In Process - NJF's Piece!

I have a very dear friend and mentor and I have been wanting to make him a piece for a long time.
But some people are tricky for a lot of reasons - sometimes because you aren't sure how the piece will be received when you gift it and sometimes because no matter how well you know the person, there is the big question of what to include or not in the design of the piece.  So needless to say, I have been pondering on this a long long time.
Luckily, once again Equilter.com came to my rescue with a wonderful selection of fabrics and a nifty after the holiday's sale! I also have to thank Etsy.com and their wonderful craftspersons who make and sell fabulous things that add just the right touches to the piece (note the furry brown Big Foot front & center!). Honestly - when making textile art - you never know where you will find just the right bits and pieces that bring a piece to life.  

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One technique I picked up a few years ago was the hang & view test.  Once I have a piece all pinned together, I like to hang it up and look at it until I feel the design is set.  This works great because anytime something bothers me about the piece, I can take it down, reconstruct it and hang it back up.  As I write this post, I have already reconstructed it once! 
I also have to mention another great tool - Pinterest!  I have found a wealth of new embroidery stitches to try, a kaleidoscope of colors to consider and oh such pretty fabrics to drool over!  I am hoping to try some of those new stitches on this piece.
I plan to post some additional 'in progress' photos on this piece - I hope you like them!