Empowered

I'm feeling empowered.  It's all because of Janet.  Janet is working on her trinket box for Cabinet of Curiosities (janetbrandt.com)  She's an independent thinker and the most creative person.  She says she is not P.C., period correct.  That means she will do things that aren't necessarily the 17th century way of doing things when finishing her trinket box.  Yeah for her!  I have not been happy with how my trinket box looks.
this is how it looked last August:

The metal edge was not adhering very well and raveled at the ends.  The stitching looked bumpy, not smooth.
 So hearing of Janet's boldness, I, too became bold.  I tore the lacy metal edge off of the trinket box.  I tore the linen off the top of the trinket box.  There, I feel much better.  Then I got to thinking.  How else to finish it?  I wanted it smooth so I thought of making a sandwich of linen on top, padding of some sort in the middle and cardstock on the bottom.  When I went to try this layering I saw several things that could be the filling: skirtex, felt, thermolam.  I decided on the thermolam as it was the most handy and softest.  So I zigzagged my sandwich together after doing a better job of trimming the threads on the back.

I like how it looks.  Janet mentioned putting some finger looped cording around the edge of hers.  So I want to see what that would look like on mine.  But I have to decide on the colors of pearl cotton to use and then I actually have to do it.  Cool.

I finished the Jacob's Ladder toy for the Toy Box.

I'm not sure I did it correctly.  Are both sides supposed to have skirtex in them?  I just put it in the lining side.  But it looks okay.  On to the next toy, the Primer pin cushion.

I am not quite done putting on the loops of metal thread and beads at the ends of the formal borders on Hampton court.

It is looking better all the time.  My goal for today is the finish the formal borders and go on the hillocks number one and two.  They are done with couched silk chenille.  I'm getting excited as I'm getting closer to having this done.
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