Once a week

I have come to the conclusion that, until I retire, that I can commit to blogging once a week instead of every day. Most evenings, I have time to blog or I have time to stitch. This week I didn't have much time to do either.

And it seems that I've turned into a one-at-a-time stitcher. I may have umpty-leven things started, usually from taking classes of one sort or another--but I end up picking up the same project every evening when I plop down in the wing chair. That may get a wee bit boring for my regular readers.

I did have hopes this week--I really wanted to finish all the bits for the needle roll that fits into Ode to Jane Austen, but there were a couple of evenings I didn't get to pick up a needle at all--and the patterns I'm doing now are just perfect for Zen stitching--life just got in the way.

Why is it when you need the Zen the most, the Zen is the hardest thing to attain?

(That is my philosophical nattering for the month.)

Anyway, I did get all the the long outer panel stitched:

And I started on the pin cushion that will fit on one end:

This little cross-stitch-over-one pattern has been fun to do--pattern easy to remember so I don't have to juggle the chart--and it hasn't taken nearly as long to stitch as I thought it would. I think I'm going to spend the week-end working on this and the pocket that will fit on the other end of the needle roll.

And meanwhile, I'm planning this year's Great Escape. Next week is the annual retreat in Williamsburg. Baby Girl is going with me. There are going to be a couple of classes offered--she is taking one and I am taking both. There will be a chance to catch up with good friends, a stitching room, and the Historic Area.

I do need to decide what to take with me to work on while I'm there. Actually, Ode would be a good choice since I can stitch and talk at the same time when working on that. I may throw Hannah Thornbush in, just in case I decide I need something different. Actually, I'd like to get a few stitches in on the Joanne Harvey Queen stitch needle book, so maybe I'll take that.

As usual, I may need a bigger suitcase for my projects than my clothes.