Testing, Testing

Jen1, Barb, Jeanette, and I have signed up for an online Hardanger course through the Embroiderer's Association of Canada. We're doing it together as a stitch-along.

It's a Hardanger Trio: a pincushion, a needle book, and a scissor fob.

I had the fabric in my stash and am still deciding on what colour threads I'm going to use. The project requires #5 and #8 perle cotton and the matching DMC floss colour.

Tonight I thought I'd test out the scissor fob instructions with threads I had left over from a guild project from long ago.

The threads are variegated. I wasn't sure I'd like how it looks. I stitched the two pieces on the fabric alloted - 2" x 2" for each piece. I certainly didn't centre them very well. It seems that there will be 1/4" seam allowance around these. I was concerned that there wasn't enough edge fabric until I realized that it's all trimmed away and the two are whip stitched together through the buttonhole edging. When I stitch it for real, I'm going to stitch all the pieces on the fabric before I cut them apart.

I made cording out of 4 strands of the same #5 perle cotton.

I then whip stitched the two pieces together with the cording out the top. It turned out great. Rather than felt padding, I used a good amount of fibrefill as stuffing. Interestingly, the variegated yarn worked after all!

So in one night, I made a nifty scissor fob.

I've also been working on the goldfinch piece. At one point I realized I had stitched half of the background in the wrong colour and had to pick it all out. I've now finished the re-stitching and have completed that background colour.

For a 5" x 5" piece, there's a LOT of stitching. It'll look like this when it's finished except not with the perforated paper background. I swapped it out for linen in the same thread count and colour.

Mill Hill Buttons and Beads 2017 Spring Series - Goldfinch

I have the other background colour to do and check for any more cross-stitched areas to finish before I start the beading. I'm going to have to separate the beads which are all mixed up in a little bag and start adding the beads.  Skip could tell it was a goldfinch (male American goldfinch) even in its incomplete state.
We even had one at the feeder today.

He's fairly dull still - not in breeding plumage.

I'm itching to get out birding but I've had a wicked cold since last week. Hopefully tomorrow. On Wednesday I'm heading to SW Ontario to visit family and friends.