Canvas work. The Embroiderers Guild (Lincolnshire branch) asked us to all make a canvas work sampler. We had to use at least 9 different stitches.

I have never done any canvas work and I knew that whatever I produced would look amateurish next to the stuff the others would be making. And I don't like hand stitching much. I decided to do 9 stitches, just one of each. I always planned to cover them with tissue and paint over them, originally I was going to use three rows of three stiches and make a wig-whammy thing, but Elis has done some fab work on building blocks and I just happened to have some mahogany blocks that I bought at a boot fair ages ago. I gessoed over a handful of the blocks and painted them with a thin coat of quinacridone gold.

I stitched my samples using cotton warping thread (from the handweavers studio), I needed something that wouldn't be squished by the tissue and this is very firm but not hairy. And it was handy. Cut out the pieces and glued them onto the blocks. Then I glued tissue paper over the top. I coloured over them with gold acrylic paint but it was a bit too bright, so I washed over with Parker Quink ink (blue) to tone it down a bit. Then stroked a bit of markal over the raised areas.

I made the box! I bought some beading the same size as the blocks and used my trusty hack-saw to cut the pieces to size. Sanded the edges and then glued it together with marvin medium. The bottom is a piece of grey book board. I did put one panel pin on each edge to make it look as though I could hammer straight. I think I might need a bench saw if I am going to make any more of these (I did cut a few extra before I got four the right size and with straight edges).

Oh, gessoed the box then painted it with blue acrylic with glazing medium added. Then dabbed a tiny bit of markal on the edges.