My current "WIP"

Following the day out at GMEX recently I was really itching to get started on my goldwork kit but on going through the contents I realised that I needed some couching thread as there wasn't any included in the kit. Although I've got every make and colour of thread going I didn't have one I felt would be good enough to blend in with the goldwork, so as impatient as I was I had to order it on the internet and just wait for it to arrive.

In the meantime I decided to dig out one of the kits in my stash. Ages ago, my hubby had bought a Rowandean kit for me as a surprise when he came back from one of his trips. At the time I was working on a large Rowandean panel so although it was admired at the time he gave it to me, it got promptly put away in my cupboard to do at a later date. Now, aeons later I decided it would be the perfect project (something easy on the eye to work on when I was feeling a bit jaded in the evening) while waiting for my package to arrive.

The embroidery is called "Grazing Sheep" and measures 400 mm x 325 mm. It consists of the central picture which is on cream wool and is worked in silk, stranded cotton and wool. Then there is a slightly deeper coloured cream mount to be embroidered to go over the top.

I've thoroughly enjoyed doing this and have promised myself I'll definitely finish it before starting my Goldwork kit.

So far I've done most of the central picture - there's still the leaves to be worked in a reddish brown on the tree, some fluffiness to add to the grasses at the base of the wall and then the motif on the mount itself.