Another new start

My sabbatical from cross stitch is having the required stimulus effect and heres a snapshot of the current piece.  
Two small linen coasters - to use up leftover 32 count belfast linen from the Wessex needlecase. The thread is Shenandoah colour Waterlilies silk and is a delight to stitch with. 

A New Zealand Embroiderer Olwyn Horwood is an active advocate of "traditional stitiching" and some years ago (in fact it was 1999) I did several classes with her producing some, as yet unused, doilies.   Indeed I purchased her book but this is the first time I have stitched anything from it.  Apart from some hesitancy with the diagonal four sided stitch (done over three threads to further complicate matters) this went together like a dream.   As you can see I am now painstakingly doing the Scandanavian Stitch edging .   But I'm enjoying the linen, the floss, the chart ie the whole package.

There have been several enquiries asking about the Wessex Stitchery book - It was published in 2000, so may very well be difficult to obtain now.  

I have stitched several pieces based on this book - all but one have been given as gifts but THE ONE is on my lounge wall and gives me great pleasure as well as inciting curiosity in many guests.

I think that if I have read the instructions correctly this photo may even be clickable.   Not too sure about that though -  it all seemed immeasurably complicated.

Hope you have all had a good weekend and not wet and cold like mine.

Have a good evening everyone.