History of a Hardanger Cushion Cover!!

The Hardanger cushion cover is very much back in progress, despite the eternal dog not yet being finished. He'll have to wait a little longer as some pressing things are coming up! Anyway, I started this piece in November '05 and was making it as a wedding present for someone I know in Germany. I made a real mess of it though and ended up having to frog about 75% of the work I'd done that far. In sheer exasperation, I asked myself just why I was tying myself up in knots making a wedding gift for someone who I'd learned to no longer like very much and who probably wouldn't walk across a room to say 'Hi' to me? So, once it was frogged to within an inch of its life, I put it on one side.

Later on I decided that I would make it for someone I do like instead and as she was courting at the time, I thought it would do very nicely as an engagement present. As she showed me her ring yesterday, I thought I'd better get on with it, quick smart!!!!! So, here's what's been added of late:

Not much as you can see since late September when I posted the last up-date, but I've been doing the green back-stitch stuff over the last couple of days. I've now given myself 2 weeks to get it completed and finished up into a cushion/pillow cover (pillows only go on beds in the UK, but I know there are US English speakers out there too......!!!!LOL!!). Given the 888 beads that await me smugly in their little packets, I wonder if I'll manage to meet the goal, but either way I'm going to jolly well try!