Keeping busy

We are away on our annual pilgrimage to the Lake District. With the weather forecast to be rainy and windy for most of the week I brought along some stitching to keep me busy indoors.

I will confess that both pieces are kits bought recently. But then I wonder, as I do when new stitchers at our Embroiderers' Guild branch guiltily comment that they "only do cross stitch", what is wrong with working the occasional kit? It is directed stitching, yes, someone else's design and inspiration, but enjoyable stress free creativity, which when you are away from all those tempting threads and fabrics at home, is a lovely way to continue a daily practice in stitch without taking half the sewing room along "just in case"

Both of these are intended for someone special, so only a teaser in the image above, but I am really enjoying the quiet, meditative stitching each day, and a return to canvaswork which I haven't done for many years.

It hasn't been all rain and wind though. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny fresh day so I walked up to Chapel Stile to pay homage to the Langdale Millennium Tapestry 

and beautiful stained glass

in Holy Trinity Church, a quiet gentle space nestled in the Langdale valley.

There was a delightful man making repairs to my favourite window, so we chatted briefly about William Morris and stained glass and when a tapestry is really an embroidery. A lovely way to spend a morning.