In which I pick up the needle again...

Aaah, embroidery.  I've missed you.  If I don't go a couple of weeks without the old needle in my hands, I get withdrawal symptoms.  I've been working hard on my print course, but it's time to take a little break and start work on Fiona's stole*.

My friend Fiona is a priest, and I've made her a few stoles before.  She wanted a red one with golden saints throwing their haloes in the air, like graduates throwing their mortarboards in celebration.  I had a go at one on this theme about a year ago, but it was pretty shitty.  I'd done it with gold fabric paint and the design and execution was just shittens.  I was pretty embarrassed about it.

So I'm having another bash - albeit rather late - I promided this to Fiona months ago.  Sorry Fi!  But I've finally started work.  Here's the sketch - the design will be repeated on the other panel of the stole*.

I'm using fairly traded cotton from Fair Trade Fabric, in their Christmas red shade.  And here's the first little jumping saint.  As you can see, he's Mr Top Right corner, silk shading stitch, couched around with gold.  Sweet as. 

*If you don't know what a stole is - it's the scarf-y thing that priests wear in services.  They are different colours at different times, depending on whereabouts in the calendar we are.  Red is worn during Holy Week, Pentecost, and can be used on All Saints' Day or any service focussing on the Holy Spirit.