Pilot Stitching Desert Rose for ANG National 2022

I volunteered to pilot stitch a class for Jeannette Tombaugh which she planned to teach at ANG National Seminar in 2022.

She asked we not post photos until after the seminar brochure was out. I think I am safe!

For those of you who do not know, pilot stitching is when you take the class to help the instructor find any errors or confusion in the written and verbal instructions. It is kind of a trial run before the big event! You also need to finish the project, or sometimes you are assigned a section. This helps the instructor know if there will be enough thread, beads, etc. in the kit. Because this is a trial run, the teaching fee is usually waved and all you need to pay for is the kit.

It is on sage green mono canvas and uses silks, cotton, beads, Painters Thread and Entice.

I have piloted classes before, but usually in a classroom. This time we did it via zoom or similar. It worked out ok and we were able to help her with the instructions, timing, etc.

I love helping instructors by piloting classes and was pleased this could be done off site (which is not usually how it is done).

Happy Stitching!!

Needlework Tool Case - Finish Finished

In 2011 I volunteered to be a pilot stitcher for an upcoming Embroiderers Guild of America (EGA) Group Correspondence Course (GCC) called Needlework Tool Case (since retired) by Mary Long .

A pilot stitcher is kind of like a manuscript editor. We stitch the project with the provided instructions marking any corrections or areas unclear to us. A good pilot will also mention the good stuff about the instructions. The idea being we find any problems before it becomes a GCC.

Our instructions were to only do the stitching and then mail it to the designer for critique - just like we would if it were a GCC. We act in all cases like it is a GCC, except it has a more condensed time frame and we need to pay closer attention to the instructions, if that makes sense.

As such, I never finished finished it (finish finishing is making the stitching into it's final product - pillow, framed, etc.). For whatever reason at the time, I just did not understand what I was supposed to do to finish it. Well, I was bound and determined this past weekend to get it done. This time the instructions made total sense to me and I got it done! Go figure. 

It did take a bit of hand sewing though, so a tad time consuming. I used my sewing machine to sew on a lining. Then I had to fold the canvas edges over the lining and hand sew that down. That was followed by hand sewing down the inside with all the tool case pockets (which I could make on the machine). That was followed my hand sewing down the twisted cord I had made for the edges. Good thing it is baseball season! I love to stitch to the baseball game because it is slower paced and there is the instant replay! 

Here is the outside of the tool case. It is roughly 9 1/2" x 5 1/4". It folds into thirds.

Here is the front. I decided to make my cording the tie down with a button.

Here is the inside. Felt for needles and pins, a pocket in the center and a scissors holder (twisted cord and slots. The inside is made of Ultrasuede. Below is all that was shown in the instruction. We were told we could make other holders for the inside, but I was not sure what I might need and could have used some examples to give me some ideas. 

Happy Stitching!!