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Roman Cats, Cottage Gardens, and Travel

 

Andy Luo on Unsplash

The Cats of Rome
Did you know that Rome is famous for its cats? I was completely unaware of this until I read a magazine article recently.
“The colony of Torre Argentina is famous because of its organization and its size, […] And they do love showing themselves to us: elegant, indolent, always beautiful, always haughty.”
That pretty much sums up cats everywhere. The feral cats around the Castle act in the exact same way. I met a stunning, feral Siamese cat this morning that gave me a haughty look and a brief acknowledgment of my existence when I called her beautiful. But I don’t think I’d love cats as much if they weren’t exactly as they are. As for the cats that lounge around the Roman ruins, basking in the Italian sun, and soaking up the admiration of the tourists, it’s hard to imagine a better way for them to spend the day.
We are honored by their presence and fortunate to have such majestic beings condescending to share the same air as us, mere mortals. (Note: I think my orange tabby hopped onto my desk and wrote that last sentence when I had my back turned.)

WIP Updates
Leilani
Here’s what Leilani looked like when I started her at the beginning of May: 
Leilani the Hula Dancer by Mirabilia

 And here’s what she looks like now: 
Leilani the Hula Dancer by Mirabilia
One of the most enjoyable things about working on this WIP is stitching these tropical flowers. Rich oranges and reds are some of my favorite floral colors. All of the cross stitch on her magnificent skirt is done! There will be a lot of beading to do on her skirt, and those gaps that you see in the flowers call for beads as well. 

 Within the next day or so, I can start stitching her torso, which sounds weird, but you know what I mean. I can’t wait to stitch her hair! This time, I really feel confident that I can get a finish. What a great way to kick off the Summer!
If you'd like to stitch this chart, Mirabilia has it available as a free PDF. Here's the link. 
221 B Baker Street
Are those trumpets and fanfare announcing the arrival of Queen Victoria? No! They’re announcing that I’ve finished my Sherlock Holmes WIP: 
221b Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes Cross Stitch Pattern by EmnEllie
I’m very pleased with how it turned out! I almost made it to the end of my spool of black Anchor floss, but thankfully, I had just enough left to finish this WIP. If you’re a fellow Sherlock Holmes fan like me, or if you want to stitch this for someone else, head on over to my Etsy shop at the link here.
Fantasy Triptych
If you want to see my progress from start to finish, I made a YouTube video that you can watch here: 

 Odds & Ends
This is a gorgeous illustration by Abigail Halpin. It’s Delft tiles meets Jane Austen!
 
EmnEllie on Etsy
The other day, I was going through the cross stitch designer’s equivalent of writer’s block. Thankfully, I’ve gotten over it! There’s a new section of my Etsy shop, Cities & Travel. Just in time for summer, too! I’ve made three, and have so many more ideas to design. Click the link here to go to my Etsy shop.
Here’s a truth for you: your garden is never finished. Even if it’s a bit late in the season to start now, you can always brainstorm ideas for next Spring. This article has really good advice for making a Cottage garden: 10 Cottage Garden Ideas for Creating a Flower-Filled Escape | Better Homes & Gardens

Happy stitching, and see you next time! 
 

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