IMHO the direction of the stitching on this glorious little leaf, did not detract from the absolute delight I had when first viewing it when you're post opened up this morning...he's a lovely leaf!

I like yours better.

It's just a matter of me noticing this close up detail, and knowing for the future - and hopefully other people reading it, and finding out too, if they didn't already know :-)

He is a lovely leaf, isn't he! I've really liked doing these trefoils. I think the other one is actually prettier given the teal colour incorporated into it, but I didn't do such a close up photo of him.

Hello Megan - I am so impressed with your dedication to this work. The book I have been using is Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, revised by Jan Eaton. It has clear step-by-step working diagrams of all the stitches I mentioned in my blog entry. I scanned the page for plaited braid stitch and printed out a mirror image to make it easier to follow but I still found it fiddly. I am sure you will do better. Best wishes Jane.

Hi Jane! :-)

I've just ordered Mary Thomas' Dictionary of Stitches.

Thankyou so much for pointing me to the book!!!!

Re Plaited Braid Stitch, I did a review of Calico Crossroad's instructions in an entry
http://elmsleyrose.blogspot.com/2008/08/plaited-braid-stitch-instructions-from.html

And thankyou for the compliment :-)

Hi,

I'm enjoying following the progress of your piece!

I'm finishing stitching on the Jane Zimmerman Elizabethan piece . . . so if you're interested. . . here are the materials used on that pansy leaf you insert the photo of. Each leaf is about an inch long and between 3/4 and 1 inch wide. The chain stitch outline uses 2 strands of needlepoint silk, the gold return is #4 japan braid (Kreinik), and the detached buttonhole is 3 strands of needlepoint silk.
I've also worked on the reproduction jacket being stitched at Plimoth plantation, and they have talked about how the gold was especially used so the clothing would sparkle and shine....especially when see by candle light.

Hi MarthaD,

I'm excited to meet you!

May I ask, what resources do you use? Ms Zimmerman's book, Mary Thomas' Dictionary of Stitches ....

I assume you are doing the piece as one of her cybercourses?

Thankyou for the information on the petal :-)

Hi Elmsley Rose,

I took Jane's piece at the 2005 EGA saminar (in Atlanta), so I am following the instructions from the class and the materials from the kit. As I recall from looking through her Elizabethan book, the class instructions cover the same stitches, etc, but are more specific about what to use where with what threads.

It's been a really fun piece. . .but as you can tell, it's taken me quite a while to complete.