Mabel's SAL

[Angel]

That's pretty!

[nikecam]

mabel...i'm really glad you don't do big pieces. that's the last place any of us have to "shine" without you!

your stuff is sooooooooooo amazing. you can't imagine how many people i have told about your little tea tray and that piece on your finger tip. people who don't know/care about our hobby...i make them listen too.

even your hardanger "attempts" are beyond belief. ugh! how do you do it all?

[koko]

This looks just amazing! I can't see any shading differences in the picture, I'm sure you won't be able to see it once the rest of the colors are filled in!

[~threadbear~]

This is fabulous Mabel! No need to frog anything, it's wonderful as it is.

[Play Outside]

This looks great - I love the gold thread...such a nice shine. I can't wait to see what colors you're going to put in the blank spaces...

[Mabel Figworthy]

Managed to have a stitchy Sunday so did the cupcake for the stitching course, and also some work on the tea tray. Finished the background *does little dance of delight* and couldn't resist putting the start of some colour in

[~threadbear~]

Wonderful!!
It looks so good even now, that it's going to be a stunner once you have al the colour in as well!

[Lessa54]

Congrats on finishing the background! It's going to look stunning with the colour in it.

[koko]

Oooh, it looks great!! Can't wait to see all the colors filled in!!!

[Rose]

Oh wow this is going to look so good!!!!!

[Lisa]

[Lizzy]

Its wonderful

[Lizzieh]

Your photos are always so good Mabel, but I do wish we could see the real thing when it is done.

Liz

[Mabel Figworthy]

Managed to do some more on the tea tray cloth first finished the two greens -- because it is so tiny the shading isn't very noticeable, but I'm hoping that in a subtle way it does make a difference, and makes it look less flat:



Then I did the forget-me-nots, and started on the darkest red. Again because of the scale of the piece I wasn't sure whether the single red stitch at the heart of the forget-me-nots would make any difference, but comparing the left to the right side I think it does *phew*



The dark red shines through very clearly behind the empty bits, but as it's going to be filled in I don't think that'll be a problem.

I'm thinking of possibly offering the design to Janet Granger, who does the doll's house kits -- I'm not going to stitch it again, and it seems a shame to waste it. Do you think she might be interested?

[Cockneystitcher]

Its turned out lovely.Theres no harm in asking Janet Granger if shes interested,it would be one less design for her to think up

[Rose]

Your work is amazing and I think she would love the design!!!!!!!

[mags]

This is lovely Mabel, I see the shading

[Vani]

Hard to believe I've just caught up with this thread!!! What have you been doing!!!! Amazing things that I wouldn't even think of trying!!!! wow mable wow!!!!

[Lizzieh]

She would be mad not to want your design.

Liz

[Mabel Figworthy]

Finished !

So here is the stitching, nearly done and all done:





Then came the nerve-racking bit, cutting around the buttonhole stitching. I could have cut it a little closer, but didn't want to risk it, so if you look VERY closely you may just see a few wisps of gauze sticking out a fraction of a millimeter



I then backed it with Vilene, and as it simply would not stay flat (not sure why), I attached it to the tray with four tiny bits of double-sided tape in the corners; I didn't want to stick it down completely because I thought that would look unnatural.

And here it is complete, one pic with the matchstitck-for-size





I'll give it to my MIL this Saturday.