Progress

I have been working away on the tallitot for the twins. there have been nights where I have laid awake in bed trying to problem solve.
So at this point:

• One tallit is complete with stripes turned and top stitched
• One tallit has it’s stripes complete. The tallit is stitched together but still needs to be turned and top stitched
• One atara is complete
• One is nearly so
• One set of pinot are done

These are the stripes on one of the tallitot.

This is the evolution of one of the atarot. 
First I painted the text on the grosgrain ribbon.

Then I couched metallic thread for the border.

I decided to add a hand couched motif on each end.

I began with a circle, and then thought that a bit more was needed.
This is what I ended up with.


Couching, that is stitching down cording with thread is a great way to use threads that are otherwise too difficult to embroider.

In this case, I used two otherwise impossible to use threads. The spool with the heavier thread is a rayon Lurex mix that breaks if you sneeze to hard. You can’t use it in the machine. It can’t survive the friction of being pulled in and out of a fabric. it does work fine couched to the ribbon. The Lurex thread didn’t read as silvery enough for my taste.That’s where the spool on the left came in.
Frankly, this spool was a mistake. I thought I was purchasing a spool of fine silver metallic thread. the spool was a crazy bargain at $5. unfortunately the silver thread is an elastic thread. It is finicky to use either by machine or by hand. it does just fine being tacked down with it’s finicky neighbor.
Everything about these two tallitot is so pared down that I have no place to hide my errors. Working on these tallitot has taken a huge amount of focus. I may be able to get finished tonight.