When last we visited the Medallion Project, I hadn’t quite finished the goldwork edge around the long and short stitched monogram. After a little break for a short bout of travel, the first embroidery-related thing I did on my return was finish up the gold outlining. It is finished, and I’ve even moved ahead a bit.

Actually, I moved ahead quite a bit… but I am picking it all out today! But more on that (disaster) later!

In the photo above, you get a sense of the real color of the blue silk on the gold background. It’s great what a side shot will do! The blues are bright, but deep. You also get a sense of the height of the padded letters and the way the Lizardine fits right up to the side of the letters.

Here’s a straight on photo of the completed edged piece. It’s really difficult to get a good straight on photo with the right color and lighting. The background either glares its gold threads into the camera’s eye, or it looks completely washed out. So this one is a compromise. It’s a little dark, but you can see the edging all around the lettering.

You might notice that I didn’t outline the fleurs de lys on the sides. I considered outlining them with the same Lizardine and silk twist as the rest of the letter, but when I tried a small bit of it up one side of the fleur de lys, I knew right away I wouldn’t like it. Then I tried a tiny gold thread, but wasn’t thrilled with that, either. So I’ve decided to leave them as they are – I like them best this way, and the edges are nice and clean, so there’s no worry there about having to touch up any edges.

I have since moved on to the background of the outside rim, but I made two mistakes – or, better yet, two bad choices. To exacerbate the situation, I persevered in the choices, thinking they would grow on me.

In the wee hours of the night last night, while all the world slept and I should have been among them, I could not get the project out of my mind. Tossing and turning, slipping in and out of nightmares involving rabid embroidery scissors and angry needles, I fretted over the decisions I had made. I tried to justify them. I tried to convince myself that it would look ok, once the whole was complete.

But alas, I finally gave in! I made the decision to un-stitch.

And then I slept!

I’ll show you what I did and tell you why I don’t like it. I’ll also admit that it may have worked out fine. But when there’s a nagging discomfort with something on a project like this, I figure it’s always better to go back rather than forge ahead past the returning point, for you may end up very disappointed in the long run!

So that’s where we are right now. Wish me luck with the seam ripper!