I've got a HUGE pile of unfinished WIPs (works in progress), so I thought it might be fun to show you what I'm working on each week - and to motivate myself to get them all done in the process. We went away to visit grandparents in Oxford this weekend so I picked up my most recent WIP and took it with: what progress I made! We watched Team GB on the telly (and were particularly pleased that we were out of London when the men's 100m athletic event was on!), we enjoyed tea and biscuits - and I happily worked my way through some stitchery.

This is the very first issue of the CrossStitcher Magazine I bought: and, I bought it because of the cushions on the cover. Aren't they lovely? I knew I had to have one - and I was convinced I could make it. There was only one little snag: I couldn't cross stitch.

I held onto that magazine for almost a year before I learnt how to cross stitch from a book. Shortly after finishing my first project, I picked up this magazine and attempted my first ever "big project" - the blue Moroccan Cross Stitch Cushion on the front cover.

















It has been a labour of love and a real learning curve. I have discovered that everything is not symmetrical, you run out of embroidery thread at all the wrong moments, and you really do have to swap colours often to keep your interest piqued.

















I'm finishing up some pretty detailing now: a lot of little squares, a bundle of pretty paisley motifs - and then, could it be done? 


















It is certainly starting to look like it!

















The pattern is by Jacqui Pearce. As you can see, these cushions are only supposed to take around 25 hours of stitching time. I've spent about 60 hours so far - maybe I'm just very slow? I've been stitching on and off in  three-hour bursts ... but they all add up to forever.

I want to finish this stitching project this weekend (hopeful?) so I should have something beautiful to show you next week! After this: the side panels. I've been looking at all of the different fabric options for the side panels - something patchworked? Something Japanese like the Echino prints they have in the picture?














I really wanted to use this Echino Rondo print from the 2011 Winter Collection by Etsuko Furuya, but I can't find it in stock anywhere. I love the stripes and fun prints - and the colouring really works well with the Moroccan colours in the cross stitch design.






















The other option (which I am very much leaning towards) is to piece up a side panel out of Amy Butler Soul Blossoms jelly roll strips. I just so happen to have one such jelly roll, and it has been calling out for a project!