I was given this Ehrman needlepoint/tapestry kit a good few years ago and although I completed it ages ago it’s been languishing at the bottom of a work basket for yonks. It needed to be stretched as it was quite out of shape by the time I was finished with it and somehow the stretching process just kept getting put off. But I’m trying to get things finished off and everything in general just tidied up, plus I’m not allowing myself to start any new projects until I have finished old ones. So I stretched it, it didn’t take long at all, and now I just have to pull my sewing machine out and sew a velvet backing onto it and tarrah – one more cushion cover to add to the many.

That is actually easier said than done because my sewing machine and I aren’t on speaking terms at the moment. When I had her out a few weeks ago she wouldn’t do what I wanted her to do, no matter how long I wrangled with her! I’m hoping she has got over her hissy fit, I’m not very good with machines – or watches for that matter.

I’ve come to the conclusion that sewing kits aren’t for me because I really prefer taking my needle for a walk and being able to do my own thing. Kits like this one, with a painted canvas are a bit like doing a painting by numbers, not that I’ve ever done one of those, but you know what I mean, there’s no scope for doing your own thing. I think they’re quite good for beginners though.

The most annoying thing about doing the pansy design was that it had been designed almost like an impressionist painting with splashes of colour dotted all over the place, one stitch here and one over there. It gives a good effect in the end but it feels very bitty when you’re stitching it. It was designed by Elian McCready.

As you can see the date on the canvas is 1992 but I think that was when it was first designed rather when I was given it. I don’t think it can possibly have been hanging around all those years waiting to be finished. Surely not!