Saturday 12 January 2013

Marks And Sparks

DSCF5138A few years back, my Auntie Peggy gave me a table runner one Christmas. It is polyester and has white and gold embroidery. It was just the thing to drape over the stand we were using at Church for the Advent Candles this year. Unfortunately I discovered that a spark had somehow burned a hole in the central section, and left a mark. The fabric had melted and discoloured badly.

 

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I decided that I could perhaps embroider a white dot over the mark, but that I would then need to do another on the other side to balance it. However I was not sure that I could do a neat enough job of hand stitching without puckering the thin fabric.

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I set up my embroidery machine, and went to the Gothic Font section – then embroidered a couple of large full stops! Machine embroidery thread has a good sheen and although these two dots are not invisible, they look better than the black burn mark.

I suspect that the spark happened when one of the matches was struck for lighting the candles.

At least it only melted a tiny hole – it would have created a stir if the whole cloth had gone up in flames halfway through the service!

12 comments:

  1. Lovely runner. You could put dots all over the runner and who would know any difference.
    Carolx

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  2. Maybe you could embroider little dots all over? These machines are so clever.

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  3. and here's me thinking you were going to be talking about the department store!!!

    Gill

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  4. Carol and Elizabethd - such a project really would drive me dotty!

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  5. How clever you are to think of that. I'd have probably just put up with the burn mark - or carefully position something over it!!!

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    1. It never occurred to me to put something over it - that would have saved me some time!!

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  6. Your post title is fabulous!
    Jane x

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  7. I would have given up and thrown it away, or in a memory box as it came from a family member. How wonderful that you were only to not just salvage it but maintain its beauty!

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  8. I thought you were going to talk about Marks and Sparks the department store too, Angela! There is a department store call Marks and Sparks in England isn’t there? I am sure I have heard Barnaby on *Midsomer Murders* refer to it! (I love that show)
    I love how you fixed your runner it is very pretty! Well Done You!!!
    Jilly oxoxo

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  9. Jilly - you are absolutely right - there is a popular store in England, correctly called "Marks and Spencer" after its founders - but affectionately called M&S or "Marks and Sparks", so I thought it would be a good pun for the title of my post.
    Are you still watching the 'original' Barnaby [John Nettles] or have you got the new series yet, with his cousin [Neil Dudgeon]? I love MM too, altho the plots seem to get more far fetched with each new series!
    blessings xx

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  10. My husband was taking a carol service in a retirement home assisted by lots of folk from our church. He had a table behind him with a runner and candles on it. He didn't notice that he had knocked one of the tealights over and the runner was starting to burn... Cue lots of shouts of "Look behind you". It was sorted quickly before there was any real damage but it is going to be a while before he lives that down. He now has lots of comments about needing to do health and safety checks about the number of fire extinguishers available anywhere he is preaching... : )

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  11. Angela, I love watching the episodes with Tom and Joyce in them! I need to just get used to the new guy; however I must say I do miss Tom Barnaby!
    Yes the plots do get more farfetched with each new series some are quite funny!
    {{hugs&blessings))

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