Gothic Rug by Natalia Frank

This was what pattern made me HAVE to attempt miniature embroidery.

Pattern from Natalia's Fine Needlework blog

I was very pleased upon poking around Natalia's site to find she was selling patterns/kits for it. Internal head monolog was just "!!!!!!" lol

It just appeals to every part of me. It probably says something that when I showed my mother she just said "Of course. I would worry if not even that pattern could convince you" *sheepish*

After trying the pillow (harder size gauze, but easier for it would be less torturous to finish if I couldn't handle the detail) I realised it wasn't as worrying as I had feared.

My biggest down fall is still counting. Do you know how hard these are to unpick?! I have been learning the hard way.... I tell you when it takes four times longer to unpick, you get more careful very fast.

Biggest advantage to the pillow is that the rug is on 40ct vs pillow on 49ct. It significantly easier to unpick, but not much easier to count still. Especially on the train.

A Trial in Miniature

 I have been ogling miniature embroidery for several years now. The hardest thing about starting it was finding the silk gauze to do it on.

None of the standard sewing shops (in Australia at least) seem to have it, even most of the specialised ones have never seen or stocked *sighs*

I had found a copy of "Celtic, Medieval and Tudor Wall Hangings in 1/12 Scale Needlepoint" by Sandra Whitehead on sale in Lindcraft a while ago and fell in love with the Celtic Knot hanging.

Alas, when I started to do the yellow in the middle I realised I had miscounted one direction by a stitch. If you look in the fourth photo there is an unfinished outer row? I thought I had messed up and stopped doing it. I would just do a 3rd row around the outside when done.... *facepalm* No... That WAS the correct number.

The knot was very snug and and no wiggle room. I could figure no way of editing that row out so I scrapped the knot and looked for another mini design for the middle.

And so you have the bee pillow:

Done in DMC cotton on 49ct silk gauze.
Final pillow size made up is roughly 1¼ inches or about 3cm

• Silk gauze from Dollhouse Needlepoint Patterns & Kits (was from owner's Etsy store which has now closed). I will be posting her Gothic rug and doing at least another one or two of her other kits/patterns.

• Pattern base from "Celtic, Medieval and Tudor Wall Hangings in 1/12 Scale Needlepoint" by Sandra Whitehead

• Bee was from http://beeskneesactivities.com/html/downloads/embroidery/embroidery.html 

Click 'Read More' for other WIP's!

~Ishy