An elephant for Sam

Today I had far more time that I expected and was able to spend the whole afternoon working on Sam's elephant. It has turned out completely different from what I envisaged with a new background material and the elephant being blue rather than red. I am also going to include a butterfly somewhere. I think that the elephant symbolises Ganesh – the overcomer of obstacles – and the butterfly Sam's soul. Ganesh helping Sam to overcome obstacles as he goes through life - but of course I will not be able to tell him that as his father wouldn't approve. So I hope the symbolism will work for him at the pre-literate level.

I started doing some decoration on the elephant but had to take it out three times. I tried with the shiny thread I have bought but it looked dreadful. Then I tried an ordinary embroidery thread but the chain stitch I used looked all wrong. Finally I think I will do the outlining in ordinary back stitch.