Immersed...

embroidery....constant....all day...all evening until the early hours....stop to eat, maybe......stop to sleep, sometimes.....having fun, most definitely, this is how I should be living all the time, day in day out, no breaking for ''work'', dream on Karen......but I can, dream that is, we all need a dream. I have had so much fun so far this week and look how much I have done. This is another cushion for Sparkle,

and here are the three cushion fronts I have made all together, do you like? I had intended to complete these today but I lost my will a little as I had the whole floor taken up with my damp stretching board on which I had my Sparkle cloth, almost finished I might add, stretched and lovely. Being dumb however I neglected to take photographs of the stretching cloth, I was far too concerned with not standing, tripping or falling over it. Anyway completing the cushions went by the wayside as attempting to ready a sewing machine on a large table for the construction of cushions doesn't quite fit with a house like an obstacle course. (admitedly one of my making but hey we have to damp stretch!)

and then there is this, ( I am giving myself a huge pat on the back here, excuse me for a minute.....I am just so happy with the progress I have made) The patchwork and lace fragment is now finished with the addition of some pleated silk and a little utility stitching.

Now, hold on tight because there's more!! Despite the fact that I didn't complete my cushions....I made edges for them, trims. Now I love edges as you know and I adore making them, maybe I am a frustrated haberdasher from a former life, who knows. I just know that I find this part of making anything the most exciting and was nearly jumping around with delight when these came together. You can still see some tacking stitches, they have to stay for now, sorry!

Then I remembered I had promised to show you once how I fold my prairie points so here we are. You fold the bottom edge over and press into place as shown here. (there are two in this pic)

Then you fold that pressed edge into the middle from both sides as shown here. This is a very traumatic process for me. I am loathe to have an iron anywhwere near my work EVER. Unfortunately it's necessary for this, the soft, fluffy, CLEAN, white towel is essential here. Pressing the stitching face down into it helps to prevent the embroidery flattening. I would never ever recommend ironing embroidery but IF YOU MUST, then please do it this way, it will at least stand a fighting chance.

Now I'm off to work on my next fragment and who knows, I may even go to bed tonight.......then again..................

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