I quickly grabbed my needlework, my scissors and some supplies (gotta have something to do on the train!), my CD backups of my book that go everywhere with me, my umbrella… all the things I’d need. Or so I thought.

On closing the front door behind me I had a horrible thought. MY KEYS! I felt my pockets, and the pockets in my bag where I would have put them, but they weren’t there. Given that it was only 9:30am, I had a long, wet day ahead of me, locked out of the house. Fortunately I had my wallet with me, so all was not lost. At least that meant I’d be able to buy some lunch somewhere!

Feeling rather deflated, off I went on the bus to the train station, and sitting on the seat waiting for the train, I felt around in my bag for my needlework. Instead, I brought out the CDs, and heard a slight tinkle. My keys! In grabbing the CDs, my keys were obviously with them (they travel as a set these days) and I just chucked them into the same pocket – not the pocket I ever usually put the keys in. Thank you God!

Down at my favourite local needlework shop, I picked up the three balls of coloured pearl cotton that I needed. The shop assistant and I were both surprised how bright the blue is (DMC 796), though it didn’t look quite so luminous outside the shop as it did in it!

They did warn me that I’ll have difficulty finding Anchor Pearl, because the Australian distributor (a new one took over the brand a few years ago) has done such a great job of running down the range that now its pretty much only available in one of the larger, lower quality chain sewing stores.

What has happened to Anchor? I’ve had emails from people in other places around the world in the last few days telling me that they find it difficult to get Anchor these days too. Why is this happening? My experiences with Anchor – admittedly none of them have been particularly recent – have always been satisfactory. Why are they not being supported by good distribution? Its very sad and disappointing. I suppose its all to do with global economic difficulties…

Anyway, I did get the DMC pearl cotton I wanted, so was pleased to be able to use them yesterday afternoon. Lovely feeling thread (I’m sorry Presencia, but I really do prefer DMC, no matter how much I really wanted to support you as a newer player in the market) which is so nice to work with.

The hanging ornament that I made a gazillion of last Christmas.

So that’s one option – all of the little pillows hanging as separate ornaments. But I did have another idea: a swag of the pillows all joined together that could be hung across a mantlepiece. You can find an example of the sort of thing I mean here, on Etsy. Mine would be little pillows, though, not flat.

This would just be a little bit different than what I normally make, so to me it has appeal. But does it appeal to you? Or would you prefer the single ornaments? They’d be more suitable as gifts that way… What do you think?

While it might be ideal to put both of these ideas in the book, unfortunately I don’t have the space to include instructions for both.

However, having another embroidery finished means I could have a go at photographing it instead. The problem is that I am all out ideas for photographing this particular embroidery! As this point, I go back to all my magazines with still lifey type photos and have a look at photography and get some ideas.

And then there’s a couple of very small embroideries that still need to be done, but I feel like I’d like to get the existing ones properly finished before I start anything new.

Oh, decisions, decisions…!

I also rewrote and re-diagrammed (ooh, new word I’ve made there!) my instructions for mitred corners. I’ve organised for some pretty cupcakes to use as props for when I photograph the square mat. I didn’t realise how hard it would be to find pretty cupcakes in the colour scheme I wanted – red, white, and gold – not a particularly outlandish colour scheme, I would have thought!

A friend, Kerrie, does beautifully decorated cupcakes, and I enjoyed decorating some with her earlier this year. I hadn’t realised that she does commissions though, so when another friend suggested her, it seemed like a great idea. I contacted Kerrie, and she’s very happy to make some for me. I’m very pleased, because I’d resigned myself to the fact that I’d have to make my own!

Today I will be continuing on with making mitred corners and hemming. I have a longish, narrowish embroidery that will become a table runner, and then there is THE tablecloth. It should keep me busy for the day!

So I asked on the Vetty Creations Facebook page, and also on Stitchaholics. Yesterday’s concensus seemed to be about 40 x 60cm (16 x 24in), so that’s what I’m making this one.

Although its a bit late for this particular project, do you have suggestions for the size you like your embroidered handtowels to be?

I must say that I very much like these quick projects! Compared to nearly two years of *that* tablecloth, less than 24 hours is the way I like it!

I showed it to my friend, Belinda – the inspiration for the bookmark – and she feels that she’ll be able to make it. She’s an embroidery novice, so I’m glad she sees it as achievable. I think she’s actually quite excited by it!

I’m thinking there’s one more project I’ll need to make: a handtowel. The ideas for it have been happily percolating in my head for some time now, so its quite possible it will be commenced some time today or over the weekend. I don’t think it will be completed in 24 hours though!

A few weeks ago a friend asked if there was going to be a bookmark in the book, as she felt that would be an excellent project for a beginner like her. I said that there was not as the bullions would be too thick to fit in a book as a bookmark, but that there would be other small projects suitable for a beginner.

But she got me thinking. One of the things about a bookmark is that it also requires very little finishing expertise. It doesn’t require a sewing machine, and has no fiddly construction bits. It really is an ideal project for a beginner.

So yesterday, after spending some time damp stretching the Portuguese Whitework sampler project, my mind was free to move on to new things. On the walk to school in the afternoon to get the kids, I devised a bookmark design that was simple to stitch and make, and where the thickness of the bullions would not be within the pages of the book.

I started it last night, and will finish it this morning. It is simple, but effective, and will be an excellent beginner project and quick gift. It is nice to get a project done so very quickly! Thanks for the inspiration, Belinda!

Of course, they’re not all completely different. Parts are used again and again, but they’re all combined in new ways for each motif.

Its so fresh feeling!

I have been working very hard on it. On Monday, the first day of working the motifs, I got five done. On Tuesday day I managed six. On Wednesday I did seven. (This is starting to feel like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”.) Yesterday I did not manage eight (!) but I got a good number done as well as doing some class preparation.

So I am over half way already, which is very very pleasing. I’m even thinking that I’d like to do yet another project for the book as soon as this one is done!