Embroidery Roll

I should have had an embroidery roll a long time ago, but put it off. The work I've been doing in Basics To Beyond, on a counted thread sampler, reached the stage where I really did need one. I popped into the Guild's shop to buy one at the end of the Members' Exhibition in October 2018, but they had sold out.

There was nothing to do but make one.

I found a cheerful piece of cotton fabric which I had bought 7-8 years ago when my eldest granddaughter was interested in snakes. it was about the right size.



I dug out some gauze as a lining/fabric protector and a cardboard roll that had been the support for a roll of wrapping paper.

It was just a matter of hemming the non-selvage edges of the fabric, laying them together and creating a gusset at one end for the cardboard roll.













The finishing touch was stuffing the open end of the roll with fibre-fill and creating a covering.










A ribbon tie completed the construction and it was ready to roll (literally!).





While looking for fabric to make this, I came across a Japanese cotton panel that my late husband had brought me back from Japan in about 1995. It occurred to me it would make a great roll - and get seen more than it does now.




I repeated the process using the Japanese panel. It is long and thin, meaning that for most pieces of embroidery it does not require a lining fabric to protect the embroidery, but can be folded back over the embroidery. The print is on both sides.


It is a very good size for my Basics to Beyond sampler.


The end on this one is made with a piece of silk ( drat that cotton thread in the photo!).











The larger one was perfect for housing the Crewel panels I had finished for my chair.






So now I have two rolls to keep my embroidery clean and unfolded - I'll make a proper embroiderer yet!