A quick recap and Kantha

A small finish

Yesterday two of the boys have started back at school after the long break (college hasn't started yet for the oldest) and to me it feels as if the New Year has only now properly started. We thoroughly enjoyed the break, but I do like it when regular routine is restored, though I suppose the boys would disagree.
Looking back, we didn't do anything special, just relaxed with the five of us; sleeping a bit longer, and not looking too often on the clock, eating nice things, and a few more snacks than usual.
I did get some nice presents, too:

a bundle of tweed fat eights and two quilt books

The Donegal tweed is sooo lovely, I'll have to have a good think what I will use it for so I can keep stroking it, and the colours are gorgeous (who would think that pink and orange would work so well?!). And the book by Janet Clare is wonderfully inspirational with a whimsical feel. Just looking through the book makes me feel calm and cosy, and very inspired. I'm itching to try her machine sketching technique.

However, there is still some outstanding work to be finished before I'll allow myself to start new projects. There is the (not so) small matter of finishing the work for City and Guilds!

Fortunately there is some progress to report on that front, too: The Kantha panel is (finally) finished! The panel includes several Kantha motifs, different borders, and a background in Kantha stitch. It took so long to stitch the motifs that I got very fed up with it, but the last few bits suddenly went very fast, and I think I might use some of it again someday, though probably not too many detailed motifs... and not for a while!!
I leave you with some pictures:

detail of the threaded border

the central peacock

the complete panel, showing the background in Kantha stitch

Tomorrow I hope to make a list of the last (few?) outstanding items, I hope that will not be too much of a shock...

And now I'm off to sew (of course!).

Sandra