Did I really create that?As I added the gold to the first panel of the Trevelyon's Cap piece, I started to get excited.It looked better and better with every bit of gold I couched down. The colors really began to glow and the straight lines of the gold gave structure to the flowery design.When I took the the piece outside one sunny morning to take photographs and saw the gold sparkle in the sun, I at last knew that the finished cap would be wonderful.

I thought back to all the things I'd tried that weren't right and all the stitches I'd put in and taken out.  Although I thought I had a clear image of the finished piece in my imagination, I  didn't (as you all know!) As I worked I became less sure how to get from that vague, slightly fuzzy image in my head to a finished miniature cap.Somehow, however, that vision guided me by alerting me to things that weren't right and giving me the patience to take out anything that wasn't part of the picture in my head.

When I walk by and see it on the stand, waiting for me to begin the next panel, I think to myself, "Did I create that?" And I answer, "Yes, you did!"I'll go into more detail in the future about specifically how I attached the gold (lot's of plunging!) and what colors and stitches I used for the panel. If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll try to answer them!