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Canvaswork over, on with silk shading - no time to get bored! (More about the prep in FoF)

I've had my image approved, hooped up a sample cloth, dressed the slate frame with the background calico, picked my colours. Ready to go

Bet HAED would get at least 15 colours into that stem.

Probably! The tutor advised me to pick just 2, but I have snuck in one or two extras...

More prep: colour plans, tonal plans, stitch order, stitch direction, prick & pounce, painting on... One day I'll actually get to stitch something
(More - also about two other projects - on FoF)

I can’t wait to see this one grow!

I seem to have been very remiss in updating this - not that it's going very quickly Anyway, after today's class this is the state of play:

Does it feel good working with embroidery threads again? Looks wonderful.

Instead of goldwork materials, do you mean? Yes, it is rather fun, and much more detailed, but also much harder on the eyes; my tutor said she never does more than 45 minutes at most in one stretch before taking a break.

I did, for the first time in three months, do some homework yesterday, and finished the petal. I can see all sorts of things that I could have done differently, but on the whole I'm pleased with it; more to the point, Kathryn (the tutor) said of the bit I did in class that she could see definite progress in the smoothness of my long & short, which was encouraging!

This is coming along beautifully!

Progress! A little at a time, but progress. (Two pics to show the difference the direction of the light makes.)

Wow! It really does.

Wow, absolutely stunning

Latest update:

So beautiful!

So painstaking!

A bit more progress on the petal. I'm finding it hard to get stitching time, partly because of Life but partly because the light is rarely good enough. I do prefer natural daylight to work by, but I may have to compromise over the winter

Or you need to be ferocious about claiming any good daylight hours over the winter...

About to do half an hour this morning!

Nice bright light so did a bit more - thank you DH - some sampling to replicate a particularly tricky patch of greyish yellowish pink (the greyishness is almost impossible to get, but so be it) and further progress on the petal.

They have some good, low energy use LED lightbulbs now that work in standard light fixtures. Might be work getting one for stitching with?

Your progress is lovely as always.