Five-sided box 11: Making the lid for the box

I decided, right at the last minute, to add an embroidered lid to my five-sided box, rather than just a plain fabric one. I used the small motifs provided at the end of the book ‘Flowers for Elizabeth’ by Susan O’Connor – she gives these mini motifs to be used around the edges of the blanket that she uses her flower motifs for. Of course, she makes a much bigger project than I am making, but these are still ‘mini’ for me, too – they are smaller and simpler than the box sides. I decided to use three of them, echoing the flowers I’d used on the five sides, using the ones I’d liked stitching the best – the strawberry, the gillyflower and the pea.

It only took me an evening to stitch all three.

I covered the pentagon for the box lid in the same way that I’d made the panels for the sides. I used half a skein of Gloriana silk thread to make the tassel, and attached it to the lid in between the top and the lining.

But then – I hit a problem. Of course, being me, and not having any patience, I had rushed on with this without checking to see if all the various parts fitted together. I had just assumed that the lid would fit, as the base had done. But when I put the lid on the box, it was so small, that it just fell inside!

I would either have to come up with a creative solution now, or ditch the whole thing.

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