Before I started to stitch on the Mission Rose project, I knew I’d want something over the project in the frame, to help minimize dirt and such from soiling the ground fabric.
Because the ground fabric is silk (backed with linen), and because the embroidery will be done with silk and metal threads, this isn’t the type of project that can be submerged in a nice boil of sudsy water when it’s all finished. Instead, every precaution has to be taken to keep the piece clean.
In addition to washing your hands well before each stitching session, there are other precautionary methods you can employ to help you keep your embroidery project clean during its creation. When I was working on the Medallion Project last year, I basted a piece of plain cotton muslin onto the fabric in the frame, as a built-in cover for the piece when I wasn’t working on it, as well as to protect the fabric during stitching, giving me something to rest my hands on.
With the Mission Rose, I’ve pretty much done the same thing, except instead of using muslin, I’m using tissue paper. I cut a piece of tissue paper about the size of the whole framed piece and used long basting stitches to fix it to the fabric, working those stitches just along the inside of the frame.
You can see here the framed up project, with tissue paper tacked on top. I’ll slice open a window to work on the piece.
The tissue paper will protect especially the area just outside the design, where my hands are likely to either touch the fabric while holding the frame, or rest on the fabric when stitch.
Normally, I don’t lean on my fabric much when working on a very small frame like this, but occasionally, the side of the hand does come into contact with the ground fabric, and it’s a good idea to have something over the fabric to protect it from the natural oils in the skin (or anything else that might be inadvertently clinging to your hand!).
I’m not concerned about the very outside edges of the fabric that are tacked over the frame, because when the piece is done and ready to be mounted for display, this bit will most likely be cut off.
Now – Finally! – it’s time to stitch! I’m tackling the large leaves first. Next update on this project will be this coming Thursday. In the meantime, tomorrow I’m announcing the winner for the Carrickmacross Lace Sampler Kit and curved scissors. If you haven’t signed up, do! And Wednesday – a whole conglomeration of stitchery in all kinds of colors that looks like mass chaos. Yep. The lattice sampler update.
Until tomorrow!
If you’d like to read the backstory on the Mission Rose project and follow it along step-by-step as it develops, please visit the Mission Rose Project Index, where you’ll find all the articles relating to this project listed in chronological order.
