Here is another chalice pall. I rather enjoy making these because as they are quite small they are a bit of instant gratification when I’m yearning to embroider something. Here’s the design transferred onto the linen:

Now because this pall is just is a little thing, a break from the discipline of hours of sewing linens, I allow myself to go where I will with the choice of colours and such, within reason! I decided to start out with a dense stem stitch filling for the curvy cross portion:

I was thinking about what to do with the trefoils one minute and the very next, Mary, Undoer of Knots was in my mind…
Hmm, okay. French knots it shall be!

But wait a minute! I’m doing more knots, not undoing them! What’s going on? Our Lady will be busy…
Anyway, for the stem stitch I’d been using a crewel needle and rather thoughtlessly carried on into French knot mode without changing over… silly me! The first knot stalled slightly at the eye so I promptly changed out to a milliner because that many little stalls would drive me nuts! But isn’t it funny, sewing linens has a meditative quality to it, once your hands are trained to the work the rhythm takes over and it becomes very prayerful.
And I wanted a break!
And I started doing all those French knots!
And what do you think happened?
Into that meditative space I dropped!
Caught! What’s a girl to do?
Back to linens methinks…

Here are the needles in case you haven’t got I clue what I’m on about…

And I wasn’t at all sure about gold. No, no gold… a creamy colour caught my eye…

And here it is, quite simple really and somehow this is enough. It is quite raised, I pressed it from the back as usual.

Mary, Undoer of Knots, pray for us.
Thanks for reading.