A bit of slow-stitching while school is wrapping up for summer, The last of the grandies are finishing this week. It’s looking like we’ll be babysitting two of the smallest ones. Of course, they are six and seven, so the duties should be light.
Two are finishing eigth grade and one is right behind them. They’ve had award ceremonies and graduations and all the end-of-year parties. Richard and I have missed every event, unfortunately. His mom had a stroke a couple of weeks ago and it seems relatively serious. After a two week stay in the hospital, she was discharged to a nursing home and is on hospice care. We’ve suspended her cancer treatments and begun the final process of life.
All of this waiting, for therapy, for doctors appointments, for hospital staff and so on, has given ample opportunity to do a little slow stitching. And slow it has been. I put together this little rosary purse using only a needle and thread. I even sewed the zipper in by hand. Why not? I discovered a few things about myself. I can be quiet if I’m busy enough. I make really small, strong stitches. And I enjoy embroidery more than I remember. However, I’m not very good at it.
This rosary bag is half of a piece that I threw together after watching a few videos with Ellie of Petal Plum and perhaps my favorite Sarah from sarahhomfray.com. The piece is as simple as possible because I didn’t want to have to do much thinking. I know. Just sit and stitch. Set things down in a moment’s notice. Carry it all in a small bag. Simple.
The colorful bag is the second one that I’ve made using some of my slow-stitching pieces. I learned a few things on this first, lacey one about putting it all together. And I like the drawstring closure. So maybe I’ll go back to that for the next one. I have two pieces big enough to make bags now. One of the old lace and one of the new, bright fabrics. I can’t decide which I like more. What do you think?
