INTERVAL (of sorts): Blackwork

I've called it an interval, but Blackwork is a type of embroidery and, as it is done on evenweave like cross-stitch, it's very close to the sewing I've had up here already.
Blackwork was a popular style of embroidery in Elizabethan England. It was used to decorate their clothes, and the various patterns were used as shading without needing a lot of colour (which was more expensive). I found out about it when I found a book about it in Hobbycraft this week. I haven't bought it yet, but I found a book in the library that had some examples of Blackwork patterns that I have been copying to bid my time until the book arrives. It looks quite stunning, I think, but you can make up your own mind...

Just a heads up, there will probaby be some more of this type of embroidery in the future :D

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
As it's Christmas Eve, and I have finally finished all the Christmas projects, it's finally time to put up some more pictures.

Firstly, the Christmas decorations...
The front room was slowly being taken over by finished evenweave squares covered with different Christmas-themed decorations, and I knew it was finally time to attack the task of making them into decorations that could actualy hang on the tree!!

After a manic day with the sewing machine and my Mum's expertise in making it work, all of the cross-stitched decorations were assembled and swiftly posted off the the people receiving them. Now I know that everyone has got theirs (I think), I can safely put up the pictures without spoiling the surprise.



There they are in all their glory. I'm quite proud of them, to be honest, though I'm glad I don't have to sew another Christmas vulture again!!

Secondly, the Christmas cake band...
Once the decorations had been safely dispatched, I returned to the ignored, half-finished band of reindeer for the Christmas cake.

I think I did around 7 or 8 reindeer, all frollicking across the evenweave. The pattern said to do their red noses and brown eyes as French knots, but as I haven't quite mastered them yet, I used little seed beads instead. After a bit of a palaver trying to find a needle that would go through the beads, the reindeer actually looked pretty cute.
Finding a ribbon to fit was also a bit hard - I needed a 6cm ribbon but apparently they only make red ribbon in 5cm or 7cm widths. In the end, I had to use two lengths of ribbon, but you wouldn't know to look at it. All in all, the ribbon turned out pretty well, considering the deviations from the pattern.

My Nan makes the Christmas cake, and my Mum and I went over a couple of days ago to marzipan and ice it. I left the ribbon there so Nan can put it on the cake once the icing is dry, and she will bring it over on Christmas Day. I'll take a photo of it in situ and upload it after Christmas.

Hope you have a great day tomorrow! Enjoy the company and the food, I know I will :D