Lenten Stitches

Hello, how are you? I haven't been here for many days. I hope you're all well

and the kids are enjoying their holidays. The girls were still in school this week, today's
their last day. It's been an overly long spring term and they've trudged on through it
 mostly happily but now we're all glad that school's finally finished. We'll go for ice
cream later and, weather permitting, a nice long walk in Derbyshire tomorrow
morning, and maybe a picnic. No school and no school runs, just days to enjoy spring,
see friends and family and time for the girls to rest and just play. Hopefully it will be
a fun and restful sort of holiday and we'll all be in good health. I'm emphasizing
the health bit because by some weird coincidence, I've been ill over the last two
Easter holidays- with a nasty ear infection in 2015 and the horrible flu last year.
I'm feeling absolutely fine today so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Anyway, this is my square of fabric for our church's 'Garment of Suffering'
 this Holy Week. Everyone contributes a square piece of material, 6x6inches in size,
each piece representing our worries, anxieties and prayers. They are all sewn together
to make a patchwork panel and we'll be taking it to the altar tomorrow during
the Good Friday liturgy. 

This is the fourth year that I've brought in a piece of fabric to add to the garment
and I've done a bit of embroidery on all my contributions. It's not necessary but as
I've said in previous years' posts, it makes it more personal and meaningful for me.

This year's square has a very simple design inspired by spring flowers. Their
beautiful colours make me think of sunshine, hope and all good and happy things
and I've tried to depict that here. I used fabric scraps and appliqued them with
running stitch and straight stitch. The dots are French knots and the stems Portuguese
knotted stem stitch. The latter is new to me and I enjoyed learning it from my book
of embroidery stitches. I think the whole picture could have been more colourful
and I wish I've added butterflies. All the same, I'm grateful to able to take part and
I'm looking forward to joining in the church's Good Friday commemorations tomorrow.

Thank you for all the lovely things you said about my tapestry crochet project.

I wish you all a lovely Easter weekend. Enjoy the rest of the holidays!

(You can see last year's square here and there's a link there to see the ones from
2014 and 2015)