Feeling Fall

One of the stitches I had brought along on our trip to Europe was Emily’s Bliss by Summer House Stitche Workes. I didn’t actually plan to stitch on it unless I ran into trouble with my other projects, and so I didn’t, but it was on the top of the pile so I’ve picked it up a few times over the past couple weeks. Here’s where I put it down a year ago…

And here’s my progress:

I really really love the colors in this. Autumn colors are my favorites. Well, I love so many colors and colorways, but fall colors really, really speak to me. The silks that came in the kit are glorious Glorianas, a real pleasure to work with. It’s been a good stitch for waiting in the car and tired nights, my life situation right now.

I love a drum finish, but I think this design will be nicer flat. But I love the little felt leaves and bits we got in our kit to make an acorn for the top of the drum. I am pondering the final finish.

Either way, hopefully next fall it will look nice in my fall mantle display. I don’t do too much seasonal decorating, but I do usually make a display for fall. It’s not maybe the most coordinated or aesthetic mantlescape but I like all the stuff on there so it makes me happy. Especially my spooky bat, who lives there only for Halloween. I’d like to add one or two of those blown glass pumpkins someday. The brown pots on each end of the display…I made those myself back in my ceramics era.

Enough rambling about decor!

Don’t worry, Dorcas is not becoming a UFO, she’s not even in time out. It’s just those over one eyelets are super time consuming, it takes an hour to stitch 3 letters, and since I know how to do eyelets perfectly, but I don’t have a lot of mental energy to give to that, I’m doing them just OK, and so they are not looking quite as good as I know they could, and I’m conflicted about that. If I’m being totally honest about it. I definitely want to do the band as eyelets, but I might have to move on to another band to revive my motivation. And that’s one reason why I’ve picked up Emily’s Bliss. It is amazing how fast it seems to go when you are just coming off an evening of over one eyelets! Very very satisfying and motivating!

One thing I think it is important for ME to remember with my stitching, is, I am a good stitcher. I am not a perfect stitcher. I do not really want to be a perfect stitcher. I want to enjoy the process, enjoy the finish, and be realistic that no one is asking anything from me, this is a hobby, I’m not being paid for an end result, and done is often better than perfect.