RSN Goldwork course - just in time!

The RSN Goldwork course will start just in time!I decided to work on the goldwork sampler for a while this week so I could practice my newly learned skills and become more confident in handling the tools and the materials of goldwork. Still to finish on the sampler was the long narrow shape I'd begun with Nicola Jarvis over Easter. This uses little cut pieces of purl that are attached over the shape with thread that runs through the middle of the tube of gold. I'm pretty confident cutting the gold and threading it onto the needle.The idea is to attach each piece by coming up on the top side with your needle, slipping the little piece of gold purl onto the needle and then going down through to the back. The first piece of bullion sets the angle of all the other pieces.  To maintain the angle when working from left to right, it's important to come up very close to the prior piece of purl on the bottom of the padding and take the needle down on the top side, leaving a space that's the width of the purl. Coming up and going back down at the same distance from the prior piece of purl will not maintain the angle.I knew this. I'd practice this. I tried to do this...but I didn't.  I came close but you know the old saying...close only counts when playing horse shoes. The slight change in angle was more obvious when I looked at the shape vertically. It's not a disaster, but if I'd continued in this way the pieces would have been laying at a right angle to the padding - not the desirable (or correct!) angle. I could see the problem and was willing to continue and try to shift the angle back as I worked towards the end. That was before I somehow caught the end of one piece of bullion with something and it came untwisted! Aarrgghh!As it untwisted, naturally it shortened the length of the piece of purl, leaving it too short to cover the padding.At this point I decided to take a break and leave it for another day. I will continue to work on the technique and see if I can improve. But it's a good thing the course begins soon - I need a teacher!