Hoopla!

So... I'm going to gloss over the my-mother-in-law-died-and-it-sucked stuff. That's for a different blog on a different day. Today I just wanted to share this:

With my MIL gone, it leaves us with a big (for Britain) empty room. It started out as the MIL's lounge and then became her bedroom when she came down with cancer. Now, I have big plans for it. I'm going to turn it into a dining room/craft space. (A crafty dining room?)

I'm starting with a hoopla wall. It's kitschy, I know, but the house could do with a little creative cheer.

Not long before she passed away, my MIL gave me some money for being extra helpful and ordered my husband to take me to the craft store. I indulged in some linen (I never knew that stuff was so expensive!), thread and hoops. I've been wanting to get into embroidery more (I've only ever tried it once or twice) but couldn't justify the expense. Well, with no excuse and plenty of time (work gave me a week off), I decided to give it a go.

I know it's a bit early but I am NOT a summer person AT ALL and this is my rebellion against the humidity, bugs and sweat. :) (Sorry, Jess. Lol.)

All in all, I'm quite happy with how it turned out. I had to go back a bit and re-do the "a" because it was sloppy but hey, it was totally free-hand (or is it free-form? free-ball? no, not that one...) and it's not a craft I'd say I'm any good at.

Now, I just have to decide what the next one will be...