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Sunday 1 February 2009

Lace motif and a new start

Here is the photo I promised of the lace motif I've just completed:



It's my first ever attempt at Milanese lace, and too nearly a year, despite being exceedingly small... Oh well. This week I plan to start a larger piece of Milanese lace, from the same book (Read and Kincaid, Intro to Milanese Lace) - a lovely swirly sea monster. I've decided to work him in 2 shades of blue/green, which I bought from Pipers Silks at the Christmas Lace Makers fair.

Yesterday I started the birth sampler for Monty (he's about 15 months old now!!). Monty is the second son of my school friend Michaela - we'd not really been in touch much around the time Monty was born, which I guess is why I didn't start anyhting sooner. We met Monty for the first time at Christmas, which reminded me I needed to stitch somehting for one - I did a blackwork wedding sampler for Michaela and Stuart (stitched in dark red - coincidentally the colour of her wedding dress!!), and a birth sampler for Monty's older brother, Toby.

As Michaela and Stuart live in a lovely cottage I felt traditional styles were called for, so I picked out 'Birth Band' by the Drawn Thread for Monty. Here's what I've done so far:


Caroline told me this was a fairly quick project, and boy is it working up quickly - not bad progress for 1/2 a day!! At this rate I'll have it done in about 2 weeks, even alongside other projects! I'm really enjoying the finer count fabric (36 ct Edinburgh linen, antique white) and the silk threads, and as for the speciality stitches - wow!! I've done a few eyelets and smyrna crosses before, usually as called for in a TW, but no satin stitch since I was a little girl, and double back stitch was completely new to me too.. all great fun!

I'm off to London tonight for a couple of days - work related, but I'm staying with my sister, which will be fun - so probably lots of wine drinking and little stitching - but Birth Band will be back in my hands as soon as I return.

I've not thought about goals yet, I'll post some later today, or maybe when I get back.

2 comments:

Lindsay said...

Beautiful piece of lace Jo and your off to a flying start with Birth Band

Karoline said...

The lace is lovely and you're off to a flying start on Birth Band