Pulled Thread - A Small Sample

This little pulled thread sample has been in my WIP box for a very long time. It was a test piece for box I made as gift for a wedding anniversary. I'd attached some scraps of unbleached calico around the sides to enlarge it so that I could work with it in an embroidery hoop. 

As you can perhaps see, the tension was too tight and the linen was pulled in towards the centre. The tension for the eventual box top was more relaxed and even. Despite the tension problem of the sample, the eyelets formed a pretty lattice and I wanted to use the embroidery and make it up into something useful, but that's as far as I got. Until now.

First thing to do was stretch it on the cork board and square up the uneven rectangle of pulled eyelets. 

It's a small piece so there wasn't much room between the pins and the embroidery. I kept the calico in place to help support the edges of the linen which would otherwise fray easily under the tension. Each day I stretched it a bit more until it was as squared up as possible. Then I misted it with water and left it to dry overnight.

Because I had to stretch the piece more than I thought was advisable, I thought it might spring back towards its old shape once I removed the drawing pins. We've had record breaking rains over November and lots of very dark, damp days. Taking advantage of the weather, I took it off the cork board and left it to relax in the damp air for almost a week - just in case. But it seems stable. 

What to do with it - a pincushion or a needlebook? Both would need additional fabric for backing and finishing off. Although I'd already picked out a couple of my quilting fabrics that toned in gently with the cream linen, I still need a quick stop at our local fabric shop before I go any further. 

More in my next post.. 

'Till next time, happy stitching!