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August 2021- Month 17- Hopefully the last month of lockdown!

7/8/2021

As it is August we didn’t hold a zoom meeting but asked the members who were taking part in the Monthly Challenge to send in their work. This month we were asked to try a new technique. There was a wide variety of work and here are the pieces.

I have always wanted to try Shadow work a technique used on translucent fabric and has a delicate, airy effect. The main stitch is a close herringbone. I designed a cable pattern and found the outer edges had to have slightly longer stitches to the inner edges to keep the ‘shadow effect’ even. I then decorated each cable with some surface stitches. Ann R.
The July piece is made from fabric left over from making "My Scotland", a large piece I stitched when I had a week off work. I have not really done much patchwork, so that is why I decided to do it and I embellished it with metal thistles" Sandie.

This month the new technique I have tried is Blackwork worked in pink. Mel.
I have stitched my granddaughter's hand print in gold work. I haven't done much in gold work before (I am learning as I go), so this is a new technique for me. Barbara S.

My July piece is based around when children break from school and families like to holiday, so I have used this theme for this month’s work. Margaret G.
My new technique was to use various garden related stamps on linen. July 2021 had lots of blue sky and I frequently move plants and then I have to water them. I call it ‘Musical Plants’. It has nothing to do with music but is a bit like pass the parcel. – The plant is dug up, walked around the garden and then planted in a new spot.
Edwina

I have made a small sampler of stitches on ticking. I have never stitched a sampler before. Kath. R
Here are my July pages. One side is gold work and beads, the other is machine embroidery and appliqué. Irene

The August challenge is to use dyes, tea or tie dyeing, paints or printing in your piece.
We certainly all look forward to seeing all the pieces in the ‘flesh’, so to speak, at our next live meeting hopefully in September.
Other work sent in this month includes:

I have finished my seahorse from the Nikki Parmenter workshop. The hare has been done in the same way. I have also made Frank a cue bag with his initials on the flap. Kath H.

This is my fish from the Nikki Parmenter workshop. I have used Suffolk Puffs to create coral and covered pieces of packing foam with sari ribbon for sea urchins. The seaweed is made from yarns and chiffon stitched with cake wires. Ann R

I have made a bag from fleece with a linen lining. The fish are made with Crewel wool and appliquéd on. Irene

This is my cup of mushrooms. I have used lots of different stitches at the base of the mushrooms. Kath R.

We are hoping to be able to meet once again in September for a ‘Stitch and Chat’ session. The committee will be making sure members feel safe with a full risk assessment of the facilities.

If anyone would like to join us who hasn’t been to our group before please contact us via the website using the ‘Contact Us’ tab and our Chair Kath will be in touch with you.

Fingers crossed everyone. Keep safe and keep stitching.
Ann R.

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July 2021 – Month 16 - coming out of Lockdown - Strawberry Tea and Making Paper Flowers with Mel Charters.

6/7/2021

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It was lovely to meet once more and we felt as if we would be well tutored in the art of making paper flowers when Mel began her careful explanation of how to make them.
We started with a rose made from a spiral of paper and a different model using the same technique but with a folded edge.

Next, we attempted the origami flower where five individual petal shapes are made and then glued together to form an origami lily.

Liz suggested using the paper from a square note block to make the flowers. Each piece is cut to the right size and can save a lot of time cutting out 10 cms squares. Also she has made a Christmas bauble using the same method (see opposite).
Thanks to Mel for her inspirational mini workshop.

When the activity was over we showed the strawberry items we had stitched before the meeting. These varied from strawberry pincushions, to a punnet of strawberries made by Sandie. “The strawberries are made of felt with machine embroidery on water soluble fabric.” We had strawberry keyrings, embroidered strawberry motifs and a strawberry brooch. The embroidered strawberries were stitched by Barbara using needle lace.

As we chatted we got stuck into our fresh strawberries and several of us enjoyed a glass of prosecco.

Finally we showed our monthly challenge, which for some members had been a challenge. The June piece had to show the use of mixed -media. What is mixed–media? This is an artwork made from a range of materials to add interest and texture. You can use just about anything. Once this had been established the pieces created were so different.

“I have stitched two pieces this month. Both pieces have calico bases with gesso and then gold gilding wax and some light silk paint applied over the top. The medieval one is finished off with cog wheels on top of machine embroidered circles on water soluble plastic, which was then dissolved and sewn on.”
“The second one has three small labels. The first label has a small needle lace patch with scissor charm, the second one has punched holes threaded with silk ribbon and I made a small tassel, and the third has a machine embroidered patch made on water soluble plastic and large scissors sewn on. The whole piece has been finished off with sewing charms.” Sandie

“I was inspired by the Delphiniums in the garden. I used a range of mixed media, including handmade textured paper backgrounds, metallic and card petals with free machine embroidery, ribbons, daisy lace painted with gesso and decorative with buttons and beads.” Ann R

“Here are my June pages. The mixed media piece is made from Tyvek with gold backing. It is painted with acrylic, and then embroidered and has gold beads.” Irene

“Mixed media; a bit scary. I used magazine paper, wall paper, a sweet wrapper, a 'used to clean paint spills' wet wipe, a bit of Lutrador and foiled Expanda foam, shells and finally some embroidery in my piece. It reminds me of the beach huts at Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk.” Edwina

I have called my piece June Bride. I haven't worked with wire before, but am fairly pleased with the result. Margaret G.

“The mixed media was a learning curve. I used heavy Lutrador as the base with lace and ribbon painted. I used a mixture of stitching and a type of glue to put it all together. Barbara.

I have used a mixed media background using a variety of papers with running stitch all over it. I have
Blanket stitched around the edge as well. Mel. C

I used a variety of textured papers with machine embroidery and embellished it with buttons and an owl. Kath R.

Some other pieces had been completed over the month including some gold work and pincushions from last month’s Zoom meeting by Irene. Kath R. has stitched a cup of fungi

Next month the challenge is to try a new technique. That might be tricky for more experienced stitchers who have probably tried all techniques but we shall look forward to seeing the pieces.
There is no Zoom meeting planned for next month but I will put up the ‘Monthly Challenge’ pieces. Can’t wait to see them. In the meantime keep safe and keep stitching.
Ann R

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June 2021 - Month 15 - Coming out of Lockdown- Felt Activity and Stitch and Chat.

8/6/2021

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Once again it was so good to see many of our members and some faces we hadn’t seen for quite a while. Kath (Chair) welcomed everyone and then Ann explained the felt activity- A needle case in the shape of a Victorian child, a heart which could be used for a lavender bag and a bird pincushion.
The idea was to interpret the designs in any way and lists of requirements were sent out previously. Some members had brought their own work along and from gold work, banners and cross stitch motifs and appliqué we soon got well into stitching.

It was lovely to stitch and chat and we covered many topics rather like the neighbours visited every week on the ‘ONE Show’.
Liz explained how she stitches her cross stitch motifs onto ‘T shirts’ for her great nephew using a special canvas, which is removed once the motif has been finished. Something many of us felt we would like to try.

The monthly challenge had a great variety of ideas as usual. This month we were asked to use shades of one colour. Watch the slideshow below to see the range of work.

Here is what each member said about their work:-

May is created in pink. The background is stitched in seed stitch. The ‘M’ outline is split stitch and Jacobean couching on the inside. The ‘a’ outline is in stem stitch with French knots on the inside and the ’y’ outline is backstitch with cross stitch inside. The whole piece is edged in running stitch. Mel

I used the colour purple as required and on the other page I have machine embroidered a picture to match my rhyme. Irene.

I used bonded appliqué of fabric and silk paper. The tatting is from a card made by my friend Val. Edwina

I am attaching my May work which I have called May flowers. I have decided to continue using the 6 inch embroidery hoop, so that once I have finished they should all be of a similar size and scale. In this small work I have used stem stitch, rope stitch, satin stitch, lazy daisy stitch and a leaf stitch I'm not sure of the name of! Margaret

I was inspired by the beautiful Cherry blossom in all shades of pink. I wonder why once the blossom comes out the wind and the rain begins causing the blossom to fall. I have named it ‘Cherry Blossom Confetti’ and used a range of stitches to stitch the petals. Ann R

I had had a thought about doing my daughter and grandkids hand print for a while, when pondering what to do with one colour the penny dropped, so I put the two together. So that was the inspiration for my piece this month. Barbara

I have stitched a piece of canvas work in shades of pink. Sandie

I went back to the technique I love to do, ‘needle weaving’ and produced this poppy in a variety of pink threads. Kath R.

Other projects seem a little thin on the ground this month. Perhaps we are all starting to feel a little jaded and can’t wait to meet up once again in real life but here are some of the pieces that have been sent in.
The hen brooch I made for my friend whose hen died recently. Irene
I stitched a birthday card for my sister's 70th. The idea was taken from the poem by Jenny Joseph, 'When I am old I will wear purple'. I included a picture of as many of the lines as I could.

Kath R. has been crocheting bunnies and Mel has stitched five more tags.

Next month Mel C is showing us how to make paper flowers from A4 paper and old books. We also hope to enjoy a strawberry tea on Zoom, of course, and please stitch a strawberry item to show. The monthly challenge is a piece using mixed media. Lots to inspire you we hope. In the meantime keep safe and keep stitching.
Ann R.

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August 2021- Month 17- Hopefully the last month of lockdown!

July 2021 – Month 16 - coming out of Lockdown - Strawberry Tea and Making Paper Flowers with Mel Charters.

June 2021 - Month 15 - Coming out of Lockdown- Felt Activity and Stitch and Chat.

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