So Many Others

Have spent a very pleasant hour mooching around various cross stitch blogs, seeing others' work in progress.  It has been truly inspiring to see what people end up doing with their finished projects.  I only ever put mine into frames although sometimes, when the design allows, I leave them in the hoop, put lace around it and simply add a hanging loop. 

Also, I find it hard to keep hold of any embroidery for long.  I always seem to be giving it away!  I started a spring sampler that had lovely flowers, butterflies and bees on it, intending it to hang in my hallway. But then a friend had a birthday coming up, so I changed the verse from being about spring, to: "A friend is like a flower in the garden of lfe" and it became her present.  Another time my Mum ended up with a 'Home is Where the Heart Is' picture, because everytime she came to my house, she would say how lovely it would look in her kitchen. I finally caved and put it in her bag one night when she was leaving.  The really funny thing is, while my Brother and I were clearing her house, I thought to myself that I should take the picture home and put it back in my hallway, when he asked if he could have it!! I told him that I would stitch him one of his own, but I think as a surprise, I will give him the other one too!

But now I see that embroideries can become cushions, needlebooks, etc I shall certainly be broadening my horizons.