Finish or Fling? - Strawberry Sampler

This is a kit I bought in a sale the first Christmas The Hermit and I spent together. I dragged him off to Hobbycraft (who had a good needlecraft selection back then) and he swore he didn't mind me going through every single sale kit in the shop ... I think it was his first wake up call about my obsession! However, he has his own little foibles and interests, so we're probably about even on that score :o)

The design is one of a set of four. I've already stitched the first one, and the set will be a memorial to my gran. Each has some significance to me, and a memory of my gran:

Strawberry - my gran's garden produced the most luscious strawberries (and raspberries) - gran jealously guarded these against the birds and snails, and our summer trips are full of delicious bowls of berries - for breakfast, lunch and dinner, if we wanted! She also grew many of her own vegetables, and there really is nothing to beat newly dug potatoes and freshly picked peas lightly cooked and served with fish landed at market that morning!

Wild Rose - Roses remind me of her, because she had a number of old fashioned rambling roses on the high stone walls of her garden. My gran loved flowers, and was a very skilled gardener - gardens were her passion, much as stitching is mine. She was always very proud of anything I stitched for her - the walls and shelves of her home had many small framed pieces which had originally been cards - I think she'd saved everything I'd ever sent :o)

Iris - irises were a favourite flower of my gran, and a favourite of my mum's, too. Gran's funeral flowers were in her favourite colour, blue, and included some gorgeous irises.

Heartsease - I love the happy smiling faces of heartsease and pansies - I love the old fashioned name, and their apparent delicacy - when really they are tough and will flower in almost any season. They are one of my favourite flowers. They also symbolise "thoughts" - and I have so many good memories of my gran.

Pros:

• Not a huge amount of work to do
• Matches a design I already have finished
• Lovely linen to work on
• A nice reminder of my gran

Cons:

• Can't think of any!

So: Finish or Fling?


Verdict: Finish