Happy Dancing - at last

I say at last because I actually thought I was happy dancing at about 5 o'clock yesterday. The sampler was done and I just needed a frame. We had dinner and then set out to go to Matalan as we had seen frames in there a few days before that I thought would be ideal. Now I am sure you all know this feeling but - frames and samplers do not seem to feel that they have an obligation to fit together. It didnt matter which frame we picked up - and I picked most of them up even though common sense told me they all followed the same measurements - but they were either just that teeniest of bits too small or miles too big. Well there was only one thing I could do and that was to buy the frame, come home, and work out something more to put on the bottom. The original chart finished with the snowman. My first bit of luck being in the fact that I had just started this at one corner of a rather large piece of fabric so there was loads of room for more.

It was a nightmare I just couldnt get things to look right. In the end I found this little robin on a spade picture - far to long but I didnt need to have all the spade. I found a holly frame which I adapted to fit both sides. The little spikey border was in my easy cross border file and to fill in the gap I just did a double herringbone stitch as there was already a single herringbone in the chart so I thought it would blend in.

It then had to be stitched. The second bit of luck was that Mr Frog stayed well away but I did seem to keep getting knots in my threads (not something I normally have a problem with) but I guess when you are getting in a panic you maybe stitch differently. I eventually finished it at about 1.40 am. I just dropped it on the floor and crawled up to my bed. This morning I have added my name and the date and framed it so its now already for when she arrives about lunch time.

It was difficult getting a picture indoors the flash just diminished everything. So off I went to try my hand outside, in the freezing cold and still in my dressing gown but alas the morning is so dark and grey here that the flash was still going so in the end I tried taking a few at an angle. The results were not brilliant but this I think is the best of them. Would I have gone to this amount of trouble for anyone else but my darling daughter - lol I doubt it.

Ps I couldnt find a picture the right size to fit in the little box which I had left so I ended up doing the little choir boy 1 over 1 aghhh!!!!