Stitching My Way Home...

 I've been working on "Sunny Days" at random moments in the Flying Cloud. I

don't start until after we've "dropped the hook" for the day and we've eaten dinner.

 I traced the pattern using my Frixion™ pen this time. (It will disappear when

I iron the back of the finished pieces.) The tracing was all finished on Tuesday

evening, and then I started stitching after that. I'm further on the piece now, but

this is to show you my progress from Tuesday evening. It really trips right along!

 I basted the fabric a little crooked onto the scroll frame, but I do put tension

against the fabric when I stitch, so the design isn't stitched "puckered". It

really will lie flat when it's off the frame. (You'll see when I'm all finished.)

You may notice that I roll my fabric onto the scroll frame with the back of 

my fabric facing out on the rollers. The needlework sits inside the frame.

There's a reason for this that I'd like to share with you. If you're a seasoned

needleworker, you probably already know this, but just in case...

When you roll your fabric onto the frame (or into a hoop) with the back of 

the fabric to the outside - you'll always be handling the back of the fabric. 

This will keep your work cleaner on the front. I never eat snacks when I'm 

stitching, but believe me, when I had my shop, I saw more than a few dirty pieces

of needlework come through the doors! This is an easy way to keep things clean.

I also wash my hands first whenever I plan to sit and stitch, and because I hoop

this way, I'm always handling the back of the needlework, rather than the front.

 If you haven't tried it before, perhaps you'll give it a go.

"Here endeth the lesson. "

(hee hee)

We'll be pulling into our yard later today, and we're ready to be back home.

Tag has had enough of riding in the car, Handsome's sick of driving, and I

can't wait to get back into my studio (after we unload the Cloud, of course)!

 I love traveling, but it's always good to be back home again.