Moving forward

Well, it's been a while. I'd like to start by thanking those of you who expressed your condolences over the past month or so, whether it was here on my blog, on Facebook, by email, or by phone. Your thoughts and prayers meant a lot to me. My grandmother's passing was a completely unexpected shock. But I know she is in a better place, and I know that she would have chosen to pass at her home without a drawn out illness or stay in the hospital if she'd had a say in the matter, so I am happy for her, even as I miss her so terribly.

When I left home to join my family, I knew I might want some stitching to occupy my hands and mind, but I couldn't stomach the thought of stitching something cheery. Fortunately I had just barely begun The Primitive Needle's "Black'd Skie" earlier in the year. Since it is basically a mourning sampler, it was a perfect match to my mood. Two blocks down, four more to go. I'm using a piece of hand dyed linen from Stitches and Spice, called, appropriately, "gravestone". Over about 3 week's stitching, here's what I accomplished:

About 2 weeks ago, I felt like I was ready to return to the model that I've been stitching for Mom. And I've been stitching like mad ever since, trying to finish it in time for the on-line show next week! I put the last stitches in on Friday evening, and delivered the finished piece to my dad a few hours ago. I have a photo of it, but it is super-low resolution. Hopefully, you can still get a good idea of what it looks like. I think it is quite pretty, and that black linen just makes it pop!

After finishing on Friday, I pulled out all the Halloween projects I have in my stash, and went a little crazy. I finished stitching two little smalls, both of which I will probably turn into little pin pillows. Both are stitched on 36 count Legacy linen from Picture This Plus using overdyed cotton threads. The first one is "Waiting for the Harvest" from Blackbird Designs:

The second one is a freebie design from Primitive Bettys. This photo gives you a better idea of the yummy mottled-ness of the fabric I used.

I don't know when I'm going to actually finish them. Maybe I'll get a chance to do some shopping for fabric to back them with next weekend. But maybe not. We'll see.

So what shall I work on next? I'm thinking that I am going finish another pin pillow for which I do have the finishing materials. After that, maybe a Halloween ornament, maybe back to the mourning sampler. I'm not sure yet.

As far as scrapping goes, I've done a grand total of one layout since the beginning of September. I still have several layouts from my Egypt vacation that I haven't shared yet. I'll do that soon. And, although I didn't quite get motivated enough to scrap today, I think it's coming soon. Maybe even later this week. Until then, I hope everyone is enjoying the change in the weather. Stay safe, and give your loved ones an extra hug or a surprise phone call.