Based on the progress from the last session, we will be tweaking the format just slightly again. Maybe after the fourth session we will have it right! We will be doing some sessions in the fall and in January where two groups overlap. We found that the first day is the hardest to make progress as participants are warming up on their doodle cloths and taking in tips to perfect their embroidery. Then the last day, many have to leave early to catch flights. So we will be overlapping the last and first day of some sessions – a full house! It will help us streamline the effort by the staff at Plimoth and those teachers who are donating their time to support the project answering participants’ questions.
Working with so many on the stitches, I want to point out one little tip that so many of our participants found helpful. When working the reverse chain, if you spin your needle between your right index finger and thumb a little (pull the needle with your thumb towards your hand along the index finger) you will maintain the twist in the silk. The silk has a tendency to untwist while stitching with it. When the reverse chain is then worked, the side often looks a little messy or loose. By constantly adding a little twist to the needle, everyone’s stitch became ‘perfect’. And a perfect reverse chain makes your detached buttonhole look much, much better. A little tip for everyone.
