From the moment I saw this tapestry in a local antique shop I knew it was asking to be a cushion. Just over two years ago, I started stitching, wresting and getting it so very wrong that I had to put the project away until I had the courage to pick it up again.  Sometimes, the best design decision is to start again. 

Starting again consisted of completely unpicking the boarders and replacing the washed out linen boarder with black velveteen.  I am sure the dear Pierrot is much more at home in the lush velvet tones.  While it matches nothing in my house, the musky pink piping was well worth wrestling with.

I have a series of vintage tapestries lining up for attention now.  An overly fitting tapestry has been converted for my parents' Christmas present.  I promise I will share as soon as I can catch up with it.

In the mean time I have learnt:

• Tapestries are fragile, this one needed to be basted to a duck cloth backing to avoid any seams stressing the embroidery
• Do not try to straighten the tapestry
• Dampen the tapestry and then gently iron to find it's true shape
• Draw lines over to square up - do not cut
• Then finally - start sewing on the boarders
• The sewing shop may tell you that piping doesn't need to  be on the bias, but it is better
• A zip provides a more even finish compared with my carefully chosen buttons