Honeycomb Mock Smocking

I finished the last 2 rows of my linen challenge book cover with 5 rows of honeycomb mock smocking and a row of closed buttonhole. For the mock smocking a foundation of cross stitch rows are first worked then a second thread is laced from one end to the other through the cross stitches. I had never worked this stitch before and I quite like how it turned out.

 At our next stitchery guild meeting hopefully we will be given the instructions on how to make our stitched linen pieces into a book cover.  The meeting is 2 weeks away so I'll just have to wait patiently.

 Progress one cross stitch at a time on my Sampler in Blue.  Glad to have one bird done now. A flower is next.

 6 of us got together on the weekend and had the most marvelous time playing and being creative.  We felted one day and this is one of my pieces with the roving and some silk laid out. 

 After wetting and soaping and rubbing my piece, I wrapped it around a pool noodle and began to roll and roll so it would all felt together.

 The other day was a dyeing day.  We chipped in and bought some Procion dyes and dyed the day away. Here is our dye table that we helped ourselves to throughout the day.

 I dyed pieces of cotton, aida cloth, threads, washer sheets, paper toweling and here are my very colourful looking teabags that I had been saving.  Not sure what I'll do with them yet but it was fun!

Besides dyeing I did a little bit of painting on a dyed piece of evolon.  Down the road I'll use all the material I dyed and pieces I felted which I'll eventually post pictures of.

Stay well, happy stitching and enjoy being creative!