Cross Stitch Needle Case

 I've been so inspired by the beautiful cross stitch being done by Shoshi and Lunch Lady Jan that I decided to give it a go.  I've attempted a small needle case, which is intended as a gift despite the inside being a bit of a bodge job!  I kept trimming up the wonky felt pages and they kept getting smaller and smaller - so I edged them in running stitch to make them look like they should be like that!

I copied the pattern from a design on Pinterest and tweaked it a little while working it - a good tip is to tweak it first on paper as it saves a lot of unpicking!  

I'm joining in with Julia over at WOYWW this week

Winter Pods

I've been slowly working on a collection of little decorative seed pods using silk cocoons. As my collection grew I struggled to find a way of displaying them, and then walking past a bowl filled with pot pourri, I noticed this large seed head - perfect!!

As well as the silk cocoons I used felt, wire, beads, clay pipe stems, cinnamon sticks, eucalyptus bark, wired beads and pleated silk, plus a few touches of glitter for a frosty effect.  

So that's what is sitting on my desk today and I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday to see what other people have on their desks this week.

WOYWW and Red Coral Embroidery

If you saw my previous post you'll know that I am in the middle of a wonderful embroidery course by Karen Ruane and I am having great fun.  This week I have been working on a piece of free machine embroidery based on the theme of red coral.  On my work desk is the first page of a sketch book I started a while ago on this coral idea, a selection of red threads and felt beads and a gorgeous piece of silk sari strip that I was desperate to use but it just didn't work with this!

I free machine embroidered the background on dyed cotton scrim, I wove red ribbon through it and then started the hand embroidery - I don't have much more to do but I do want to embroider the felt dome and possibly add another one.

 The design for the little flower was taken directly from the torn out coral picture on my desk - I was going to do several but I wasn't happy with how it turned out so I decided not to.

I am linking up with WOYWW, where people get to nosy about at other people's work desks - it's great fun, why not go and have a peep!