Not exactly art, more like therapy, but fun anyway

The last week I've been laid low by yet another coughing sneezing shivering no good very bad cold, so, along with a marathon viewing of the original Forsyte Saga series, the old black and white one with Eric Porter, I got most of a kleenex box holder thing created.

This was strictly taken from the recipe in the needlepoint book I posted about, and was about right for my need to use my hands without involving too much brain power, since I only needed to follow instructions, not create the design, not always easy for me to follow orders, but anyway. Brain only partly operating, but I worked on it.

So here it is, the four sides joined and flat and the top, before I get around to attaching sides to top.

And here's the top balanced on the four sides. Not yet attached, just showing you the goal.  I still have to finish all the outside edges, great practice in that cross stitch that travels back and forth weaving style, and attach the top to the sides before it goes into use. As you see, it's fairly transparent in the sunlight, because I used the clear plastic sheet, so that it would be less visible in the finished product.

Very appropriate considering the kleenex use I've had this week..that's probably why I chose this one.  Seriously, this is a lot of fun, and you learn a ton of new stitches, at least I did, so there was learning to be done.  

I don't like working in yarn, and might make other items using silk or embroidery floss, just to see how it goes.  But for them as does like yarn, this really is a nice fast and portable project idea for future beach sitting, or patio sitting in a shady hat with a tall glass at the side.  

And thanks go to Liz M. a fellow guild stitcher who brought in her book and samples of her work to show us last week and set me off on this path.