Hand work--Ugh!

The project has reached the point where I have to start the hand work.  This is difficult for my elderly, arthritic hands, even though it was my first love.  Yes, I was a stitcher long before I became a serious quilter, and now that most of my work is original, I find that everything I've learned up until now can come into play with just about any project I start.  Having said that, I also make every effort to do as much as possible on the machine.

The circles have been painted.  I used Seta Color, in Orient Red.  I usually immerse things like this in a paint bath and leave them until they are wet all the way through.  I have a couple of special drying racks--square wooden frames covered with plastic window screening--where I can lay things out over a sheet of plastic, so the air gets at them from both sides.  When I checked them this morning, I was concerned that they weren't substantial enough to be wrapped, but DH suggested I try it out, and I think they're going to be fine.

My plan is to wrap them in the special gold, red and black knitting yarn I spoke of, and I think it's going to work very well.  You can see the first one done in the next photo. ( Not attached, just wrapped)

I've also started the hand stitching.  The lines are first done with Kreinik metallic medium braid in colour # 332.  Then I wrap #5 perle cotton in DMC colour # 815, around the metallic braid.. Finally, I couch the wrapped strand down with Kreinik silk couching thread.  The stitching on the detached lid portion is done, but I may or may not add more.  Certainly there are going to be beads.  The main body of the piece is just started. 

Because my hands need to rest frequently, progress will be slowing down, in the next while, and I may not have anything to post on a daily basis.