Thistles

Today the weather has been atrocious but I have been lucky enough to spend the day stitching at an EG Branch workshop and, even better, have actually finished a small (5" x 5") panel of machine embroidery. Even more amazing I actually like it (amazing because I always feel I could do better than I do) although there are lots of things I would do differently if I did it again.
It is stitched on calico and the background is painted with silk paints and then has small snippets of net, organza and 'glitz' bonded on with bonding powder before the hedge and grasses were stitched using machine rayons. The thistle heads were then painted on in acrylic paint (using a cocktail stitck) before being stitched over. I'm so glad it won't be another UFO - will have to look for a frame for it when I return from holiday.