Improvising from My Stash

I didn't have the required Kreinik gold thread for the star and ribbon on the gift in my Winter Greens project. I remembered that I did have a gold thread of some kind and actually found it in a somewhat disorganized stitching stash bag. I then decided to combine it with a DMC gold coloured thread to give it some 'bling'.

The metallic gold thread is very thin so I used one strand of it with two strands of DMC floss.

It is a very acceptable substitute.

Just enough 'bling'.

I still need to finish stitching all the 'snowflakes' and will add a sparkly bead in the centre of each one.

Once mounted on some foam core, this piece will fit nicely in a standard 5" x 7" frame. Yet another project to FFO.

I also cut the threads on my Hardanger pouch 

and got the woven bars done on one of them.

A dove's eye goes in the centre of each # and 3/4 spider webs go in each corner.

Last week I purchased the non-woven polypropylene fabric that has been recommended as lining for home-made cloth face masks. I made a couple of Christmas-themed masks with the more shaped pattern.

This third layer makes the mask rather stiff but still breatheable. I don't really like the design, though, because even though the ear strings have been tightened up, the mask still wants to slip lower. I still prefer the pleated surgical mask style and have retro-fitted a couple of my masks of that style with the filter fabric.

There's always the issue of glasses fogging up but Skip has found if he puts a folded tissue just under the top edge of the mask it solves that problem by closing up any gap the warm air was coming out.

Some members of our embroidery guild are participating in an ornament exchange this year, including myself. We can either drop off the ornament or mail it to the person we picked through a random drawing. I have the piece stitched - I just need to FFO it. 

The latest season of 'The Crown' was released on Netflix today. I managed to watch the first two episodes before my videochat with my stitcherly friends today. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the season.