There is a real cover-up going on here. It’s perpetrated by me. And I did it on purpose.

Last time, when I started the Medallion Project, I started hastily. This time, I have started slowly and I’ve taken a little more care with the initial stages of the project. I don’t usually talk about my cover-up jobs with my embroidery projects, only because they always come after the fact: after I’ve taken photos, after I’ve done a round of stitching, after I’ve straightened everything up after a session. And frankly, I never really think about it.

When I straighten up from a stitching session, I always (always always always always – get the point?) cover my embroidery project. If it’s a large project on a frame, I lay a clean cloth over it (could be a piece of muslin, could be a clean pillow case, etc.). If it’s a small project in a frame, I’ll slip it into the bag I’m using with the project. If it’s on a hoop, I take it off the hoop and put it in my project bag. But the point is, it’s good to cover your work when you’re not working on it. Why? The reasons are somewhat obvious, I suppose – to reduce dust accumulation, to keep excess light off it, to ensure against something accidentally snagging on it – whatever. The idea is to protect it.

But it’s also a good idea to protect your work while you’re working on it.