Preston Embroiderers' Guild Blog

September 2020 - ‘Embroiderers’ still stitch on!’- Month 6

7/9/2020

It has been a very quiet month and perhaps everyone is getting a little weary of the situation with local rules and guidelines. Still several members continue to keep us informed of their achievements which is brilliant and I for one find some inspiration from what they have made and stitched. It will continue to be a few difficult months ahead not knowing when meetings will commence and things can get back to the ‘new’ normal. Some members will be reflecting on a decision about membership of the guild and what that will mean for our branch.
In the meantime on a positive note let’s take a look at what members have been up to:

Edwina has been busy pushing the boundaries of her creativity and has made a driftwood hanging from pieces of driftwood she found on Longton Marsh.
She added, “I collected it in March after the high Spring tide when the sea comes right up the embankment around Longton. It was during the strict lockdown and 30 minutes was long enough for me to cycle to The Dolphin (a local pub) and back.”

Kath R has been trying out printmaking:-

She said, “I drew the designs then carved some out of lino and some by wood engraving. Then I printed them with oil based relief ink onto card and fabric using my new printing press. I am hoping to make a hanging with the fabric and I will call it my coronavirus piece for 2020. The prints on card will be used for greeting cards.”

Kath H received the third ‘Luna Lapin’ book from her granddaughter for her birthday.
“It actually came with 'strings' attached as my granddaughter wanted this one making. There are a few embroidery stitches and wool felting for the spots as well. I could have made two dresses in the time it took. Ha ha.”

Carolynne has been busy once again and has shared her cushion project with us.
When Issue 96 of Stitch magazine came out in Aug/Sept 2015, I bought some linen fabric, lace trim and threads at the festival of Quilts as I really wanted to make 2 cushions for our caravan. The original design was in Blue and Green, but I needed Yellow and Green. I bought the recommended Aurifil Linen, Lace and cotton threads that the project required. After clearing away all of my half finished projects during lockdown, I decided in August I would get started on these, as I couldn’t believe I bought the fabric so long ago.

First of all I used a water soluble marker to mark the pattern out and started to fill all the circles with detached chain stitch, followed by couching the stems of the flowers. Each time you used 2 different colours of floss to create the graduated shading as you look along the row.
Linen, cotton and wool Aurifil threads where used of different colours, for seed stitching in between the flowers.
I then added the lace trim with a short running stitch.
Then onto the various rows of stitches down the sides, and across the top and bottom.
I added some piping to my cushion which was not in the original instruction and a zip with a flap on the back.

Here are some photographs of the completed cushion (approximately 32cm x 46cm) and I really enjoyed making it and now can’t wait to start the second one.

The pattern makes use of the following stitches:
Detached Chain, Seed Stitch, Running Stitch, French Knots, Detached Chain and Running Stitch together, Lace Running Stitch and Chain Stitch and Couching for the stems. It has been a joy to get back to doing some hand stitching.

I have been busy collecting together the cubes for the North West Regional Chair’s Challenge on ‘Positivity’, yes we are on the final leg and I know seven of the eight cubes have now been completed. I have also been collecting all the pieces for the Savick Library bunting.
To date six pieces of the bunting are still with members but I am sure they will be in the post very soon. Savick Library remains closed at the moment but I have been in touch with Jennifer (the librarian) and discussed how she would like the finished bunting to be presented, so we are going for two ‘strings’ of bunting.

I have also been stitching pieces for the upcoming exhibition at Barton Grange in February 2021. Hopefully it will be going ahead and preparation is essential for this.
I have been trying out new techniques for my pieces, ‘Inspired by…….’ Not to give my ideas away I have used canvas to make strips linked to a place and crewel work as a basis for pieces inspired by an artist. I am on my second piece of crewel work with two more planned before completing the set. Then I hope to work on a piece linked to my Lockdown Journey. We (my husband and I) have walked over 700miles from our house since the beginning of the lockdown and have admired the seasons really close up. This piece is still in the planning stage, not on paper but in my brain!!

Finally, I have been making face coverings for family and friends following ‘the Big Community Sew’ patterns.

Well that is all the news. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this months blog. I hope you feel a little more inspired and not so alone. Yes I miss the natter and laughter too. Keep safe, keep well, keep calm and keep sewing.
A.R.

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August 2020 - ‘Embroiderers’ Do it in Isolation and Once Again On-line’ - Month 5

3/8/2020

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Another month and still so many of us are isolating. The news that some of our members may be under more restrictive lockdown is not good news but I hope this month’s blog (unusual to write one for August but these are unusual times) will help to keep us connected in some way and showcase some of the lovely work members have been doing.

Firstly Zena and Carolynne have finished their boxes from the Box Making day school with Marguerita Mcbride.

Zena said, “The flower on the top I designed myself with my computer program, then converted the design into a stitch file to embroider it out on my sewing machine. I used 2 pieces of organza in my hoop and this was stiffened with spray starch instead of using water-soluble sheets. The leaf was from a free standing lace pattern.”

Carolynne made hers using a hinge when it opened and a tab at the front.

Edwina is working on a book cover. The base 'fabric' is made from wet wipes used at a Linda Monks workshop at Waddow Hall. They were originally used to clean up. She used bonda web to attach them to white cotton fabric and then added layers which she is stitching into.
Edwina added, “It is work in progress. The book will be used for recording the books I read.”

Amazing what can be made from things that could so easily end up in the rubbish bin!

Not all of us have been furloughed, isolating or retired. Some like Carolynne have been working throughout this time. She has written a piece about her experience during lockdown. I am sure many of us will have empathy with her experience.

Here is what she said:
During lockdown I have been working extremely long hours but during week-ends I have thankfully been able to take to the solace of my sewing room and de-stress.
I wanted to share something with you all that I have found very productive. Every year I clear out my drawers and cupboards in my sewing room, but never quite achieve a really tidy space. Early on in lockdown, the isolation made me feel quite alone, and I had no inclination whatsoever to sew.
One weekend, I decided to face my sewing room head on. I meticulously went through every drawer, cupboard, boxes and spaces under things, to have a complete clear out of any clutter. I looked at things that I had owned for years and never used, and made the decision they would go.
All of a sudden after just two days of hard work, my room was like a brand new work space. I felt invigorated and couldn’t wait to start sewing. I made a list of all the things I had started and not yet completed, and made a start on them, so that I could get them all out of the way. As I completed something it was ticked off the list, until eventually I could get to the point of making new things and had spaces left where the incomplete things had resided. I again felt excited to sew and haven’t stopped since.

Early on I made 3 shopping bags for myself and my 2 daughter-in-laws from scrap fabric, and inserted our names on the bottom right of each bag. A great way to use up those scrap pieces of fabric you have left over.
I have had a pattern for a prairie charm pin cushion for two years, when I bought some Lynette Anderson fabric at the August NEC Festival of Quilts (a distant memory for this year). During the lockdown, I managed to get to it and as you can see, I made hexagons by paper piecing and then hand stitching together before quilting on the machine. It has a circumference of six inches and I have found that the different hexagons have enabled me to put the quilting pins together in one hexagon, and the glass head pins in another, to keep them altogether.

My daughter in law wanted a quilt for her birthday in July, and as there was some of the backing fabric left, I made a matching cushion for her. This is a photograph of the back of the cushion, where I had created a strip of bunting in my embroidery software and added enough triangles for her name ‘Virginija’, which I then embroidered directly onto the fabric. I also utilised a stitch that creates a fringe circle at each end. I then hand stitched a chain stitch in a bronze metallic thread along the edge of the flap which covers the zip, and machine stitched a pattern along the top of the flap.

Finally, I was given some fabric, I have to be honest, I didn’t really like (a black and red floral pattern) and some very thin cream calico. Instead of discarding it, I had a ‘drunken path’ template set and a foot for sewing curved pieces on my machine. So I decided to have a go at joining the concave and convex curves together using this ‘sample’ fabric. Although the squares ended up being a little smaller than I had anticipated. I squared them all off to the same size and lay them in a pattern that looks a little like a ‘snake’ design, and to be honest I feel I achieved a modern look for what I thought was an old-fashioned print. As a lap quilt I was quite pleased with this happy accident.
C.P.
Liz has been on – line once again. How brilliant is that!
I don't know if anybody else has been doing the 'zoom' course through Huddersfield University sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild. The course was from 10 to 12 Monday to Friday and was an ‘All beginner’ level course. I am hoping to pass on the skills to my nieces!

Monday's course was hand embroidery just using basic stitches, running stitch (and threaded), back stitch (and threaded) satin stitch, chain stitch, blanket stitch and woven spiders web (seed stitch and feather stitch where also covered but I haven't got around to doing those yet!)

On Tuesday I experienced a whole session on experimental beading: this included using seed beads individually and couched in 'strings' and then bugle beads, sequins individually and in rows before mixing up each type of bead. We then went on to couching paper clips, cord split rings, ’Loom’ bands and paper straws using herringbone stitch.

Wednesday was a morning of talks given by two students/Graduates, six textile artists, Andrea Godfrey the Artistic Director for the Embroiderers’ Guild and a Tutor from Huddersfield University and on Thursday we experimented with Appliqué and Reverse appliqué.

Using dark green felt I started with raw edge appliqué using running stitch then backstitch. The next one was straight stitch done at right angles to the edge and the third was with running stitch across the patch and then off the edge.

On the light green felt I started with seed stitch and then French knots and finished with satin stitch over the raw edge. For the second piece we used a cord. I used double knitting wool which I chain stitched to cover the raw edge which I couched down.

And finally on Friday the theme was fabric manipulation. The first part of the session was adding fabric to the surface. We cut out 2" Blue circles, folded them into quarters and threaded them together to look like a caterpillar/flower lei before couching down onto the fabric. Secondly we used 1" blue circles folded into quarters and stitched them individually to fabric in circles. Thirdly using pink fabric cut into squares, we folded a third over and stitched it down, overlapping each square to cover the previous squares stitches.

Lastly we did some smocking. Using A3 size materials. I used some fabric which I had tried to colour not realising it was polyester cotton not cotton. We made grids of dots 3cms apart in one direction and the width of your ruler the other way. Then we smocked in a linear pattern producing a basket weave and floral effect.

Irene has been busy as usual and has finished her embroidery of her rabbits. She embroidered most of her rabbits and their dates but left out Baby's 5 other brothers and sisters because they all died quickly after their birth sadly.
She added, “I am pleased that it will be a reminder of all the happy years I spent with my rabbits. The work will serve as an 'era' example for next year's exhibition.”

Tracey has been working on her full moons project and a 3-D piece as well as having done a lot of painting, some reupholstery and making a Land Girl doll.
Here is what she said:
“The footstool is something my Dad made for me many years ago when I moved into my first flat. It‘s been re-covered professionally once, but this time I thought I’d have a go. I’m pleased with my pattern matching and like to think Sewing-Bee Patrick would be thrilled by it.

Mavis (The land girl Doll) is somewhat over made up, but I think perhaps she’s rather what was once called “a fast girl” and maybe has her eyes on some hapless soldier to be her beau. As one of my friends rather indelicately put it: “I bet she’s flattened some grass!” Poor Mavis to be so defamed, when the truth is I mistakenly drew her eyelashes in green, but in going over them again in black I inadvertently made her into a cross between the Bake-o-lite girl from Wallace and Gromit and a drag queen. Today the slogan on the back of her top would probably be a tattoo.”😂
T.G.

And finally, as promised last month we have nearly finished the North West Chair’s Challenge, so to tantalise you here is a photo of what we hope it will look like.

To date we have 5 of the 8 cubes completed (only 4 in the photograph) show casing the many strands that being a member of our guild offers everyone. This is how we hope they will look when all of them are finished. It is going to be a mobile, which can be set up and stored very easily and will be on show at our meetings, exhibitions, open days and group get togethers. Thanks to all the members who have taken on the challenge and completed a side of one of the cubes. When it is all complete each side will be displayed on a slide show.
The committee’s next challenge is to complete the Savick Library Bunting. Pieces are coming in thick and fast and again this should be completed very soon.
Thanks to everyone who has sent in articles and photographs for our blog page. It really helps everyone to feel less alone I am sure and awaiting the time we can meet up once again.
Keep safe, keep well, keep calm and keep stitching.
A.R.

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July 2020 – ‘Embroiderers’ Do It in Isolation and On-Line’ - Month 4

4/7/2020

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Another month has passed us by and as we all get ready for those long awaited hair appointments the chance of meeting up as a group is still on hold. Some of our members have been busy with national and individual projects, trying out innovative ideas. Several of our members have been busy with on-line courses and they have written reports for our blog explaining the experiences and techniques they have used. Something very different for many of us perhaps. So read on to find out more.

On-Line Virtual Courses
Kay has been on Zoom following a course. Here is her report:
After reading through the flyer sent to our members telling us about the course ‘Embroidered Design’ run by Zara Day, I was hooked by the information and decided to have a go.
What an exciting six weeks that was, I was not alone in being taken completely out of my comfort zone, and having my imagination stretched to its limits. Zara discussed design, colours, textures, and in the first week encouraged us to produce a mood board to refer to during the six weeks. Zara provided us with a template, which she was working from that we could follow if we wanted, following parts of it or doing something quite different. We all followed the template and the results were great and very varied.

During the six weeks we covered so many things: couching, raised satin stitch, woven picot, casaquidi stitch and different forms of beading. We combined these with the application of different fabrics to create varied textures. Each week we looked at each other’s work and we had an extra 7th week where we looked at our completed work and Zara chatted about Course 2, ‘Embellished Textiles’ - which I started on Monday.
This was a fabulous course.
You can find out more about Rosemaryrose bespoke embroidery business on Instagram @zara_day_rosemaryrose and work linked to the courses @zara_day_embroidery.
K.L

Liz has also been on Zoom:
'These are my attempts done from a 'Zoom' hand stitching course that I did through ‘Ribble Creative Stitches’. Although the course material was basic I really enjoyed doing it and 'Zoom’ worked really well. You got a bird’s eye view (does not matter how many are on the course ) it was very easy to ask questions and you got through far more in the time, as the tutor only had to do things once for everybody to see clearly'.
L.H

As we entered Lockdown Linda Robinson, who owns the wonderful shop Creative Threads in Garstang, asked if anyone would be interested in a stitch-a-long. After several people responded with a loud ‘YES PLEASE!’ she designed an embroidered wreath pattern and set up a Facebook group for us to show our progress and chat-a-long at the same time. We paid our joining fee and ordered supplies from her if we needed them and made a start. I’m relatively new to, and not very skilled at, embroidery, so I was a little apprehensive if I could manage it or whether it would become yet another UFO (unfinished object!). I also invited my sister to join in - she lives in Nottingham, so it was really good to be able to participate in something with her at a distance. She’s a complete beginner, as were some other ladies, although others were more experienced stitchers.
Week by week Linda filmed and released videos and the wreaths slowly appeared. It was amazing to see how different colour choices gave very different results, from pastels to dark “sludgy” colours to rainbow brights. My embroidery landed on ‘The Naughty Step’ the week we learnt Pistil Stitch (mine resembled the Coronavirus itself - I think I subconsciously stitched it!). After unpicking, my second attempt did vaguely resemble the flower it was supposed to.
We all really enjoyed the course and stitching and I understand Linda is offering this wreath course again and is planning more “distance learning” courses. They are, of course, not the same as gathering around a table and learning together with laughter and cake in plentiful supply. However for these difficult times I think they’re a perfect alternative. I now have a lovely finished embroidered wreath to remind me that out of Lockdown I produced something beautiful.

Here is the link if anyone would like to join in next time :
https://creativethreadworkshops.co.uk/workshops-listing/
Below is a selection of our work. With permission and thanks to Linda Robinson, April Haxby, Averil McClelland, Lesley Ingram, Gail Cahill, Kay Lance and Ann Ormerod.
K.S

Reasons to be Thankful’ – A Thank You to the NHS.
An Embroiderers’ Guild National Project
The invitation came from Anthea Godfrey (Artistic Director of the Embroiderers’ Guild) calling all EG members to contribute to a series of wall hangings to be offered to hospitals throughout the 10 regions of the Guild. Members were asked to create a 4” (10cm) finished square of fabric that conveys a message of thanks.

Ann. R decided to participate and stitched her 4 inch square based on her observations from the television at the start of the pandemic. Here are her thoughts behind her design:
It shows the Covid 19 virus, a fascinating structure but so deadly amongst a background of seeding stitches, passing from the darkness to the light, to represent the thousands of people infected by the disease and those who have lost their lives. In full PPE the NHS person is clapping, as we all did every Thursday evening. The Florence Nightingale
lamp (fanoos) denotes the dedication and professional care 24 hours a day by all the NHS staff. Thank you.

National Celebration of Stitch
Unfortunately all the plans to join together with Jennifer (the librarian), the children and adults at Savick Library were put on hold this year, so the National Celebration of Stitch took place alone in individual homes. The theme from HO this year was ‘Birds’ and Irene had planned kits for stitching a felt owl from the book called ‘Folk Embroidered Felt Birds’ by Corinne La Pierre. I am sure they will be able to be used at a further date but thanks to Irene for all her hard work in getting the packs ready.
Here are Kath. R and Ann R stitching on the day itself.

Here are some of the birds Irene has been making. She stitched the owl on Saturday the 20th of June, National Celebration of Stitch Day.
Kath R. finished stitching her bird by Nicola Jarvis, which she bought at our Christmas meal in 2018.

Ann. R stitched a 3D bird which she took from an article ‘A little bird told me’ in ‘Stitch’ magazine Issue 94 April/May p34-37 designed by Janet Humphrey. She changed the design to a goldfinch.
“As I have had to spend so much time in the garden I have watched the birds that visit the feeders. I am amazed at the colours on the Goldfinches. I’m sure I never saw these birds when I was a girl but they are a delight to watch and they are very greedy emptying a feeder in a couple of days”.

Edwina sent a photograph of a cross stitched bird on a card, which she had completed earlier but still nice to appreciate different styles.

Other Projects:
Here are some of the other projects members have been working on, starting with Edwina’s report.
(See the slideshow for all the photographs).
This is some jewellery I made for my unisex sandals to make them a bit more attractive. The red ones do have a stitch in them. I have also finished a top. I have wanted to start dressmaking for a number of years but cannot get patterns to fit my body shape. I made most of my own clothes in my teens and twenties. This top was made from a combination of three different patterns and gave me the chance to practice bodice fitting. I did what is called a 'full bust adjustment (FBA)' and also a further adjustment for the neckline. The FBA was done on the paper pattern and the neckline adjustment on the calico toile. I also made the necklace and fashion accessory of the moment; a face mask.
E.W
Kath H. has been stitching cards
Yvonne told me she had been finishing off a church banner, sewing bunting for V.E. Day, making masks, sewing a pair of dungarees for herself as well as gardening.
Kath. R has been making rabbit bunting. She found a pattern for a little felt rabbit in a book, she made one and just kept making more. She then thought what can I do with all of these and somewhere she remembered an idea she had had of making them into a bunting.

Liz has also been very busy before and during lockdown knitting hearts for the hospital appeal as well as an attempt at knitting a hat and jumper for her great nephew.
Some of the hearts were knitted in Claret and Blue, Burnley's colours, but she also managed to do some in Blue & White (PNE – Preston North End) as well as red, pink, maroon, mustard, fluffy blue and teddy bear heads.
She has been working on two cross stitch pictures. The photos show the Aida marked with either water erasable or friction pens - which cuts down on the counting. So much easier and you can start anywhere and also know exactly how the finished item fits on your material.
She has nearly finished her 'Signpost' from the Angie Burt Dayschool in February 2020 and it has inspired her to have a go at a tree. The trunk is stitched in stem stitch and the leaves and flowers in 'Raised chain band'.

North West Chair’s challenge and the Savick Library bunting are still being worked on but are very nearly finished, so watch this space.
Thank you once again for all your contributions without you the blog would be meaningless so keep your photos and ideas coming in.
In the meantime keep safe, keep well, keep calm and keep stitching.
A.R

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September 2020 - ‘Embroiderers’ still stitch on!’- Month 6

August 2020 - ‘Embroiderers’ Do it in Isolation and Once Again On-line’ - Month 5

July 2020 – ‘Embroiderers’ Do It in Isolation and On-Line’ - Month 4

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