Work in Progress - Sun Mandala

I love, love, love work in progress shots, so this will be the first of a probably more than a few.

This is a sun mandala I'm working on to make into a broach. It's on some delicious burgundy felt used to be a sweater I found a the thrift store and felted up in the washing machine.

Mandalas are interesting to make -- basically it's a circular pattern that builds upon itself, the whole emerging as you stitch.

I started this sun mandala after spending the morning in an office with no windows.

I'll post the finished piece next week - it's changed quite a bit, but I like the simplicity of the design in these photos. I often have trouble figuring out when to quit.

Now, maybe someone can tell me what the secret is to photographing red! The color of the felt is closest in the top photo, but the stitches that look white are actually ecru, and the yellows are washed out. The red isn't as overpowering in real life, I find.