Catch up!

The other day at thrift, I found an old linen tablecloth made of very sheer lightweight linen. It caught my eye because there was a joining seam down the middle that looked exactly like my Elizabethan seams. I had to look very closely in bright light to see that it was machine stitched. The price was only five dollars, so of course I got it. It's huge-- banquet sized -- and I am pleased that there will be enough to make myself a new smock. It's so hard to find lightweight linen (at thrift) in enough quantity to make one, and I've been wanting one for a few months. I have no idea why it was priced so inexpensively; other tablecloths of its size usually go for seven to ten dollars. I wondered if maybe there was a stain, but I didn't see one. If I find one later, it can't have been very noticeable for me to miss it first time around, and besides, it's an undergarment I'm making -- who will see?

I have scrapped the bag I was making for Dave -- the one with the scribe holding a mouse -- because when I transferred the pattern to the fabric, I didn't consider how the framing border would square with the fabric's evenweave, and I started with the gold accent inner corner bits, and then when I did the blue-- well, details, details -- let's just say I wasn't happy with the way it was turning out. I've got enough of the fabric to simply cut away that bit and start fresh with a new idea that doesn't involve Euclidean geometry: a gryphon. Here's the pattern I'm going to be working from.

I will NOT be embroidering the explanatory "Griffin" caption as I think the icon speaks for itself.

Here's hoping it's agreeable for working, and looks awesome. I'm using shades of pale blue, gold, and white.On the dark red background, I think it will be very attractive.

In other Dave news, I did a little more embroidery on his tunic. I used a new stitch called "Crown of Thorns" and it was easy, fast to work, and I like the way it looks.  It seems a little lightweight on its own, though, so maybe I'll work in a little something more later on.

We've also been remodeling our guest bathroom, so there's not been much stitching time. Once we get that done, there will be more frequent updates, I promise!