Fabric Book

	The Front Cover I worked out what I wanted to do on the computer in a photo program and then printed out the pattern in the size I wanted it. Using that as a template I worked out what fabric I would need for each part, wall, grass, sky etc. First I appliquéd down a red Perle cotton size 5 following the rounded corner oval I'm using as the edge of the picture. I then pinned out the separate pieces trying for a reasonable copy but not following every tiny detail of the original photo. The roof is made from Tunisian Crochet, the grass, flower bed and side ground felt, the sky pale blue acrylic fabric. I pinned them all in place first to get the placing right and see if they looked okay, before I sewed them all down. The brickwork is already buttonholed in place on this picture.
	Now its all sewn down and ready for the embroidery to be done. I didn't have any real idea of what to do in the garden I did follow ours a bit, but mostly did what came into my head and looked like it fit. Its impossible to do too small a plant as it doesn't look right and gets lost in the overall look of the picture.
	I did the flowers in Perle cotton, French knots, plus some beads. The bush at the bottom was made separately and then sewn down to give it a bit of roundness. The windows are done with card and lace with shiny transparent fabric over it. Then the whole piece is sewn down over the card edges to make frames in white DMC. I traced the outside red frame onto felt then buttonholed it down into place. I traced the letters from my printed out pattern on tissue paper, and couched Perle cotton down with a matching DMC thread through the paper, removed the paper and then added gold highlights and beads. I added the embroidery on the sides in DMC stranded cotton, tiny bees, the felt me. :O) and the other bits and pieces to finish it off.
	Back Cover This was done the exact same way as the front, from a photo of the back of our house. In this one as I don't have net curtains at the back I added a couple of the plants I have in my window sill before I did the frame as the front one. All the plants are done in Perle cotton with various embroidery stitches. The ones on the frame are in DMC like the front one with more tiny bees. The cat is called Suzy and we looked after her for a while, I did her as a separate slip on felt in long and short stitch. The mouse was for the cat as one day she gave me a present of a live mouse. Lucky I made her take it out the house again or we could have a nice little colony of them by now. I shall be adding pages to this book over time based on things that have happened here. This was my first go at making an embroidery from my own photo's and I really enjoyed doing it, I have since done more embroideries and those are on another page here go back to the craft page and click on Embroidery.