Crewel Work finished

At last I've finished this piece. Guess where I ran out of wool.

Blackwork Leaves

As part of my C&G course I am doing a study of the History of English Embroidery. I am up to the Elizabethan period and had to design a piece of blackwork. I used leaves as my inspiration and wanted the piece to be on white felt so pinned a piece of linen over the top to act as a guide.





I removed the linen when it was complete.

Band Sampler

At long last I've come back to my band sampler started in Hull with Carol Tinson. It's called 'I did it my way'.

Half of the design has been done. I'm still not sure about the drop beads, I have some pearl drops, thanks to Jo, so I will try them next.

The last time I did anything was at the start of June. I'll have it as my UFO on Tuesday so I might get some more done.

City & Guilds

Sorry if I've been a bit quiet recently but my course started last week. So been deep in research all week. The History of English Embroidery Bede to present day. Thought I'd done quite a bit already, but there's still so much to do. It's fascinating though. I've seen pictures and actual artefacts that are fantastic. how girls as young as 8 and 9 produced such fantastic work I don't know. I've actually seen some restored Blackwork that is in the EG collection, it's wonderful.

As well as that I've got a commission piece to experiment with and I've got a new toy - an embellisher, so been playing with that. More about that later - I hope.

A Big Thankyou

Thanks for all your comments Helen (both of you).

Stitchingranny don't call x-stitch boring. There are some fantastic pieces out there. I admire the patience and determination that people have in completing some very complicated pieces that take months and years to do.

If anything I'm very impatient and want instant gratification. I also love varied textures so love hardanger and mixed stitch and media techniques. Not that some of these are quick to complete!

Experimentation I also love and am constantly learning new techniques. So you will find that my Webshot album (Gandalfstitcer) is full of picture of many different types of stitching. I aways say I am a butterfly and flit from technique to technique and piece too piece.

Stitching in Wooler

Just got back from an intensive three day course with Val Stoddart called 'Limited Editions' a Textile Peepshow. We had a great time and worked very hard indeed. I was introduced to an embellisher and WANT one.

Here are a few of the photos I took of my work. Some are completed such as the structure with metal, the bookmark and the small square picture.

Others are just backgrounds which need more work done to them (the blue tree) The sketchbook is amazing. There are several peepshows in there made from writing, torn up pictures and drawings.

As you might have gathered I'm fired up even more and must go off to create more items to show at our next EG meeting in a weeks time

Friday 24th August 2007

Well it looks as if I'm back to my Blog again after a short break.

I'm busy getting ready to start the new term and also I'm off on a three day stitching break in Wooler with the Embroiderers' Guild. Looking forward to learning some new techniques with Val Stoddard.

Thursday 23rd August

Well finally got photos of Calico Gardens completed



















and Purple Calico updated

August 16th

Strange weather we're having. Today started very wet, our new water butt is full to overflowing. When the rain stopped Pete had to empty and re-site it with a firmer base as it had started to tilt.

This afternoon was beautiful and sunny. We went for a walk and I collected some of the first brambles. I've frozen them to be put with our apples when they are ready.

I completed the papers to go inside Calico Garden and did a bit of research as I wasn't sure how to insert them into the book. I also did some more to my sampler which has been neglected recently.

July/August

Well the last month has really flown by I don't know where the time has gone. We went to London where we visited Wisley, I went to Hampton Court and the V&A to do some research.

When we came back we went over to Maryport to a Blues festival, that was great. We saw Van Morrison, though I don't have a picture of him, just the one on the T-shirt I bought. Did like Mike Harrison though.






I've almost completed Calico Gardens, the original. It's being made into a memory book. The pages have to be inserted and a few flowers stitched to the bottom 'grass' area.

I've also signed up for my C&G course so that's me committed for the next two years. So have been busy starting some of my research projects. Yes more than one.

Beautiful gift

Just got a beautiful gift from a friend. Just my colours. I love them. I was blown away when I opened the package. Thank-you so much, you know who you are.

Saturday

I went to Hexham for a workshop with Michelle Kinnerment. We did Metals to Stitch. While I had done the technique before, it was great to refresh and to learn a new way of preparing fabrics for applying metals onto velvets and my papers.

I've posted some pictures of some of the pieces. I have a couple more which aren't quite finished yet.

Decisions made

We're now at the end of a busy week. I've made a decision to go back to my studies. Having had a year off and after a couple of experiences recently I realised I was now ready to go back to my City and Guilds studies.

I completed L3 Certificate in both Embroidery and Patchwork and Quilting in 2006 after 4 years study. I decided not to go on to Diploma level because it involved a lot of research and paper work. While in London I started to do research 'just for fun' on East African Textiles. As reported earlier in my blog I've also been on a course with Marcia Crookes and my love of making papers was revived. We had Sheila Smith talking to us about Nuno felt at the Guild on Saturday which really fired me again. So everything seems to be shouting at me to get my fingers out again.

So where's the problem you ask? Do I go back to Ashington (Kirkley Hall) or go down to Durham with Tracey Franklin and Julia Tristron and pay twice the price? At first glance you might say there's no choice, it's an expensive course anyway so go with the cheapest. However I know Tracey and Julia will not pull courses due to lack of funding as we are paying the full wack - no college politics to deal with!

Talked to DH yesterday after visiting both sets of tutors. I loved the exhibition at Ashington, however my heart says go to Durham. We did the maths and despite paying a lot more it worked out at about £20 per workshop which is still a very good deal.

I don't have to make a final decision until August but the sooner I make it the better

Week disappears

This week has disappeared, Monday did some work on my window hanging. Tuesday preparing for a dinner party with friends. Wednesday completed an accessory exchange for SS group, will post picture when my partner receives. Last night went to Jayne's Attic stitching club. Didn't do much stitching but decisions were made about the next steps in the design of my band sampler so I was pleased.


Whole Sampler June 5th


Here are three pictures of the sampler up to Tuesday.
Band A uses cream Marlett, Krienik very fine #4 braid, DMC perle #12 and cream petit beads.
Band B has cream Marlett and pale blue Steff Francis Silk Impressions.

Top and Middle of sampler

Band C is the pale blue SF silk with, at the moment, a twirly drop bead, this might alter if I find some small heart beads.
Band D uses the pale blue SF Silk and dark ble Dinky Dies Silk. Yesterday I added a pot in Blackwork with the dark blue silk and decided on a Carries thread for the stems and leaves with cream Marlett for the flowers. I haven't taken a photo of this yet will do when I've completed a bit more of the band.

I've had two good nights sleep so I'm pleased, my back is still sore this morning so back to see the Chiropractor later today.

I was interrupted while writing this entry - I had a delivery of small plants from Jersey Direct - 7.30 in the morning! That's over and above the call of duty for a delivery! They have to be rested for 24 hours indoors before planting out. So guess what I'll be doing tomorrow :)

X-Calibre Designs

Hello, Monday bright and early, I've already read my Googlemail and ordered a new chart from Carol Leather at X-Calibre Designs (click the title of this post to see Carol's work) It's another blackwork piece called 'United in Love' and will be a special piece I am planning for our Ruby Wedding - four years away but I am planning for it do be a special one :)

My Notebooks

Notebooks I made after EG Spring workshop. The top one is the inside of my cloth book on the left. The purple one uses voiles over a patchwork fabric and is embellished with beads











Below is some of the fibre paper I'm going to stitch into. It's a pulp paper book that I have added a fibre paper front to.

Hope you like them

S&S Weekenders workshop

Had a great time at Carol T's retreat this last weekend

This is my piece so far, doesn't look like much but a lot of planning and preparation had to be done before I started to stitch.

Embroiderers' Guild Weekend

The weekend before last I went on a stitching break with the Embroiderers' guild. We stayed in Ushaw College, Durham and it was a great weekend making fibre papers to stitch into. This is a picture of one of the pieces I made which is going to be made into a blind for my kitchen window.




This little book was made with silk fibres and hand made paper and was given as a present to Ina from Holland who was with us on our Stitch and Stash weekend.

My new xmas ornament don't know why image has split - click to show true picture

My Circle block - work in progress