I finally started Smaug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so yesterday I took the plunge. I have spent the time to acquire elements for my project, I have drawn and redrawn my design. I have thought about and rethought how I was going to do this until almost an entire year has gone by again before I even began to finally work on my project. But yesterday I finally started. I sewed some fabric pieces together and I spent 3 whole hours actually embroidering on my Smaug. I don't know why I love the name Smaug so much besides the fact that he is a strong character in my all time favorite book "The Hobbit" by JRR Tolkien. Everyone has heard of this book and most have probably seen the wonderful movies that Peter Jackson has directed. The amount of time and effort that everyone put into remaking these films really came out fantastic.

I first read the Hobbit at least 40 years ago and I loved the story then I was able to transport myself into the story and see this running imagery inside my mind as I read the story. I believe it is a must read for everyone. However, I digress yesterday I finished up a jacket and skirt that I have been working on I also finished a garter belt that I have been working on for my soon to be niece.
The design was of my own making I created the pattern and crocheted it myself from white cotton thread. The blue and yellow ribbon are hopefully the right shade to match her wedding colors. And the flowers and feathers are for my own pleasure of design lol. The little pearl beads are hand crocheted in as well. I also sewed a piece of elastic to help keep it in place and left the ribbon long enough to be fit to size.

This is the bottom fabric for Smaug what I have done is to use a fairly sturdy piece of stabilizer under a nice off white muslin. I serged the edges of the muslin so that it would not shred. I then sewed a piece of gold spandex is the best description to be used to help define the gold pile. For the dragon itself I have used two separate pieces a blue marble with glitter flecks in it and a creamy white opaque organza this will add the coloring that I want to achieve on my dragon. 

 And then to protect the fabric and because I didn't want to draw on my fabric I then traced out my design onto tissue paper and I am in the process of doing all the outline stitching first this way I won't have to have to use a pencil mark on my final piece that I most like would cover up, however I didn't want to really take a chance that it would possible show. Now I did draw out my design on the stabilizer as well but that isn't really usuable but it does still give me a guideline to freehand what I want to do.

 And there they are the first stitches of a project that has been in my head for a long time. I am really glad that I have finally started this project and will share progress as it comes along.