When in doubt, delegate!

You may recall that I was beginning to think about assembling the Amarna panels, and suffering from Alarms, because I wasn’t sure how to make suitable mounts.

I was beginning to think about finding a timber merchant (our local one has closed) when a carpenter and his apprentice came to do some (very necessary) work on our windows. It didn’t take long to realise that they are both fine craftsmen, and it occurred to me that the intelligent choice was to ask whether, during the couple of days when they worked on things in the workshop, they could also make me some mounting frames for my embroidery.

Not only could they do so, but they made a beautiful job of them, as you can see from this test layout of one set of the panels. The wood has been sanded smooth so as not to snag either the cloth or the embroiderer, and there is some bracing to keep everything square and true. It seems a crime to cover them…

In fact, I was so thrilled with them, that I promptly asked for mounting frames for Akhenaten and Nefertiti as well!

Once I had them all, I decided the first thing to do was to cover each with a layer of calico to support the padding.

My word, that was a task. I’m very pleased with the results, but before I start covering them with the padding, and the real fabric, I need to have a break from the staple gun. It has a kick like a Victorian army mule, and very nearly as bad a temper!