroundings of Fairy 3's toadstool.
I know for sure now that I'm addicted to this cross stitching lark - I've given myself repetitive strain injury with it, I've promised myself a month off after this piece to give my wrist a rest, so why am I lying in bed nights contemplating new starts, mainly BAPs, especially when I've got four WIPs currently gathering dust until I get this piece done? Does anybody have a cure for this insanity :-)?
May the sun shine on you and your stitching.
I am sitting here on a lovely warm sunny Bank Holiday Monday evening, hoping that all of you have had lovely weather too. I know that I'm a day late with this post, but I was on babysitting duty last night and didn't get in until just around midnight.
I am delighted to be able to report that Blogger has finally allowed me to add pictures to last week's post so please do pop back and have a look.
And now for the stitching ...
Following a concerted effort, the top of Enchanted Garden is complete as of yesterday. The picture is as of first thing this morning and I have since started the back stitching. There was one particular clover leaf which caused me much aggravation as it had to be frogged twice - firstly for being one stitch too low and secondly for being one stitch too far to the right. However I persevered and reached the end before I had to toddle off to deal with small people.
Speaking of small people, I am so tempted by this new piece by Peter Underhill of Heritage Crafts. There was a picture but it vanished. It would be just the thing for my sister and brother in law as they have three Peking bantams (with feathery feet) laying eggs in their back garden, in addition to my two small nieces.
And this is Turkish Challenge in its final form. I still can't bear the fabric but I don't think it looks too bad, do you? Many thanks to Mum for doing the finishing off and for finding the bell pull hanger (Framecraft, 5.5 inch, available in Hobbycraft). The idea is that we all hang our Challenge piece on one of these and they can either be exhibited or if we give them to Z, then she can hang them up easily.
I've come to a bit of a decision about my stitching. I love doing it, but all this working to deadline, even if self-imposed, is taking the joy out of it. So once Enchanted Garden is finished, I'm planning on taking a breather, taking a month off to rest my wrist and basically clearing my mind and doing other things, with the aim of coming back to it refreshed and eager to move on. I won't stop blogging - I'll just have to find other things to write about. But that's for the future - I have to get the rabbit finished first.
Well, I need my tea now so may the sun continue to shine on you all and your fingers stay nimble to stitch.
