So what have I been up to? Well, about 2 weeks ago I pulled this piece of needlework out of my stash. It's a pattern by Mirabilia called "The Kiss." I can't remember exactly when I began stitching this, but it had to be somewhere around 1999-2002ish. As you can see, I put in quite a bit of work, but at some point I laid it aside, probably to stitch up another project- a wedding sampler or a birth sampler perhaps. It became UFO. This is what it looked like when I picked it up again for the first time 2 weeks ago:
And this is what it looks like now, after two weeks of on and off stitching:
I have filled in all the flowers and foliage, the sky and clouds, and even the gentleman's tunic. There is still quite a bit to go- the lady's skirt, a small bit of the left urn, and a narrow border. And then there are the beads- a ton of them, which will embellish her dress, her hair, and the corners where I still need to stitch some little bees. I am loving this and I have vowed to finish it this year, hopefully very soon.
There hasn't been any garment sewing yet this year, but the February Burda finally arrived this week and I have my eye on dress #109. I just need to shop for fabric and get started on it. Maybe this weekend...