Arnotts Embroidery

This is one of my ongoing Works In Progress... If you've ever attempted cross stitch embroidery, then you'll understand the amount of time which goes into a project. Hours and hours and hours of work will result in one small section being completed.

It's one of those odd hobbies, which requires a huge amount of concentration but is actually quite mindless.

I say that it's mindless, because it doesn't really require much by way of decision making. You work from a chart which marks every single stitch and tells you which colours to use where. You don't choose the colours, the stitches or the image - it's all done for you.

I guess that the concentration part comes in to play when you have to put all those little stitches in the right place! Because one wrong stitch can really mess you up. Especially if you don't realise at the time...

It's also kind of hard on the eyes to work on black cloth. I've learned that the hard way... although if you cover your lap with a white pillowcase while you work, then the white can be seen through the holes in the cloth, making it easier to identify where each stitch needs to go. I wish I had discovered that tip at the beginning of the project.

My goal has been to finish this project before the end of 2013...

I've been working at it for about seven hours each week, for the last six months!

Here's a progress shot of where I was up to the last time I shared this with you, back in May...

And here's where it stands now.

So although it feels like a never ending task - you can see I am getting there!

SLOWLY.