Heidi, I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather.
Connie, thanks for that tip. I had heard about using wax on fussy floss to tame it down and almost ordered some, but then I read some advice that said to never do that. I forget the reason. I'm not sure it would work on metallic thread which is already super smooth and slick. It might help to minimize fraying.
Jennifer McGuire has a new video out where she talks more about stitching. I'm going to try what she said to do with metallic threads. She threads her needle and has the loose ends at the tail of the thread and the needle where the loop is. That way the needle can't slide off the thread (which happens a lot), and the loose threads can be taped to the back of the cardstock so they don't fray (which also happens a lot). I use two strands of metallic thread so this would work perfectly. You still need to hold the last stitch firmly while you stitch the next stitch.
I wish I had seen the video before starting my second piece. It's all done except for the flower. Now, I'll have to make a third card so I can try out Jennifer's suggestion. I'll let you know how that turns out.
Daria