Hand embroidered cushion with monogram T and flowers (Mary Addison)

More than a year ago when daughter No 2 left her job in charge of land mine clearing in Vietnam (with UK based NGO MAG -Mines Advisory Group).  I promised I’d make a cushion for her to give to her right hand woman in Vietnam.

Hand embroidered cushion with monogram T and flowers (Mary Addison)

This present became especially important after the latter had arranged framing for all the embroidered stars I’d made as farewell gifts for daughter No 2’s colleagues and had even sacrificed having one of her own when it became apparent that I really hadn’t done enough.(See here for the first of the 15 stars we made) I keep saying ‘I’ but I should say we as daughter No 2 had made the initial patchwork stars which I went on to embroider. Now, as daughter No 2 is coming to the end of a job at MAG’s head office, she is looking forward to a bit of an extended holiday and among other things will return to see friends in Vietnam.

Hand embroidered cushion with monogram T and flowers (Mary Addison)

One of the unthought of benefits about blogging things you’ve made is that even after you’ve given away the physical items, you still have the images on screen at the click of a button. In this way I can find out which embroideries individuals like and can design something similar for them in the knowledge they will like it.

Detail of hand embroidered cushion with monogram T and flowers (Mary Addison)

This cushion is based on monograms I did for twin girls which can be seen here, but this time I’ve mixed simple appliqué flowers  with my favourite embroidered honeysuckles which are soul serotonin and crop up regularly in my embroidery, sometimes almost unbidden. The ‘T’ is very florid as anything too straight up and down and austere looked quite wrong.

Detail of hand embroidered cushion with monogram T and flowers (Mary Addison)

In August, daughter No 2 is off to head up MAG’s team in Iraq (clearing land mine and other unexploded ordnance, including the nightmare of booby traps left by so-called Isil). What can one say ? – you bring up these daughters to be independent minded and ambitious, so you shouldn’t really be surprised when they go off and do dangerous things in far off places. However … we shall miss her … and probably worry about her.

Hand embroidered cushion with monogram T and flowers (Mary Addison)

On a more earthy note, today we are at sixes and sevens with blocked drains. The old clay pipe from the house to the main sewer is suspected to have collapsed but as workmen – after digging all afternoon in a not very big front garden – have yet to find ANY pipe, we may be heading for a hotel tonight!