Hand Embroidery class and a Greenman #2 update

Last Thursday morning I attended another hand embroidery class at Tomorrow's Treasures quilt shop, the class focused on fill in stitches.

There were 3 of us in attendance, the instructor Dee Ann once again was a wealth of knowledge. The above photo shows a few of my practice stitches.  I was attempting to put a curve on the chain stitch and the second attempt in the lighter shade worked well.  The heart is long short stitches which need work, I haven't done those stitches in years.

The basket of pansies is the pattern I chose to make for class but was so engrossed in working the stitches I didn't have time to work on it, those three hours went by quickly so I will work it on my own, I like to have a few projects going at once especially when I work on something using all the same colorway, like the Greenman.

The Greenman #2 hand embroidery piece is completely stitched and the corners came out quite nicely despite the fact I drew them much to close to the edge to use a hoop, which by the way I do like to stitch some pieces with a hoop.

I want to add borders around the block to keep it from fraying, then I should have a better idea what to do next.

In the last week or so I have been shopping for a few new hand embrodiery supplies, the small Q-snap frame for the small pieces I tend to make, I like the thin hoops too I have a 5 inch so I bought

the 7 inch hoop and there is a 3 inch hoop coming with my 123 Stitch order I just placed last week. I needed 3 Weeks Dye works colors that haven't been in stock at the cross stitch shop for months and I don't want to wait any longer.

I bought severl skeins of DMC linen floss, I love the look of linen threads a few of  the colors will work nicely with the neutral fabrics I bought a while ago.

DMC Linen Floss 

DMC Linen Floss

The second batch of linen floss was with this Crab-apple Hill pattern I scored at a thrift sop recently, I plan to use the Weeks Dye Works floss the pattern calls for but I can assure you the linen floss will be put to good use on anothr project.

When I'm not stitching either because my fingers need to heal, I'm between projects or just for the heck of it,  I'll be reading a light mystery series by Amanda Lee, beginning with the first book in this Embroidery Mystery series: