I'm back, with a grand Ta-Dah! and a couple of very bad puns...
If you've been reading a while, (for which I thank you! And if not, I welcome you instead!) you may remember me instituting 'Work in Progress Wednesday' on my blog in an attempt to shame myself into finishing off some long-ago-bundled-into-a-drawer projects.
Within weeks, my resolve has dissolved and I was back to my usual ways of starting off far too many things without completing others. Oh dear!
But then Mr U-t-B bought me a rather useful light from Lidl (you can read about it here) and I realised that completing certain projects is more about accepting that your eyesight ain't as good as it once was than motivation!
Thus I am udderly amazed and delighted to be able to reveal the following...
I like my little herd of varied cows, probably mainly because they are finished! I was cursing them almost all the way along...
I love to see varied breeds all mixed together, because it reminds me of a conversation with a very good friend, driving through the Lincolnshire countryside many years ago. I made a comment about the herd of 'mixed-up' cows in the field we were driving past, and this ended up with an ongoing joke about confused cows, searching for the meaning of life and such like... You probably had to be there. But it was the source of much merriment at the time!
I've made a couple of changes to the sampler, which should have looked like this...
...because I wanted a couple of Limousin cattle to reflect our love of this region of France. So an even more 'mixed-up' bunch than originally intended!
The farmer's posture is reminding me all too much of how I feel some days!
Now I need to get it framed, so I can properly cross it off the list of unfinished jobs.
If anyone out there has a penchant for cows and samplers, a love of cross-stitch and good eyesight (or a super-duper light like mine!) I will happily send the pattern to them, because there is no way I'm ever going to do this one again!
Its lovely - its a great feeling to finish something isn't it! You put a lot of work into it.
ReplyDeleteLiz @ Shortbread & Ginger
it looks great, well done! I have a cross stitch flowers of the month picture, I started it years ago and the other year I cheated and bought exactly the same picture, finished and framed for £5 from a charity shop!
ReplyDeleteJosie x
That was a bit of a result!
Deletex
Alix this is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could manage to make one but as a farmers daughter I love it!
Well done on (almost)finishing your sampler, it looks really good. I have quite a few Beswick cows, bulls and calves but I don't think I'll add a cow sampler to the herd.
ReplyDeleteSome great punning!
Carol xx
It's beautiful, what a cute design.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby bought me an OTTlite which is very bright and is supposed to be like "daylight" and give you true colour. I have never used it until last night when I was sewing something black on black by hand...what a difference a light good makes...LOL I cannot turn back now that I've used it.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a daylight simulation bulb in an angle poise lamp and that was very good. But now I'm so grateful for the magnifier that is part of this light! Black on black - now that's hard!
Deletex
This is gorgeous Alix,you have much more patience than me, well done.
ReplyDeleteXX Manda XX
You probably have far more wisdom than me because I was a fool to choose this thinking it would be a quick job!
Deletex
Your sampler is pretty wonderful and SO neat. A real work of patience and perserverance. Well done you. I notice from your side bar you do Family History, how are you getting on? I have been at it for eight years now, and it still intrigues me.
ReplyDeleteOh yes - I have spent lots of time doing family history, over decades so early on at the Records Office in London and more recently with the help of Ancestry and such like. I've got quite a good way back and found some interesting stories, but I'm at the point where I need to start roaming the country to get any further, so have come to a bit of a standstill unfortunately!
Deletex
I absolutely love this! I am afraid that both my eyes and hand struggle with cross stitch now, but it is lovely to see yours.
ReplyDeletePomona x
Well done you! I love cows, even though I am somewhat scared of them. I particularly adore the Highland variety, but oddly they don't scare me like standard cows do, even though they have those humungous horns. Saying that, I have never been in a field with one .. cows have reduced me to tears in fields before now, I felt like shouting, "I'm a vegetarian! Leave me alone!" at them, but instead I just ran like the blazes and clambered over a fence with Andy and a herd of cows in fast pursuit.
ReplyDeleteA sampler is on my to do list after I abandoned my art nouveau one out of sheer frustration.
Lovely well done xx
ReplyDeleteA French mooing cow... how delightful ! You must be so pleased to finish this beautiful piece of work. It really is lovely. I have conversations like your mixed cow ones all the time like the one while driving to Devon last Friday & my friend pointed out what she thought were Antelopes ! (They were Deer and ornamental ones at that !)
ReplyDelete