Paying a debt

I owed you pictures of that danged rose piece (that's the nicest way I have been able to refer to it) which I finished for a woman who discovered it in her closet some 30+ years after she started it as a special class piece.

Each rose, buds included, used 10 colors.   It was a long series of 4-stitches of this, six stitches of that, 1 stitch of this, 9 stitches of that....... just exactly calculated to DRIVE ME UTTERLY INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Oh, I have to caveat that -- the 1/2 buds at the top and bottom of the thin rows did not all take 10 colors -- the ones at the bottom took the full 10 and the ones at the top took less.  [The little gremlin in my mind is sarcastically commenting "big whoop" at this point.

This was a "learning experience."  Among the things I learned were:
1.  that I would never, ever do another class project from the 1980s (remember, back when all patterns were hand drawn and color copying really didn't happen?  Oh and needlepoint patterns are drawn ON THE LINES not in the boxes.)  I had tiny rose patterns with 10 hand-drawn black symbols (some of which were suspiciously alike) on heavy-black-lined graph paper-- yes, I can see you are beginning to appreciate the "joy."  
2.  that if I ever take or teach a class I WILL NOT TOLERATE incomplete instructions!!!!!!!!!!   Once again, because it was the 1980s and the teacher had to hand draw the graph, she didn't take the time to draw the repeat.  She also did not write up any instructions on the aligning of the patterns.  Sooooooo, the only thing I had to go on on how to arrange the repeats was one note that the woman whose piece this was (and who was in the class originally back in 1980-whatever), and I quote "one every 37."  Really????   That's an instruction??????  Trust me, no where in this piece does anything repeat in 37 threads.   OMG  I was in agony.  Seriously-- no written instructions.  None.  Ack!!!    I had pushed this from my mind over the last month, but now all the pain and agony is rushing back at me.... ack!!!!!

Therefore, gentle reader, I must insist that you repeat the following Badger's Sacred Oath of Stitcherdom after me:
I, ______________, do solemnly swear that henceforth when I am in a needlework class I will take copious notes.  I will take these notes regardless of how much stitching time I believe I am losing.  I will not be envious of my class neighbors who boldly stitch along making great leaps of progress while I patiently write down everything the teacher says, because lo, I say unto you, the day of reckoning shall come upon them and they shall be swept asunder on a wave of UFOs of their own making all for the lack of complete instructions.

I will not make needlework teachers do this because I completely understand that what will happen is that one dufus will take the class and send the instructions to every cousin in stitching she has ever known.  The better the printed instructions, the more likely the frugally-conscious planning.

Now that I have completely annoyed myself thinking about The Roses (it really was like a war for me), let me leave you in peace with a couple more DC pics.  this time from the Library of Congress --

It really is the most beautiful hall in DC.