Embroidery: A Forgotten Piece

My friend, Bethany, visited at Christmas and brought with her an embroidery that I had done for her long ago---and one that I had completely forgotten about.  I don't know if I had followed a charted pattern or made up sections and decided to try stitches in each of the sections, but I was delighted to see it (again!), especially when realizing how I have returned to hand stitched embroidery (versus machine freeform embroidery which I also do).

"Drawn to Stitch" by Gwen Hedley is a wonderful book that inspires me every time I get it out of my local library.  Her point, of course, is to use your drawings for embroidery.  There is a wealth of gorgeous pictures and information.  There aren't any projects to do (which is good since I don't really care for those books) but so many fascinating images and explanations of techniques that I'm off and trying a new-to-me stitch, such as the whipped running stitch (a long stitch, maybe 1" or longer, that is secured with a little couching stitch in the middle).