It's April 2022, where has the time gone!

I sit here writing a blog update when I should be packing. My family and I are off to Australia in the morning to visit family and friends. My first visit back since I broke my back and the pandemic hit. No playgrounds for me!

Life has for us as for most been super busy. This weekend just gone saw the first birthday of the shop I opened with two friends last year. We have learnt so much and worked so hard to make the business what it is with many more plans in the pipelines. It's been very satisfying to see the shop fill out.  It's hard to believe how it looked when we first opened to now!

Personal stitching and developing of stitching for teaching has taken a back seat in the last year, but I am starting to make more time for this now. Whilst in Australia I have plans to work on an exhibition piece due at the end of May. I'll have to snatch pieces of time where I can to work on it!

I have been stitching on a small sampler M+A 1853 by Needle WorkPress. As soon as I saw the photo of this one I knew I wanted to work it. I'm pleased to say I have almost completed it and it has been very enjoyable to stitch in between another top secret piece I am working on for a Stitch A Long for 2023.

Three other patterns have recently caught my eye and I am hoping to start one of these when I finish M+A. They are Needfuls by The Scarlett House, Heartstring Samplery's Festive Little Fobs - Stitching Edition and Hands Across The Sea Samplers - The Rose and The Giant Pear 1888. The last one I am planning to stitch on 40 count linen, but because the pattern is so small she will come out at a finished stitched size of just under 9" x 3.5". So cute. I'm currently collecting her threads as I'll use the Au Ver a Soie 100/3 threads and I need to order some more colours in to stitch her.

Off to do some packing - stitching packing first of course.