M is for Mermaid - yet again!!

I have picked up 'M is for Mermaid' yet again. I seem to have 'lost' the relationship I was having with it and initally found it hard to stitch. But I perservered and have made a little inroad on it - not enough for a photo as yet - I am such a slow stitcher coupled with the fact I think that my glassses may need a upgrade. I felt very pleased with myself this morning - after having another unexpected day off - I stitched for half an hour before I did anything else. The sunlight is wondeful in the dining room that early in the morning and made my stitching so much more enjoyable. I want to finish this by the beginning of Oct. as I am determined I am going to give this to M for her birthday which is in the first week of Nov. I am hoping that my relationship will re-meld itself and I will be able to complete it quickly. Does anyone else feel they bond with the piece they are currently stitching? For me, it is like I am having a 'conversation' with it and I 'feel' the stitches that I stitch into it making it 'whole'. When I haven't worked on a piece for a while I lose that 'familiaritiy' and it takes a little while to regain it. Strange way to describe it I guess...

Apart from the fact of M's birthday I would like to start a new project and I am reluctant to do so while I have 'M' still 'on the go'. I am also very excited as my friends are moving and taking their couch which we have 'babysat' for 3 years. I have already claimed the space that it will leave as my stitching space. A comfy chair, my small table and my superdouper lamp (on my wish list at the moment) and I will be set. I feel like a gypsy with my stitching we roam all over the house - which is fine for small things - but would drive me to distraction if I was stitching a larger piece on a floor frame which I would like too.

The bags of fun challenge seems to be 'hotting up' I keep looking and thinking about it but a part of me knows that it would just end up in the scrap bag literally, so I am content to watch the progress of the others.

G from Patra's Place came by a copy of The Gentle Arts - 200 Years of Australian Women's Domestic and Decorative Arts which she purchased for me. It is a wonderful book and I have spent ages just looking at the pictures and reading bits and pieces of text which catch my eye. I am so glad that I now have a copy of my own instead of having it on 'permanet loan' from our local library.

Melbourne has put on a wonderful sunny, blue skied day so I am dividing my time between here and the washing line. I must be peculiar - as I still get a thrill out of a line full of clean washing wafting in the breeze.

The huge liquid amber a couple of doors down still stands skeleton like against the sky. No evident signs of life yet. But Spring is definetely 'moving in'...