Hungarian Redwork Runner

One of the really nice things about attending classes is the lovely people that you meet! I don't know anyone else in 'real life' who likes to embroider, a nice chat with the lady next to me at the RSN last month,  revealed that she was the same and as we got on so well in class, and live only 15 minutes apart, we have decided to get together once a fortnight to compare notes and motivate each other in our embroidery. I have finished the class piece (I blogged about it HERE) I am still working on my SDW sampler, but as it is happily ensconced in the study/library on my millennium frame it is not really portable. Whilst browsing for something I could work on when visiting/chatting! I came across this fantastic table runner on the Needle'n Thread blog, Mary has very kindly provided a PDF pattern for anyone who wants to stitch along with her (details on her website HERE) I had a piece of off white linen in my stash but I had to order the threads, much as I would like to support my local shops, they only have a limited range of stranded cottons :(

I enlarged the pattern and traced it on to the linen yesterday afternoon, I like a very fine sepia coloured pigma pen for this as it doesn't smudge or bleed, it is permanent but all the lines will be covered by stitching.

I used the off cut of linen to make some practice stitches, the piece uses only two: regular chain stitch and Hungarian Braided Chain stitch (which I had never worked before) Mary has a fabulous video on her blog showing the stitch step by step. It is very easy and produces a lovely rope effect.

a quick check to make sure I like the thread/fabric choice...

and everything goes into a project pouch...

While looking for something to hold my needles, I came across this needle-case that I made in art class in primary school when I was about 8 or 9, I clearly remember how thrilled I was with it at the time and have decided to use it again. Let's see if my stitches have improved any in the meantime :D

Project Notes:
Pattern: Hungarian Redwork Runner by Mary Corbet of www.needlenthread.com
Fabric: 40 count Newcastle Linen - colour 'Antique White'
Threads: DMC perle cotton size 8 colour 321; DMC coton a broder size 25 colour 321
Stitches: chain stitch (coton a broder) & hungarian braided chain stitch (perle cotton)