Following the tradition started by the West Kingdom Needleworkers Guild last year, there will be an item exchange at the guild meeting at this coming October Crown. This year's item will be . . you guessed it . . scissors cases! I decided to use one of the patterns culled from an embroidered purse at Sens, France. I do not know the era of this pattern, but I followed the original in that the ground fabric is linen, the threads are silk, and the stitch is long-armed cross. I used heraldic red, gold, white, and green in Splendor silk, colors 822, 877, 802, and 829 respectively. I lined the interior of the case with some red linen I had hanging around. Luckily, it was among the boxes I pulled from the storage unit today. Yay for serendipity!

Although it might not be obvious by looking at these pictures, I am TERRIBLE at final construction. And I'm not just saying that because I know I'm good but I want to appear modest; I mean I really truly am awful. I simply cannot understand how fabric goes together. People who sew say "oh, it's easy!" then proceed to whip together something that mystifies me. This is simply the way my brain is wired: I can embellish, but I cannot construct. I did not get that particular gene from my mom, even though I grew up on her sewing room floor. So please, if you're reading this and you're a sewer, try and find some patience and understanding for those of us who cannot do what comes so easily to you.

Anyhoo. I would like to thank Lady Caiterina nic Sheamuis for teaching me what little I know about putting together a lined pouch. Any mistakes/errors/things that make you go WTF? about this project are due solely to my ineptitude. I actually kept a time log for this one, and the total time is 29.75 hours. That is 28.25 for the embroidery and 1.5 for the construction. One chunk of time spent was enjoyable, the other was not. Guess which was which!