Satin

The Glossa & District Arts & Crafts Club which began life as an unpleasant political rant in October seems to have smoothed out its feathers since then and tonight I attended the first satin-stitch class. Tom had sourced frames and Antigone had brought along some incomplete pieces to talk about and to help us choose what project we would like to begin with. Traditionally one makes slippers and I was alarmed to learn that in any bride's trousseau she ought to have not only slippers for herself and her husband but all her husbands brothers as well. This of course is in addition to all her own clothes, all the household linen, the house itself and probably a couple of shirts for the husband.

We live outside the village on a sort-of farm and beautifully hand-embroidered satin slippers do not really fit in with our lifestyle. Another option was an enormous cushion cover but again, I have worked out our household finishes and black satin does not gel. I explained diplomatically that it would suit me better to just learn the skills on tiny pieces which I could perhaps then either frame and put on the wall or sew onto something else. I said that if I began with a project that was too ambitious I would get slower and slower and finally stop before completion whereas if I began on something small, with the end in sight it was more likely to encourage me to proceed to greater works. The other women could see my point and accepted it even if it was somewhat unorthodox.

I apologise for the terrible quality shot, I was pretending not to take it while struggling with Greek conversation.