The bottom edge of My Heart’s Compass was meant to evoke the sand, the sea, and the sky …

with raw-edged patches of blue and green, some indigo, some gifted, some stitched with words from Kindred Spirits, all cobbled together into …

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite come together as I had envisioned, so over time I tried various running, blanket, and back stitches …

It still wasn’t coming together as I had hoped, so I tried satin stitching over the raw edges …

But no, that didn’t quite work either (and has since been completely unstitched).

So I’m exceedingly happy that this latest iteration with close/d herringbone stitch is (finally) working out so well …

The cloth and stitches feel more integrated, with a wonderful texture. And it’s fun to do, even though I have to reload my needle with Deb’s thread every couple of inches.

So I’ve got most of one foot done, with about five feet to go …

It’s such a great feeling when you know you’re on the right track.