Leaf medallion class

Took the last of the Christmas stockings to the post office yesterday afternoon.  It's always such a relief when all of the items that customers expect actually are finished and on their way.  I expect one pillow on Monday that I wasn't sure the finisher could get done, but she made a special effort.  With that hurdle out of the way, I can concentrate on what I'll be teaching come "the season".  Demand for my classes has been down since the hurricanes (some people still haven't returned--just tried to sell their places and move on) and because of the slow economy.  Still, I try to find things that will catch people's interest. 

Today I worked on what I'll call my Leaf medallion class.  This is what I managed to stitch today in between waiting on customers and listening to Madame Butterfly from the Metropolitan Opera. 

This color is so off.  Canon is finally promising the return of my camera this week.  We'll see since it has already been over 3 weeks. 

Anyway, you can see where I didn't crop the bottom as closely as I usually do.  The canvas has a knot, so I need to make the stitch in that area cover it.  Something like a Scotch stitch or slanted gobelin should fit the bill.  Actually, even a tent stitch will cover it--knots can usually be forced to the back out of the way.

The fibers I'm using are splendor, silk lame braid, watercolors, and sparkle rays.  I started out with perle cotton, rather than the splendor, but it didn't cover well for the upright stitch. 

I want my finished design to be about 10x10 on 13m.  So far, I've got a 4x4, so I'll be spending some time flipping through stitch books for ideas.  More on this at a later date.