A little bit of cross stitch

Just to prove I haven't been entirely lazy for the last month, this is a cross stitch birth sampler I have just finished for my youngest grand-daughter, Hope. She is not far short of her third birthday so she has had a bit of a wait.

The original fabric was very small - I think about 22 count. Plus the four sades of cream and four shades of pink, my poor old eyesight found it all too much to cope with! It got the the point that I could only do it in daylight and then only for about 30 minutes at a time. Because it was taking so long I kept losing track of what I had done and not done. Consequently, it ended up discarded.

Then last Christmas, while tidying up my "studio" (i.e. spare bedroom - tidying to get ready for Christmas visitors!) I came across the unfinished work and felt very guilty. I bought some new fabric - 14 count this time - and a highlighter which I used to mark off the stitches as I went. It really didn't take that long in the end and the result it delightful.

Hope has still to see it but I shall be seeing her in the next few weeks so i hope she appreciates just what her poor Nanny went through doing it. And I hope she forgives me the long wait!