Continuing with the theme of shells I have picked a different one this week.

View side on.

Looking into the shell

A view from the closed end of the shell.

Three drawings from different angles.

Colour study of two of the views above.

Beginning with the end of the shell, it brought Suffolk Puffs to mind, no they are not little cakes, but the little needlework puffs often used in patchwork.

Having tried several fabric varieties I settled on a vertion made with cold water soluble fabric.  When using dissolving fabric it is important to have a base of connecting and overlapping threads otherwise the work will fall apart.  In the picture above is a lacy puff before it was stiffened with a sugar starch.

My aim was to make a little basket as in the drawing above the Suffolk Puff above.

The front and back of the basket were both the same.  A circular disk covered in a very fine voile was used to line the Suffolk Puff of machine joined threads.  Carefully each loop was stiffened with sugar starch and worked into shape with pins before leaving on baking parchment for 24 hours to allow it to set and dry.  A handle was made in the same way and it was also stiffened before sewing to form the base sides and handle of the basket.

Side view.

I have said before that very often I see the finished item in my head before I try to work out a design.  There are times when the creative juices flow and the work comes together quickly, while at other times the project takes off on a completely different tangent and looks nothing like the original idea.  This time it worked out pretty close or better than my first thoughts.

Next week I have another surprise that had the same shell for inspirartion.