Lately I have been working so much and stressing so much that I was unable to do anything else. My stitching project lay unfinished, and even when I did make an effort to pick it up, I would find myself asleep with the needle in my hand.
Something had to be done. So, last week I decided to take a vacation. I started it on Monday, and I am not going back to work until the 9th of November.
Now, my time is split between helping my kids with homework, doing puzzles and - of course - needlework. I am trying to learn blackwork, a very intriguing way of stitching that was introduced to England, I believe, by Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII 's first wife. I quickly learned that the most difficult part of blackwork is not stitching, but counting the stitches and following the diagram. I made a mistake in my project once, and ultimately had to start over.
I also made an addition to my website: my visitors that appreciate needlework can now find a link to a very useful site - Needlework Tips and Techniques - by Carol Leather. This website contains very useful information about every aspect of stitching, as well as easy instructions and tutorials on stitching methods.
In addition, I have reopened and updated my Etsy shop - take a look at it if you wish. The link is at the bottom of the page.
