Work Basket in Silk and Berlin-work

Another design from Peterson's 1861 novelties.  I've been stitching away at the Berlin work since last summer, and am slowly making progress:

The original pattern calls for two shades of blue, with yellow silk accents, and finished with sky-blue silk and ribbons.  As my stash had some unclaimed green silk (no blue, alas), I decided to work it in two shades of green instead (keeping the yellow accents).

This is a decent-sized basket: the lower circumference is 35" (all hand stitched, 6" wide, in wool on cotton "penelope" canvas), with paste-board behind the Berlin-work to provide structure.  Silk-covered pasteboard makes the bottom, and the upper portion is unsupported silk, which closes with a ribbon drawstring.  Two cords form handles, which attach to the lower "structured" portion.

The embroidery frame is home-made, based on instructions from The Ladies' Self-Instructor in Millinery and Mantua-Making, Embroidery and Applique, Canvas-work, Knitting, Netting, and Crochet-work (1853).

There will be more pictures, as events warrant.