Interlocking Gobelin

Current canvas is a mini-stocking from Kathy Shenkel. This will be for our new granddaughter who is due to arrive in September. She'll be born in Italy which I both love and hate. I now know how my in-laws felt when both of our children were born in Germany. 

I've missed the cut-off for guaranteed Christmas ornament finishing, which is okay. I'm going to practice my own finishing on this one. Getting brave or stupid. Not sure which. I'm sure some swearing will be involved as always happens when I use a sewing machine. 

It's a small thing, so not going to get too fancy here. Just using a mosaic to create the wallpaper. And interlocking gobelin to stitch the giraffe. 
 

 Looking at this canvas both at the shop and at home, I thought the spots on the giraffe were white. Then I pulled this out in the car and realized I was wrong. They are painted an off-white. So I chose a Vineyard silk in a complimentary color and stitched them in basketweave. AND then last night started on the giraffe's body with some Thread Gatherer's Sheep Silk, a 50/50 wool/silk blend. Basketweave was okay. But interlocking gobelin is better. 

Now I think I need to pull out that Vineyard silk. Impressions or Burmilana will do to stitch the spots in interlocking gobelin, too. It will look better. I might even brush it.  Eventually I'll come back to turkey work on the mane and tail. 

Here's a diagram of interlocking gobelin, a great stitch for creating fur.