cheer for the holidays

Wanted to wish all of those who drop by, a warm and joyful season.  I've been stitching away without completing too much however, 

this is the piece (well, one of the many UFO-WIPs) I'm working on at the moment.  The text is in process.  It will read, "two sided story, once told."  It's stitched on an old vintage quilt.  The heart is made from some scraps of fabric samples.  It needs work on the edges as well but it's nice in the hand. 

Last week Karen Ruane's "embroider, embellish, create" class EEC had it's last on-line lesson. (The link is the the flickr group so you can see how wonderful the work was from that group.) 

My cloth is not completed.  It's a piece I'm working on for my mum.  I don't know if I'll get it ready for the upon gift day but her birthday is in January (she'll be turning 92) so by then it should be put together. 

Here's where it's at - the pinned stage:

and the last little piece I'm stitching upon now:

This work has been very different for me.  First the colour is white, for the most part. Also, there is a lot of "fancy" stitch work going on.  But, as different as this is from the things I usually show - it is closer to a picture of my mother - soft, vintage cloth that has known something of life - and hopefully representing the beautiful life that I see in her face. 

Well, happiest of holidays - and until the New Year - thank you. 

May I be a better blogger in 2013.