Why, oh why am I still doing samples from Chapter 3 when I'm really working on Chapters 7 and 8?  I suppose it's because ideas are still bouncing around in my head.  Not only that, but it's to do with my levels of skills: I'm continuing to work on getting to grips with my machine.  I sit there an idea in my mind and manual in my hand -- foot, thread, tension, a riffle through Valerie Campbell Harding's book, only to be distracted by yet another interesting idea.  Below then, both sides shown, is my first sample of textural free machining based on fish scales. The thread is brown-black thick rayon wound on to the bobbin and worked in long lines of circles which are traced back halfway before moving to the next.  The double layer of stitching produces a lovely irregular effect.  When magnified I can see just how jerky my machine stitching is, however, now I've achieved this I'm tempted to try making samples with other threads or strips of fabric.  And then, of course there's couching ....