........ but not the kind you find on the beach!! I watched an online tutorial at the weekend, on how to use a clam shell pattern to fill in a block. So yesterday I thought I would have a go. I got out my practice piece, which is rapidly filling up
and made a start by bringing the bobbin thread up. As this is just a practice, I didn't bother changing the bobbin thread to match the top thread!
to start, I stitched a teardrop shape, and echoed round it several times ........ could be neater!
then I stitched the wavy edge of the clam shell, and echoed it
another teardrop, but this time a bigger gap between the two outer echoes .......
because I was going to add pearls. I haven't done circles like this before, stitching half circles first
then coming back and adding the other half - this definitely needs some practice. Usually I stitch whole circles, which means there is some backtracking to do, but I think gives a neater circle
the outer lines added, and a small teardrop worked to fill in the gap
a slightly better attempt at the pearls
I'm quite pleased with this first attempt!
and I like the wrong side too - because of the slight difference in tension, some of the blue thread shows through
the next job was to finish off the beading on the Autumn Breeze wallhanging, with clusters of beads at the base of the leaves round the vase
and some larger beads on the leaf blocks. But you will have to wait until the exhibition to see the finished wallhanging!
when we are over at the flat, I have been working away on the quilting of the stitchery blocks, and I am now on block 31 ..... jut one to go!
I had already cut out the hexagons for the plain blocks
and made a good start to tacking the smaller hexies to thin wadding. There are twice as many of these ones as the stitchery ones, so it may be some time before they are all quilted!
Andy Murray is playing tennis at the moment, and has already given us several heart-stopping moments ...... and that was just in the first set! And then, later this evening, Wales are playing in the semi-final of the football .......