As You Sew, So Shall You Rip!

A bit  pessimistic if you ask me. Not every item I stitch goes wrong and has to be redone. On the other hand, there are times when pulling out the errors makes such a mess of the fabric I have no choice but to start again completely. 

Both Kirsten and I have struggled over the past three years- when we have known what we want to do for our monthly contribution to the collaboration, but it just doesn't look right once stitched. So it is duly unpicked. My last 'flat gift' to her was a retractable unpicker.

For this last project I have cheated a little, I had a spare piece of fabric, and each month worked on a practice patch. Practice Makes Perfect - well maybe not perfect, but there are fewer holes in the finished article, where errant stitches once were...

I decided to make my practice panel into a cover too. 

You remember the Dodo File I found in a CS in May, a random size between A4 and A5. I don't like the printed cover.

I lined my practice panel with a sample of curtain fabric from the stash, and enclosed elastic straps at either end, And I stitched name and date at one end.

And it folds round and slips onto the card folder beautifully. Please don't stare too hard at my machined name on the right- the doorbell rang and when I returned, I lost my place and it went wrong!!

I am quite pleased with it - you will see I had to add extra rows of ribbon to make it fit. And I am concerned about the delicate poppies on the spine. I may have to enclose them in some sheer voile, or their petals will get snagged. But it has already given me things to think about before I make up the 'Proper' CoverStory piece. 

Do you ever make 'practice pieces' when you are doing craftwork?