The beginning of the end?

We had a very helpful group critique in college on Wednesday, at which 'Earth to Earth' and 'Lost Words' went down well. Thinking about it afterwards, I came to the conclusion that there really isn't much point in making any more work at this stage - so I'm not going to. Probably.

If any of my fellow students are reading this, I hope you'll still speak to me - but one of the reasons was realising just how much big stuff we are producing between us - and most of it needing wall space. So realistically, however many individual pieces I make - there will only be room for one or two of them.  I'm unlikely to make anything mind-blowingly brilliant in the next few weeks - especially as we're away for some of them - so I'm quitting while I'm ahead. Lest this implies that I've finished, nothing could be further from the truth. I need to think about how to present the photographs of 'Earth to Earth' [our idea of mounting them on foam board was dismissed as 'too A-level'!] and find a better box for 'Lost Words'. Then there's the stalled business plan [it's so boring] and the non-existant contextualisation - and producing sketchbooks and notebooks that don't look like afterthoughts [even if they are].

But before I can face that I need a break, so  I have started some old fashioned hand embroidery, entirely unconnected with college. In my kitschier moments I have fancied making myself one of these, so  I dug out some linen I've had for about 40 years and got started.

Contrary to appearances, these are both on the same fabric. It was going to be yellow linen, but despite looking in all the likely places and several unlikely ones, I couldn't find the yellow linen I was sure I had. I did throw out a bin full of stuff in the resultant temper tantrum, however, so it wasn't all a bad thing.

My eagle-eyed readers will have spotted that, lurking behind the half finished stitching on the left are some suspicious looking marks. Yes, it's a transfer. Undergraduate stitch student uses artificial aids and other people's designs shock! In the spirit of old-fashioned kitsch, I decided to use some of the transfers I inherited from mum - probably pre-war, and surprisingly effective still, unlike the crinoline lady. Yes, I confess, I would have used a crinoline lady if the transfer had worked...

Your eagle eyes will also have noticed that I'm rubbish at satin stitch. And that fly stitch is going to have to come out. But I am sooooo enjoying myself, and Wensleydale keeps saying how much he likes seeing me with some embroidery again.

All this self-indulgence will end at 9 p.m. tonight, though, when 'The Bridge' starts - our weekly wallow in Scandinavian drama needs to be seen to be fully appreciated - er - read. So it's simple knitting [or nail-gnawing] for a couple of hours.