Shisha mirrors and cheap embroidery thread

Hello. I hope you're well and - for UK based blog readers - not too thrown out of kilter by the clocks going back an hour. For overseas readers, our clocks go back an hour in the autumn and are put forward an hour in spring. It's all rather discombobulating.

I've been making progress with my 'Under the Sea' wall hanging. It's still in the early stages, but I've slow-stitched a fair amount of the background, & am currently adding shisha mirrors, which are meant to look like air bubbles.

The first of my embroidered fish is almost done. I realised today I've splashed paint on the blue material in the hoop, but luckily the splashes missed the actual fish.

I also realised I'd made a couple of things that I can refer to for ideas about what to include in my underwater scene. I'd sewn this mini wall hanging, and want to recreate these fishes in my larger piece.

I'd also done this embroidery, and will recreate elements of this on my coral reef.

Finally, to change the subject, I did some late night shopping - note to self, stop doing that!!! - and bought this cheap thread from Temu. They're 10g reels of embroidery thread, and the quality seems reasonable at first glance. They were £5.00 per box of 10 reels. I'll test out the thread & tell you how it sews. I really do have mixed feelings about Temu, but the truth is that if I buy similar products from UK based firms the chances are they'll have imported the stuff from Temu anyway. I think the most ethical thing I can do, on my very limited craft budget, is to concentrate on using the supplies I already have, plus buying from charity shops where I can, & looking for bargains on Facebook marketplace. Having said that, I did also - again, late night shopping - splurge on some Steff Francis thread. I've not ordered from her before, but everyone raves about her threads and their luscious colours. I couldn't resist. Someone take my credit card off me and cut it in two!

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Threads of Freedom and charity shop bargains

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