WIP Wednesday

I haven't gotten much quilting done this week due to feeling crummy and visiting the kids in Byers over the weekend, but I did get some stitching done on my current needlepoint project while visiting. This has been my favorite prayer for many years; it is from Elizabeth Goudge's book, "The Scent of Water." A couple of years ago I decided to stitch it in needlepoint so I could hang it on my bedroom wall. Since this photo was taken I've stitched the background as far as the H in "have". I don't stitch as much as I did before I started making quilts.

I have quite a few pieces that I've stitched during the last 30 years that I never made into anything. I didn't stitch to have a finished product, I stitched to be stitching. It has always been so soothing to me, especially when waiting in doctor's offices or hospital rooms with my Mom or Dad, or my previous husband, Lou, who died of cancer after a two year fight. At that time it saved my sanity. (Needlepoint and walking) I've designed quite a few of my needlepoint pieces and I prefer to stitch onto a blank canvas, from a chart; it always seemed more magical to me than stitching on a painted canvas.

I decided that I should let my kids choose which one they wanted and if they wanted it made into a pillow or a wall hanging (these I stretch on canvas stretchers.) I took a stack to Byers with me and the girls chose one apiece.

DIL Lori chose the flowered heart and it will be a pillow. DIL Jennie wanted the log cabin pattern as a wall hanging. (Even before I started making quilts, I loved them.) My daughter Kat grabbed the octagon; it will be made into a pillow since I can't find octagon stretchers. Now my other DIL Robyn, and daughters, Michal Ann and Shay will get their choice when I see them.

As you can see the stitching tends to warp the canvas so they now have to be blocked to get them back in shape and sewn or stretched so they can get out of the drawer and be enjoyed.

Now to get back to stitching the Strippy Fourpatch for the 40 Quilts Service Project of Quilt Studio webring. I'm really getting the quilt itch since a few days without working on one.