We have been on shut down at work, so I’ve had a lot of time at home to just relax and stitch. I could get used to not working!!

I have really been enjoying this pattern. When I first looked at the pattern I saw a LOT of color changes in small areas and was unsure of how I would like that. Typically I prefer to work in big sections so that I don’t have to constantly change out colors.

This picture isn’t the best, but you can see what I mean about blocks of color. Oh, and Chester was helping me with the picture (her paw is at the top). It didn’t really look like much at first and I was still hesitant about how much I will end up enjoying this piece.

As you can see, I have been making a lot of progress in less than a week. This project will be worked on mostly when I’m on my lunch breaks during work so the small splotches of color will work out quite nicely. It will give me a sense of accomplishment after just a little bit of stitching time. Already in this picture you can see a plum (I think that’s what it is) and the end of a pine cone. Perhaps this project will progress a lot quicker than I had anticipated!

A big help at home, though, is the addition of a floor lamp in my stitching area. It was one of my Christmas gifts from Jay and I love it. I really like a lot of light on my stitching (especially since I prefer to do the tiny stuff) and this helps tremendously. We bought an LED bulb for it, too. I absolutely refuse to have any of those curly CFL bulbs in my house that the government is trying to force down our throats, and since I’m hoarding my stash of high wattage incandescent bulbs, I decided to try the LED. I used to work at a company that was a leading manufacturer of white LED forward lighting. This type of light is much easier on your eyes and doesn’t cause them to strain as much. It also is very energy efficient so you should be able to get more bang for your buck. This is a 60watt equivalent (daylight white) and it has a much better brightness than my 75watt bulbs that I usually prefer. The single LED bulb was pricey, but I think it will be worth it!