Cross-Stitch and Clutter Before the De-clutter

I completed the cross-stitch that I showed a few weeks back.  I just need to find an appropriate mount and frame for it now.

 I have a nice new cross-stitch project to work on using linen instead of aida.

I am looking forward to using my lovely new skeins of thread and gold plated needles.  It will be such a treat to start on - but not yet.

Remember that I said I need to de-clutter?  Well I have purposely kept these photos dark because I am ashamed.  I am ashamed that I ever let things get to this stage.  This is the craft/computer room.  It is where I sit and read all your lovely blogs.  I have so much stuff hidden in piles and mountains of paper.  I can never find anything.

Here is another view of the room.  Now this room is bad enough but it is the tip of the iceberg.  I do not have the courage to show you the state of the other rooms yet but when they have been tidied I will show you some before and after photos.  I have a man coming tomorrow to collect a van load of 'clutter' for our local hospice charity.  Today I have sorted out two sock drawers.  I have a huge mountain to climb but I am sure that I will feel so much better when I can walk into a room and actually put my feet down without having to step on or over something.

Stitching and Thinking

Whenever I do some relaxing stitching my mind tends to wander.  Today I was wondering about my future.  I rarely look too far ahead, I generally live day to day but just recently I have felt very restless with the uncertainty of my future role.  I have been a stay at home Mum for almost 13 years.  I now feel that as my son becomes less dependent on me I need to plan ahead.  It is scary.  I can't imagine returning to work.  I can't imagine working for anyone else.

When I left the office more than a decade ago, I never envisaged that I wouldn't return.  The day I left I was rosy cheeked and full of optimism.  The years have taken their toll on me.  I don't have the energy for office politics anymore.  I don't have the energy to dance to someone else's tune.  I will have to work for myself.

The problem is I don't know what I WANT to do!  I don't know what I CAN do!  My confidence is low at the moment and I don't feel that I am capable of  doing anything.  I have been 'stuck' like this for a long time as regular readers of this blog will know.  I am unable to move forward.  Unable to reclaim my identity as me and not just 'Mum'.  Who knows where I am going to end up?  On the scrap heap no doubt if I don't start making decisions soon.

For now, it is back to the cross-stitch.  At least that is one area where I am making progress.

Rediscovering Cross-Stitch

I have recently returned to an old love of mine - cross-stitch.  Bucking the trend, I ignore the influx of knitting and paper craft magazines that have taken over the stationers and notice that cross-stitch magazines are in decline.  I have many cross-stitch magazines collected over the years so I am not worried about running out of patterns any time soon!

My cross-stitching preferences are samplers.  I like to use muted colours and natural coloured fabric.  I had forgotten how much I love to sit cross-stitching by an open window with a gentle breeze flowing through, listening to the radio and watching my design grow, unhurriedly, little by little.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy seeing those perfectly formed little crosses turn into words and images.

I am happy to follow the crafts that I enjoy doing and am not swayed by current trends (saying that I do enjoy paper crafts but did so before it became fashionable!), although it may be that cross-stitch regains its popularity and I will be 'on trend' again.

Soothing Stitching

With the hexagons put to one side (for now) I decided to embark on another project.  I had some little cross-stiched pieces that I did a while back so I decided to make them up into keyrings.  They are filled with stuffing, very squishy and tactile.  It was nice to sit down with a relatively simple sewing project.

 I think this little house with the poppies in the field is my favourite one.  It looks like a mini tapestry.

This gives you an idea of the size of one of the larger keyrings.  Now, you wouldn't lose that in your bag now would you?!

After all that stitching yesterday, I thought I would take it easy today and indulge in a bar of lavender chocolate, close my eyes and drift away to a lavender field on a hot sunny day.................bliss. x

A Flock of Angels

Well, maybe not quite a flock of Angels.

Two tiny cross-stitched Angels..........

........and a rather large decoupaged one. No time for talking now, there is much crafting to be done. Where is November going?