September WIPocalypse Memory Lane

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.

The focus of my WIPocalypse will be my "16 in '16" which are 16 projects I particularly wanted to concentrate on in 2016.   The full list can be found on my WIPocalypse page where you can also find my secondary list "16 Series in '16".

My main goal is to keep to my rotation of one small every Friday and the rest of the month working on my focus piece until it is finished.  I also have a number of SALs I want to keep up with:

The Alphabet Club - a different letter on the first Saturday of each month

Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th

Hallowe'en Ornie Blog - a different spooky theme each month

Christmas Ornie Blog - a different festive theme each month

Smalls SAL - last Thursday of each month

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I have worked on 2 out of 16 projects since my last WIPocalypse, plus 2 from my series list.

1. Gathering Honey by Jannlynn:

16. Counting Bats by Just Nan:

And for the series:

1. Christmas Cubes by The Primitive Hare:

6. Stitcher's Alphabet by Brooke's Books:

Measi always gives us a topic to discuss:

September - Tell us the story behind a piece with special memories.

The design I've chosen is Angelica by Lavender & Lace.

I was born at my grandparents' house and we stayed there off-and-on until I was six.  When I first started school we lived too far for me to come home for dinner (as most children did back then).  My Dad would drop me off at Nana's for breakfast, I'd go there for my dinner and again after school when my Mum would come and walk home with me.   In the late 1960s my Nana had developed a brain tumour which was operated on successfully but which left her dependent on her family for anything more complicated than light housework, cooking and local shopping.  She also clung to anything familiar which included her oldest grand-daughter (me).  In her final years she was fond of telling people she "had brought me up".

When Grandad passed away she had to learn to live alone which she managed with support from my parents and the "girls" from the Home Care Agency.  She was unwilling to accept strangers into her home but conceded she would allow ones who smiled!  I was working full time (6 days a week) but did my best to visit her regularly and when she went into hospital again I spent my day off travelling to visit a very grumpy old lady who did not understand why she had to stay there.  "My sisters will look after me" as they did when she had the first brain tumour.  Well, those sisters still with us were in their late 80s themselves and not able to!  Eventually I had a cunning plan and introduced her to "my friend Mandy who has a house where ladies can live with her".  Nana decided any friend of mine was OK and told her social worker she "wanted to live with Mandy"!   The residential home was only 5 minutes from my house so I was able to visit more regularly for short periods of time.

At this time I was stitching Angelica by Lavender & Lace, the Easter weekend was spent working on her over-one face.  When the care home phoned me to tell me that Nana had lapsed into unconsciousness and the end was close, I brought Angelica with me to work on while I sat with her.  Nana passed away very peacefully just after teatime with me holding her hand and talking her through all the people who would be waiting for her.  I don't know exactly when I finished Angelica, it was some time later that summer so she appears in my Happy Dance blog on Nana's Birthday.  Nana would have been 101 this year!

Finally, Measi's suggestion of a memory post brings me nicely to tomorrow!  This blog will be hosting a Retrospective View of The Days of Jo's Life featuring Guest Bloggers from Around the World and their Memories Based on Anecdotes from Jo's Life and  Appropriate Stitching.  Or a Big Birthday Blog Hop for short.  I'm really looking forward to it and hopefully will manage to visit everyone by Sunday evening.