I worked steadily on this project week by week at “In the stitch zone” until the end of the term in July. Alex gave us instructions and guidance with different stitches each week, some new and some with different approaches, her intention being to push us all a little, from beginners to more experienced stitchers.

I’d last blogged about it at the end of June when it hadn’t got very far.

I didn’t take many photos, I’d got so engrossed in the stitching, with Padded Satin Stitch, Couching over String Padding (which was left like this until yesterday), Bullion, French and Colonial Knots, Cup Stitch new to most of us (bottom left, certainly one to remember), Needlewoven Bars and Woven Feathered Chain Stitch.

Woven Picots….

….. Buttonhole Rings on the cream “stone”, Stem Stitch Band over beads bottom right…….

….. Woven / Backstitched Wheels and Fans…..

……..Yorkshire Buttons. I wasn’t sure about the variegated thread for this….

…… but once it was in place it looked just right, picking up colours from other areas.

It still needs more stitching in places, mainly more knots, Woven Bars, Drizzle Stitch, but I also want to add some real shells, etc.; I had fun sorting through my shells for ones with holes in, so that I can stitch them down. They’re not stitched down yet, I’m just getting the feel of how it might develop.

Then I finally did the short rows of the Couching over String Padding. I admit I’d not been looking forward to doing this, but as is often the case it was easier than I’d anticipated! I did a few rows of Feather Stitch. Also I found this strange variegated rayon metallic thread, which as you can see is separating all over the space, and I’ve started to couch it down along the bottom. It echoes the lines of the printing and catches the light. It’s moving on, and has been good to work on over the summer while the weather has been so hot, making me think of the sea and beaches even though we’ve not been. It needs a final push before the weather and the colours change.