Hope that you all are ready for a FAB-ulous weekend! Me - I'll be at work, but that in and of itself isn't a bad thing. Since resigning from one of my weekend jobs (I used to work at two hospitals on the same weekend), life has been much better for me, I was plainly over worked, over stressed and that started affecting my life through the week. Simply it made Mom tired, and we all know Mom's can't be tired no matter how many children you have, but with four kiddos and a husband that leaves at 5:00 a.m. and doesn't return until 7 p.m. at night that's a little much on Mama :)
So do you want to know......
what has Vonna pulling her hair out?.....Here it is: Victoria Sampler's "Tea Party". Oh heaven's to Betsy this is making me BATTY! First off this is the first VS I've ever attempted, I fell in love with it because it is just cute, in my opinion. I didn't realize by the photos I'd seen online that it had so much NON-cross stitching. Although I should have known this since it was a VS...but....you know the love at first sight sort of hankerings you get gazing at the newest releases....
This picture shows the point where I'm at. The last of the cross stitching is the bottom white lace that I started and where my needle is parked:

Now I'll tell you friends.....
I don't claim, nor personally think I am the greatest stitcher in the world, in fact, I know I am not. I do, however believe I'm moderately intelligent...trying to stitch this is like trying to dissect a frog or maybe a fetal pig since I did the pig in college and we had to do it with finesse rather than the hack job that I did in 6th grade with the frog. You have to do it in layers, gently peeling back the connective tissues and muscle layers, getting into the "meat" of the issue...well that's what is like doing this VS. There is a list of steps and you stitch the pattern in these steps and referring to diagrams...DIAGRAMS? for a pattern...I mean its not the stitches, its a diagram for the pattern....oh my! And by the way, thank heaven that there ARE diagrams for the stitches because if there weren't....yep it'd be in the trash bin. I know I'm going to have to get my Rosary out when I get to that flower stem and the flowers, because I think there is actually crewel embroidery work on it....I haven't delved that deep yet I'm still on step #2 and I'm afraid looking forward will just make me want to throw up my hands in disgust. All I can say is: it's. gonna. get. finished. one. way. or. the. other. I guess even if I have to peer into hell itself! :o/
LOL!
Now this morning....
When I was downloading the camera this is a sampling of what appeared on my screen:
Now it's off to work....
so until next time, Love and best wishes, as you count your blessings and your stitches, from our house to yours! XXxxxx