Flower Embroidery, EPP Stars, Sometime is Now

 I watched Brenda and Laura yesterday while I was stitching. 

Besides the beautiful stitching, an important point talked about in the episode was how Some day needs to be Now. You know how we all have things we'd like to do, learn or try but put off for some day. But without being morbid, none of us know how much time we have so the point was some day needs to be now. For me as an amateur quilter, I have nice fabric in my stash and the plan was always to keep it till I got better at quilting. I'm more comfortable using scraps. Brenda is learning to crochet, something she had always wanted to do but put off. What do you think? Is the time right now for something you've always been wanting to do, buy, learn, etc.?

In slow stitching this week, I was inspired by LeeAnna's post HERE where she learned to make pretty tassel flowers in wool. I remembered I had a kit I'd been hanging onto for a long time that featured embroidered flowers, but mine are embroidered in floss. So I dug out Floralies from the Swiss Canevas Folies and I decided the time is now. The design is stamped on beautiful linen. Embroidery is really my first love in the stitchy world. You can check out their beautiful designs at that link. 

There are 12 different stitches used in this project, most to be worked with one thread so rather delicate. I enjoy stitching satin stitch the most. 

And I finished stitching more EPP stars in blues. Here's a few together. I've got more somewhere. And I still have a tendency to keep my stitches too tight...I have this thing that hand stitches won't hold up like machine stitching if I don't pull them tight. 

LeeAnna asked us to think about this interesting point this week...do we give ourselves the same compassion we extend to others? I had to stop and think about it as for me it is complicated. I like to think I'm compassionate with others, of course, like we all do. But towards myself...the voice inside my head is generally a stern one, full of concern and worry. It doesn't put me down but it does raise lots of questions about what I'm doing, my decisions, etc. But when needed it can also be encouraging and reminding me to be strong and of the good things in my life too. It has gotten me through some really tough times without me relying on anything or anybody. So I guess I could say that's compassionate with myself in that regard. What about you?

Side View of the House

Lots of snow clearing has gone on this week and we plan to run the snowmobile over the trails soon. We will be spending this afternoon in a local hospital with Tony getting more tests. I have to get my kit together that I take with me when I have no idea how long he will be. On the up side, in hospitals, I can always seem to find a place I can tuck myself away to read and write a bit. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!