Stitching and Staring

"C'mon over!" I told a friend yesterday, "I'll be here, just crafting and staring at Max."


Such is how I've been spending my days the past week.  "Max Watch" hasn't been as intense as it was the first couple of days; we've settled into a routine and I'm (fairly) confident that he won't expire on my watch...

I've been trying to make the most of spending my days on the couch, with one eye on him.  Been watching a lot of Netflix and YouTube videos.  I've also been cross-stitching - a TON.

I finished another saddle pad.

And in typical fashion, immediately loaded my frame to start on the next one.  This will be the same as the one above, with the green and tan colors reversed.

I've also been working away on what will be my first Arabian costume, featuring cross-stitched panels.  I embarked on this particular project a couple of months ago.  Each panel has taken a ridiculous amount of hours to complete!

Here's how everything looked at the start of the weekend:

I finished the third panel...

Then had to reload the first piece into the hoop and expand it for the rear panel of the costume - the part that will lay behind the saddle.

Here's how that piece looks today.

I'm alllllmost done... with the stitching.  Then comes braiding, making tassels, etc.

Hopefully this whole thing will be pretty cool when it's done!