Following Emily’s tutorial from http://blog.theflossbox.com/?page_id=1356

I continued with the snail.

Remembering that with the raised stem stitch,there are 3 stages :

1. layer of satin stitches around and around the string

2. layer of couching stitches

3. layer of stem stitch that actually forms the woven top.

Here is the body, partly covered in raised stem stitch :

I had originally done the couching threads in one strand of DMC, and done the stem stitch in one strand. It didn’t provide enough coverage – I ended up with a kind of ‘open net’ appearance.

So I re-couched with a full thread of DMC, and did the stem stitch with 3 strands.

I found that having the couching stitches in a shade that was close to the stem stitch thread colour was a good idea because there comes a point on the other side where you just can’t fit in any more stitches but the couching stitches are still just visible.

You do want it different enough in colour that you can easily see what you are doing, because you don’t want to put your needle through the satin stitches (step 1) or *through* a couching stitch (step 2), which will stop you in your weaving tracks.

Here the body is completed, and the first layer of felt for the shell is ready to be sewn down :

Next, there have been two layers of felt sewn down, and 3 waxed bumpf strings couched down.

The body has been partly covered in satin stitch. I like the red from the underlying felt that can just be seen.

I hadn’t re-read the instructions since I started and assumed the body would be raised stem stitched as well. I concluded that I couldn’t do that – the inner part of the shell was way too tight to get the thick couching thread through.

There would be a way to do it if the bumpf was laid a couple of mm apart.

However, looking at the instructions again, I found that the shell was only satin stitched.

This was a good thing, because I’d already decided that I was happy with the snail the way that he was. I really liked that red streak.

I’m working hard on focusing the camera – really!