Jan 13, 2012 Snowy and cold.....brrrrrr!!!!!

Today, i'm starting to start a new project.....lol.....which means i'm still doing the prep work.

As you can see, it is a monogram that i got from the Antique Pattern Library website thanks to Mary Corbet at Needle N Thread who posted the notice of this alphabet on her site. At the left is the original pattern.  i fell in love with the entire alphabet.   Quite a piece huh!  although i love love love it, it is too ornate and busy for my skill level, so i have simplified it.

I've collected my tools and supplies:  scroll frame, fabric, floss, and a product that i'm trying for the first time.  it's called Sticky Fabri-Solvy.  It's a sabilizer manufactured by the Sulky company in their line of fabric stabilizers used in machine embroidery and quilting.  The main advantage that this will hopefully give me is that it can be run through a desk/ink jet printer which eliminates the need to transfer the design to fabric by any of the traditional time consuming means.  It runs about $16 for a pack of 12 sheets, IF you can find it in stores, which I couldn't.  Not sure how it would work and counting pennies, i found a website that was willing to send a "trial sheet" for a nominal price:  Bird Brain Designs. Once the design is on the fabri-solvy sheet, you peel the backing off of it and expose the sticky side, then finger press it to the fabric you want to embroider on and then you embroider right through it.  after completing the stitching, you place the fabric and fabri-solvy sheet in warm water and the solvy dissolves. This will be the first time i have used this product and i'm anxious to see how it works. 

So, my tools are ready and i'm getting ready to get ready to start but I need some advice.  I've never really done much "hand embroidery" that was not in kit form where the floss and stitch key were included so i'm somewhat at a loss on where to start and what stitches to use.

Here is the revised simplified version of the original monogram.  I've simplified it to match, I hope, my skill level.  It's going to measure about six inches high and will be placed in the lid of a wooden box.

so far i'm thinking that the little diamonds would look good in satin stitch and i'm thinking of couching some kind of gold metal on the line in the lower right leg of the K.  I thought maybe doing a long and short buttonhole stitch in for the petals of the large flower.  that's about as far as i have got.  does anybody actually KNOW what the shaded areas are meant to signify or are they just window dressing for the black line drawing??

If anybody has any suggestions on what stitches i can use for this gift, please let me know as i'm completely open to suggestions. even if your thoughts differ from my few thoughts i've already listed, please share them.   i need all the help i can get.