Would you like to see my latest stitching nightmare? I wasn’t going to show you. I was just going to slink slowly away, droopy-eared, droopy-tailed, and hope that no one ever asked! But hey, we’re all friends, right?

This is attempt #4 at Proserpina’s face. Granted, I’m not working with all the right threads. I was trying to get the technique down, while making some decisions on shades and colors.

(Couldn’t resist – lovely shot, eh?)

Of course, I’d like to blame it all on the threads, but the fact is, I’m not up to this right now. Working under time constraints is bad enough. Working under time constraints, when you have to do Ye Olde Trial-and-Error approach is a Whole Nuther Problem.

This is what it boils down to, though: you have to know when to stop. After a whole day – early morning to night – working on Proserpina, trying to work out colors, shades for skin, and stitching techniques for the face, I finally admitted that the scope of the project is too big for now. When you start to feel backed into a corner and a bit desperate, it’s time to assess priorities and make decisions. So I’ve made one: Proserpina has been shelved. I will go back to her some day – some day when I can work slowly, carefully, thoughtfully, and without pressure. For now, I will stick with things I know I can do!

So, say bye-bye to Proserpina. You’ll see her again some day! And in the meantime, I have two other projects on the burner, and I’ll show you the fits and starts on those two in the near future.

This weekend, a pre-Christmas give-away! It’s been a rotten sort of week, and the best way to shake out of it this time of year is to spread some Christmas cheer. I’ll be giving away a book of your choice, from a list of selections, so look for that this weekend, ok?!

Have a terrific Friday and an equally pleasant weekend!

Cheers!