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April 2020- ‘Embroiderers’ Do It in Isolation’- Month 1.

3/4/2020

An unusual blog during very exceptional and worrying times. Everyone is either in isolation and staying at home or they are key workers going to work. Also schools, shops and libraries are shut and family visits and days out have been cancelled because of the Coronavirus. With plenty of time on our hands members have been getting creative completing PHD’s (Projects Half Done), day school pieces, stitching for the NW Regional chair’s challenge, the library bunting project or starting other embroidery projects.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed photographs of their work and I hope you enjoy and are inspired by what you find below.

Firstly here are some of the lovely finished boxes from the last day school: Box Making with Marguerita Mcbride from Kay, Sue M. and Kath H.

Sue said she has loved making her box. It was her first and won't be her last. She painted the fabric to make it look darker and then embroidered the sides and lid. It was a gift for her friend. She also made a matching scissor case too.

Sandie sent photographs of her work for the One Step On – Planet Earth Series: The cylindrical piece is called ‘Plastic Ocean’, reflecting why fish and whales are endangered by plastic floating in the ocean.

The second piece is ‘Endangered’,
a collage of Elephants in their habitat.

Irene has been stitching needlework cases and pouches to sell at the craft fair.

Barbara R has just finished the ‘Mellerstain Stag’ by Philippa Turnbull. She intends to make a fabric box and mount this on the top.

Kath H. has stitched these lovely cushions showing Kantha work designs from a book called ‘A Drove of Hares’ by Angela Daymond.

Kath. R has completed some dyed scrim flowers as an experiment and Ann R has finally finished and mounted her experimental drawn thread pieces. The largest one is entitled-‘Amongst the Threads’.

Tracey has been stitching more characters for the Savick Library Bunting.

Janet, Mel C, Irene and Ann R. have also been busy working on the pieces for the NW regional Chair’s Challenge ready for the cube mobile.

Lots has been going on and hopefully has inspired you in such difficult times.

Take a look at an idea Tracey sent, which is posted under the ‘Notices’ tab. It may inspire you if you are stuck for ideas.

Don’t forget the ‘Chair’s Challenge’ which should be ready for June: a piece entitled ‘Summer Memories’ in any form i.e. a card, cushion, picture, collage and so on.

Kath has suggested it will be judged in our first meeting probably September or October when, hopefully, we will be able to meet up once again.

I hope we shall have even more work to show in the May Blog. In the meantime, keep safe, keep well, keep calm and keep stitching.
A.R.

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March 2020 Day School - Box Making with Marguerita McBride

11/3/2020

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Marguerita began by showing us some lovely work from when she completed her City & Guilds, including a beautiful shawl with embroidery on, a box with felting on the outside and a felted bag.

Today we are going to make a padded fabric covered box, where we will be making a ridge using thicker card so that the lid fits on top nicely.

We will be making the sides first and would also apply the bottom fabric The box will be padded, with a fabric lined inside. Marguerita suggested that we could also embellish our boxes with beads etc, but these would have to be added to the fabric before construction of the box.

Notes were given out, and a second set about how to pad the carcass.

We were shown how to cover each piece, with a piece of fabric slightly larger than the card, which were then strung using a zig-zag stitch and pulled tight (stitching the long edge first), then tapering in the corners of the short edges.

When all four pieces where made, we were to stitch down the sides (a circular needle was useful for this process).

We were then instructed to cut a strip of wadding that is up to half a centimetre short at the top and bottom, and join it using a simple zig-zag stitch with no overlap so that it lies flat on the box.

We then took our long piece of patterned fabric and placed it inside the box, folding the edges over the top to make sure it was going to be a tight fit. If it was loose, we knew we needed to shorten the length a little. When we were happy it fitted snugly, we put it back inside the box with the wrong side facing to the outside where we began to hand sew the overlapping edge to the top edge of the box.

When this was completed, we turned the fabric so that the right side was facing the outside and tucked the bottom edges to the underside of the box, and zig-zag stitched it, mitering the corners. An additional piece of card was also covered in fabric in the same way, and ladder stitched onto the bottom to complete the base.

The final task was the lid, not everyone had got to this stage, and for some, our projects would be completed at home and brought back for us to see at the next meeting. However, some of us had started on our lids, and we were to put as much padding as we required, exactly the same size as the lid. We then cut out our outer fabric, allowing 1.5 to 2 inches as a margin all round. This was then sewn on using a zig-zag stitch and mitred corners, as before. We could then pierce a hole in the centre from the top, in order to attach a button to the top of the lid. As with the very bottom, a piece of card could be covered in fabric and as before, and ladder stitched to the underside.

Another way we were shown, was to add a hinge by sandwiching a flat tube of fabric between the lid and the underside card cover and the side pieces and outer fabric, (if we didn’t want to use a button on the top).

Here are the results of the day, we were all kept very busy with lots of hand sewing and we can't wait to complete them, as they are looking delightful. Thank you Marguerita for a lovely day!

On one of our display tables today, we saw the results of some of the Savick Library Bunting Project well under way. Members had taken home the characters drawn by the children from the library, and embroidered them.

For members who did not take part in the box making day school, there were lots of other projects being worked on individually.

Next month is our open day, and we will be having demonstrations in the morning with a sales table and shop (10.30am - 1pm) and at 2pm there will be a talk with Valerie Wartelle on felt making. All visitors are welcome to both events, free admission.

CP

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February 2020 - Day School with Angie Burt - Calico Gardens

3/2/2020

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During the opening messages, it was noted that our next meeting will be 'Box Making' with Marguerita McBride and not what is stated in our printed programme. It was also requested that anyone wishing to attend the Regional Day should let Liz know as soon as possible.

• For the Regional Chair’s Challenge we will construct a series of cubes, each along a particular theme, and members were invited to take one side each to complete. The cubes will then be assembled by participating committee members, and promise to be colourful, varied and interesting. Printed instructions were provided and each individual piece to be completed by June please.

• The Savick library bunting project is progressing and the children’s drawings have now been transferred to fabric, ready for stitched embellishment. Printed instructions were provided and each piece to be completed by September please

Today’s Day School was Calico Gardens with tutor Angie Burt and it was very well attended.

Angie displayed a beautiful selection of her completed pieces, before leading the group with a beginners’ project, challenging enough to be interesting, but not so much as to be intimidating for first timers. Here are the pieces she brought with her:

Angie began by presenting us all with a pack of materials that we will be using throughout the day, including some Pelmet Vilene which we would use to make the sign post. We started off by attaching it using long stitches to provide the effect of shading up one side. The top of the post was affixed using small stitches and two french knots.

Next Angie showed us how to prepare our pebbles and stones.

We used cardboard and wadding to pad the pebble out before covering it with calico and pulling it tight around the back. The stones were made by using a piece of 'tights' fabric stretched over some toy stuffing by sewing a small circle and putting the stuffing in before pulling the thread tight. We were then shown how to sew them onto our calico.

Next we were shown how to create a woven picot stitch to create leaves that where fixed at the bottom and loose at the tip, stem stitch for the plant stems and some linen scrim fabric to make larger flat leaves. Small discs of pelmet vilene were also cut out to create a raised flower, giving a 3D effect.

Everyone made good progress, thoroughly enjoying learning the elegant and charming style of work, which uses a subtle restricted palette of creams, ivories and palest greys and coffee colours, employing a range of very interesting stitches, including appliqué, picot, stump work and other raised techniques. There was even talk of a “lock-in” to make sure everyone finished their pieces, but it’s not the type of thing to rush, the pleasure is in the work itself for such a lovely project, and we look forward to seeing the completed gardens in due course. I dare say we’d love a return visit from such a talented and helpful tutor.

Here are some of the end results..................

Meanwhile, there was a wide range of independent projects underway in “the other room” amongst those not taking part in the workshop.

Sue was working on a piece based on the portrait in the Harris museum of Annie Hill, a 12 year old cotton mill girl. Working on silk organza and using vintage threads in muted tones, Sue’s finely stitched piece promises to be a stunning exhibit. Pam was putting the finishing touches to a beautiful mixed media image of “The Flower Marquee”, a perfect image of a country show stall, and Beryl working on a finely beaded Easter egg.

Annabel was needle weaving a classic yacht, Karen stitching skeleton leaves using fine perlé thread in muted autumn tones and Rosie completing a large calico covered pebble, embellished with seashells and pearls.

Jennifer was knitting a lovely classic 1950s baby matinée jacket in 3 ply yarn, a pattern she has used many times and for several generations, whilst Yvonne was using stump work and calico garden techniques to create “pots and jugs” filled with flowers and plants.

Edwina was beginning an appliquéd wall hanging of a cat, Joan stitching a vintage embroidery of physalis (Chinese lantern flowers) and other autumn blooms and Kay working on a patchwork mixed media piece.

Anne’s project was a vintage damask tablecloth to which she was adding a cross stitch inserted section depicting the four seasons, Kathryn was completing a kit project of a protea flower made from individual appliquéd fabric petals, whilst Carole and Margaret were journalling.

At the back of the main room Kath was using Kantha stitch to embroider a moon-gazing hare onto a piece of printed fabric, which she will then make into a cushion, Hilary hand finishing a embellished felted robin and Tracey completing a crewel work dodo bird in contemporary colours.

Throughout the day Christine was busy PAT testing everyone’s machines and it was lovely to see the librarian from Savick library, who popped in to say hello and see what we were all up to.

The shop and bookstall were both open, but unusually had little custom because we were all so busy. However, the tea, coffee and biscuits took a bit of a hammering - concentrating is thirsty work - on a thoroughly enjoyable day, with lovely work and great company.

Tracey. 1st February 2020

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April 2020- ‘Embroiderers’ Do It in Isolation’- Month 1.

March 2020 Day School - Box Making with Marguerita McBride

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