I spent a little time organizing my workroom (again) last week. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing. Sometimes, organizing is just an excuse for delay. Other times, it’s an absolute necessity!
In this particular case, it was the latter – and all because of a book. But I’ll save that story for next week!
While organizing, I came across a collection of stitched samples that were still set up on stretcher bar frames. One – this wee goldwork and silk rose – had been there for two years. It was definitely time to disbar it!
For those of you who’ve been around for a while, you probably remember this little exercise in goldwork and silk shading.
For those of you who have joined me in the past year, you might not be familiar with it. I worked five of these little roses around the outside of this Marian Medallion Project.
This particular rose was the sample. The test piece. The guinea pig. It is about 1/4″ smaller than the roses on the actual Medallion Project.
Well, there it was, on the stretcher bars, and I really needed to take it off. For one thing, I could be using those stretcher bars for something else. And for another, it’s just too pretty a little thing to be relegated to a life on stretcher bars in a dark box.
But, what to do with it?
I didn’t really want to take the time for a fancy finish – to make something with it. I suppose I could have framed it in a tiny frame…but I didn’t have one.
However, I did have something else rather tiny and frame like. And it was just a matter of finding it, in all the kerfuffle of organizing.
Somewhere, I had a little black box – a 3″ square mini box from Sudberry House. With it’s 1.5″ opening on the top, it would be perfect for the 1″ round rose.
Aha! I found it – right where it wasn’t supposed to be! So I set about fixing the rose into the box lid. It should have been a quick, simple process.
There was one slight problem, though. The rose was stitched on medium weight linen, and backed with white muslin. It was a bit of a Squeeze to get the two layers of fabric to fit in the little space with the backing closed behind it.
Still, I struggled the thing to the ground, and it eventually worked.
I didn’t get a straight-on photo of the top of the box. The frame around the box top is somewhat deep, so the rose looks off-center due to the angle. But it really is a perfect fit.
The inside of the box holds little things – earrings, jewelry, tiny treasures. I stuck a couple spools of silk in, so you can have a better idea of the size of the inside, which is velvet lined.
All in all, it was a productive afternoon of organization. The icing on top was giving the rose a home!
Hope you have a terrific weekend!
Dear Mary
What a lovely way to embellish your embroidery I love the Tudor Rose and it looks perfect on top of the box. I looked at Sudbury House web site and they have some lovely items for sale all made of wood I especially like the music boxes and the hand mirrors I must save my pennies and buy some of their items. Thanks Mary what a good idea to put your sampler to use.
Regards Anita Simmance
I have a splendid idea when you have a completed project that you don’t know what to do with. Give it away on your website. Oh, how fortunate we would be to have a piece worked by none other than our own Mary Corbet. Just sayin’….
Here, Here! good idea
Regards Anita Simmance
Absolutely superb, a real inspiration. Thank you so much
What a great result Mary, it is always so much nicer when you finally “finish” a project! This piece of embroidery in its box lid looks devine.
That is lovely, Mary, I’m sure you will enjoy using that little box. I can sometimes be so keen to start the next embroidery project, that my last one gets relegated to a cupboard before I make it up into a finished item. It’s so very satisfying though to complete a project by making it into something beautiful and useful. I came to your blog after the Marion project so I hadn’t seen that before. I would like to try some mixed gold and silk shading, so I think I will have to put that little, individual rose on my ‘to-do’ list. 🙂
Mary … You ended up with a beautiful box! I’m guilty of putting things aside and then not getting it done. I have a project that’s been sitting for a little over two years, too! I’m hoping to get it done this winter.
What a beautiful finish! So glad you found such a lovely home for your gorgeous little rose 🙂
Perfect finish!
I heard some time ago from a professional organizer that to leave things we ‘value’ hidden away or here and there disrespects the item or the memory the item represents. I’ve tried to keep that in mind in displaying things or getting rid of things so someone else can honor it.
BRAVO for finding this gem and giving it a worthy platform for display.
Perfect way to display the rose!
Beautifully done Mary.
Hi Mary , That is so sweet ! Yes it feels so good to finish a project : )