Post 69: chair and songbird

The Mellerstain firescreen was quite dry this morning so first job was to unpin it from the block and try it on my chair. I then had breakfast and set about stitching it on to the chair cover.















I'm getting better at taking the cover off the chair (and, fortunately, better too, at putting it back on!).

I then needed to pin it on, without wrinkles and stitch it down.

So here it is in situ.




For anyone who has not seen the chair before, here is the front, back and other side.





The plan is to put the Aesop frame on the back. I've also decided that I need to work a mirror image of the Muncaster Oranges to put on the other side of centre inside back.

I also need to work some leaves and vines on the seat cushion. It will look good when finished and its a lot of fun.














My friend Robin in Katoomba tells me that the plant I photographed yesterday is a lachenalia, originally from South Africa. I checked it out, and it certainly seems to be part of this family. I wasn't able to find a photo of one so tall and vine-like, but it certainly looks like part of that family.

I worked for the remainder of the day on the song bird. I enjoyed working the tail feathers in the linen thread.


Another message today was from a friend who is also a Midsomer Murders fan. She sent me this photo from her last trip to England. Now how come I didn't think of making this visit?











I managed stop stitching to catch the sunset.

Jennifer has had a 12 hour period withouttusing the ventilator, and tonight will begin a 24 hour trial without it. If that is successful, doctors will check that her vocal chords are not unduly swollen.  If they are satisfied they will remove the ventilator and also the equipment from the tracheotomy. This means no vocaliser being inserted and the expectation that she will be able to speak for herself. If it goes to plan, and the Covid tests she has had are negative, she will be out of ICU in 4-5 days.

This is good news. The caution is that she is likely to spend at least another 42 days in hospital, either in a respiratory ward with a physio, or in a rehab hospital, taking small steps to full recovery. Jennifer is, fortunately, a trouper.

I'm continuing to stitch the song bird. I have a medical appointment tomorrow, but I now have only the long thin tail feathers and the legs and feet to go. I think I should finish the embroidery  tomorrow and can look at construction of the bag on Thursday.


I'm not convinced I have the colours right on the tail feathers so far. A variegated thread might have been better on those dark feathers.


It will look better or worse in the morning!