In 2011 I did a class on silk painting a banner.  The theme for the banner could be anything we wished.  I decided to try to represent the four seasons.

So we have at the top the bright green leaves of Spring, leading down to the fields of rapeseed and summer crops, then the falling leaves of autumn, which land on a bed of snow.

The idea came from 2 silk paintings I had done in 1995.  The intension being that I would end up with 3 pieces of silk painting on a theme.  It may be hard to see, as it needs ironing, but there’s the same type of house in the banner as on the cushion cover.

Then there’s the leaves I showed in my last year of projects (YOP) update.  You’ll notice when I did the banner, I copied the shape of the leaves.  So there was supposed to be a cohesive theme, a set of 3…albeit they were made 16 years apart!!

The thing is, I’m a bit rubbish at doing the sewing bits!!  So they still aren’t a set of 3 and I could kick myself for having thrown out a load of cushion filler from our old sofa that would have been ideal for stuffing…but then that had sat in a cupboard for a few years unused and I was doing a ruthless clear out.

So my cushion with the cottage view has sat unstuffed for 24 years, my picture of the autumn leaves sat waiting to be made into a cushion for the same length of time and my banner has hung from a coat-hanger (instead of making a proper hanger for it) for the last 8 years.

This is unusual for me, as I would normally be a completer/finisher.  So why is it that silk paintings don’t get those finishing touches for years?  I guess as lovely as silk painting is, to both make and view, it isn’t necessarily a craft for me.  Or perhaps it is…but sewing is the problem!

Anyway, I am going to add to next year’s YOP list that these 3 items will be finished and a proper set on display.

Do you have a particular craft that you struggle to do the finishing touches?  What’s your longest work in progress (WIP)?