I have already started on my new embroidery project.

It's the "Rust Red Bearded Iris" from Trish Burr's Long and Short Stitch Embroidery Book.

This is being made for my friend Sally for her birthday in August


I'm doing it on a piece of linen which has a 2 inch edge of cutwork lace. (It's a bit crumpled in the scan)


This is backed with muslim, and the lace is currently rolled up and bound up with the muslim to protect it and keep it clean while I embroider, just leaving the plain linen area in the middle exposed, where the iris will go. I put a couple of extra strips of muslim down the sides to further protect the linen.

I've

• transferred the design (oh, *wonderful* transfer paper, rather than free hand drawing, and on a smooth material),

• drawn in the directional lines in pencil
  

• started on the left hand side bud.