Project 2: Hedgehog square

This is another square for the curtain. It is based on a cross stitched hedgehog I made several years ago. I still understand why I HAD to stitch him. I'm crazy about hedgehogs anyway, and this was a particularly nice pattern.

Speaking of hedgehogs: Living near the Lobau, we do see a certain amount of wildlife. last summer I was driving home from the local supermarket when I had to stop and wait for traffic - a hedgehog was crossing the street, and as the roads in this part of town aren't really wide enough for two cars, I thought I'd better just let him cross. A woman coming the other way with a baby carriage probably could have gotten past. Instead she also stopped and we had a lovely conversation. Eventually the hedgehog finished crossing and another car was coming up behind me, so we said 'Auf Wiedersehen!' and went our separate ways.

Working this square was not quite that simple. The cloth the hedgehog is stitched on has a very loose weave. Just stitching around the outside was not going to be enough to keep it from sagging. I decided to use two layers of batting behind just the hedgehog to make it soemwhat 3-D. I cut the batting into two shapes, stitched the smaller onto the background material, then the larger one over it, and fastened the hedgehog down invisibly around it. That really worked well! Unfortunately it still wasn't enough to keept the unstitched parts of the cloth from sagging. In the end I had to quilt the whole area down, using white thread,a nd being careful not to let the thread show on the right side. What a bore! But the result is quite acceptable.

Around the hedgehog I used Autumn prints. I also ran into a group of very small patterns that included a hedgehog. I stitched him onto band, and also the matching acorns, which also seemed Autumny. I used them and a few large leaf shaped sequins to further decorate the square.