Sampler

 

Sampler

Rather than show the sampler, I thought I'd show the young adult relatives of the baby. This was the occasion of Hailey's parents' wedding, long before she and her elder sister put in an appearance. These are the six oldest grandchildren. 

CLockwise from top left: Callum, the happy bridegroom, now 28, Elliot, 27, Kiri, 30, Marnie, 32, Eve, 24, and Louis, 22.

I’m just finishing a cross-stitch sampler I started months ago to mark the birth of the youngest member of the family, Hailey, who was born in March. I started one, but it looked all wrong, so I abandoned it and began another. It doesn’t look too dreadful, and as I suspect it will be received with thanks and then ‘put away’ I’m not too bothered.

All I had left to stitch was the date. I’d counted all the squares and was just reaching the end when I realised I’d miscalculated and hadn’t centred it correctly. I couldn’t face unpicking it, so decided to improvise and add some flowers in the unplanned spaces.

Then I’ll wash it, mount it, and frame it. It’s the last birth sampler I’ll make. The next clutch of grandchildren doesn’t look ready to have babies yet, and cross-stitch isn’t quite their style anyway.

I enjoy cross-stitch, but I haven’t my mother’s skill with a needle, or her patience. Nobody will be bidding for my work in centuries to come!