Almost finished with "Norm's Cafe"

Several years ago I decided to create and stitch some of my own needlework patterns.

Well, we see how well that's been working out. I haven't finished even a full graph in the 7 years that I've been working on this piece.

I've almost finished the stitching on most of the big areas. That leaves backstitching and fiddly bits to complete.

One of the lessons that I've learned while working on this is that working on my own creations is Not Relaxing. When I stitch someone else's needlework patterns or weave someone else's drafts, I can put my mind on hold and just concentrate on the zen of stitching. It's meditative and a bit like prayer.

But when working on my own, I'm constantly evaluating and critiquing. I can't just let go and stitch. It makes working on my own pieces excruciating at times. And when I'm stressed, I can't do it.

After 7 years, I've nearly finished Norm's Cafe. It's a simple cafe scene with a painting of a Mediterranean fishing village in the background. Very simple lines.

I stitched it on Aida, something that I almost never work with anymore. But as I get older and my eyes worsen, I'm appreciating Aida's popularity.

I graphed the stitching into a chart, but the computer I was working on crashed without a backup. I lost the chart. I'm entering it again in the computer stitch by painful stitch. It's taken an eon to re-learn the software interface to graph, though truthfully it's a very simple interface and should be a snap. (It's me, not the tool)