2016 Treasures in Miniature Show

It is time again for the Treasures in Miniature show, I have completed two pictures and two more are on my slate frame.  

I am also, making the ribbons for the winners, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 3 honorable mention, this is the third year and they are getting easier each year.

The middle of the sunflower are about a million French knots, petals are woven, the leaf is needlelace with a wire around it.  So much fun to make and almost looks real.

The tulip is silk shading or long and short stitches on silk.  This is a design I drew for a future needlepoint class.

They are 4" x 6" each, the requirements for the show is no larger than 64 square inches, just my size.

If you are interested in entering the show you can see the information on the Mercer Island Visual Arts League website.  

Teaching . . . .

Recently I had the opportunity to teach for Pacific Northwest Needle Arts Guild.  (click here to see their website)

I taught goldwork, Henry Hedgehog and my Golden Tree.  I had 6 students, 3 doing Henry and 3 doing the tree.  It was so much fun, I loved teaching these ladies.  

 

Henry was a little goldwork and a little silk shading.  

The Golden Tree was all goldwork using many different types of gold threads.  I have seen two of the trees finished. Every tree is different because I give the shape for the trunk and the students create their own tree.  So much fun!

I am looking forward to teaching more in the future for PNNAG and other guilds and/or shops.  If you are interested in a class for your guild please send me a message.

Thank you for checking back . . . hope you are enjoying spring weather!

Freddy Fox is Published

If you are a member of the American Needlepoint Guild you may have seen "Freddy Fox" (click here to see a picture) AKA Red Fox in the latest issue of the Needle Pointers magazine.   

Thank you Linda for writing this wonderful article about the Royal School of  Needlework and inviting Freddy to be included.  We work hard and have so much fun in our classes.  Last month we completed another class together, looking forward to spring.

Sweet Pea Stumpwork Class

Today I taught a stumpwork class for the NW Sampler Guild. There were six very experienced stitchers and I had a great time. Hope they enjoyed the class and learned enough to complete the project.

The description of the class said you will learn a new way to use embroidery stitches in a stumpwork sweet pea design. Some of the techniques will be silk shading, wired petal, padded pea pod just to name a few fun things to learn to stitch. The kit will include the silk for the background fabric, fibers, wire etc.

I requested that the ladies send pictures of their completed projects to add to my blog . . . . . you may see more soon.

Silk Shading Diploma Class

I returned home recently from taking another diploma class with the Royal School of Needlework. It was pretty exciting as we gathered to meet everyone on April 29th, there was a lot of talk about the wedding. The two tutors who came to the States from England worked on Kate's dress.

Saturday we got to started framing up our slate frames, working on our design and transferring it onto the silk fabric. I stitched a red fox, Freddy, on white silk with Anchor and DMC cotton floss. The CBS Sunday Morning program had a story about the Royal School of Needlework on their show a few weeks ago.

I have to say this project was done with blood, sweat and tears. I can't say how many times I poked my fingers and the last time was my thumb on the second to the last day. I was working on the rocks in the snow, I pulled the thread up and there it was a big spot of blood, well it was actually about 1/8 - 1/4" but it looked huge. I said a bad word and started to cry. Within seconds there were three of my fellow students around me, one took charge the other two rubbed my back, prayed and gave me a drink of water. She said suck on this, a piece of buttonhole thread. She threaded a needle and started taking the needle down through the blood. It wasn't too long until she had most of it removed. Then she said I have something in my room that will take out the rest. She returned with eucalyptus wool wash, cotton swabs and water. She mixed a little of the eucalyptus wool wash with water and very carefully blotted the spot and patted with a paper towel. You can look at the picture below, where is the blood?

Now we all need to add to our sewing tools the following items:

Buttonhole thread and needle
Eucalyptus wool wash
Cotton swabs
Paper towels (maybe just a couple in a Ziploc bag)

The good news is it was a wonderful class with the Royal School of Needlework in San Francisco, California, Lucy does an excellent job of organizing the three classes for about 20 students and day classes too. This is the second time I have had Sarah for my tutor and learned many new tips from her. I am sure she told us some of the same things last time, but it was my first class and I was to scared to remember.

Next class is in the fall, applique . . . . need to get my design ready to be approved and gather supplies.

Silk Shading at RSN

Just returned from San Francisco, I was there for two weeks taking the silk shading certificate class from the Royal School of Needlework. The above picture is the first day getting ready to stitch. I love the sweet pea!

Lucy, a graduate of the school, lives in San Francisco and is the USA Education Coordinator. They will be offering the Certificate classes in April/May and September/October each year. They offered day classes this time too and will offer day classes next spring and maybe this fall, check the website for the RSN http://www.royal-needlework.co.uk/or contact jessica.aldred@royal-needlework.org.uk for more information on the classes and the new Foundation Degree beginning this fall in England.

There were 11 students from all over the country in two class rooms doing silk shading, gold work, Jacobean crewel for the certificate class and two working on advanced classes in gold work and stumpwork. It was fun to watch all the projects and learn more about each technique. Everyone worked very hard to complete their projects in two weeks.

Here is a picture of my project, I am looking forward to it arriving in the mail after the assessment, hope I pass the class. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Silk Shading Birthday Gift and Pulled Thread Challenge

I have been waiting to post this picture, it seems like forever, until my friend in Lyon opened her Birthday gifts. Yesterday was her birthday, so now it is safe to post it since she has seen it. This is a silk shading practice project to get ready for the certificate class at the Royal School of Needlework in San Francisco next April. I still need lots of practice, but everyone has to start someplace.

The next picture is the pulled thread challenge project that I am working on with The Sampler Guild in England. Each month beginning last July we receive a block to stitch. Mine is a crazy quilt design because many of the members are also quilters, not me. I am using blue, green and yellow (yellow because my friend said it had to have yellow, and she was right) with metallic for the chain stitches between the blocks. This only four of the sections, there will be twelve, well if I get one design done and sent to England for March. I am thinking it needs to be green and circles, kind of like a shamrock. Not sure what I will do with it when it is done, could be a book or box cover? Suggestions welcome!

Haven't done a lot of stitching lately, just a little knitting!

Silk Shading

I finally finished the silk shading project from the two day class I took at the Royal School of Needlework last May. A friend flew over from the states to stay for a week and take the class with me, we had a great time visiting Hampton Court Palace, Sunbury Embroidery, Kew Gardens and Richmond Park.

Anyway I have finished my sunflower and I know it isn't perfect, but I also know where the errors are and I will have time to practice more silk shading before I take my Certificate Class next spring.

I haven't pressed it yet and not sure if I will frame it or what yet. I will decide later when we return home to the states.

RSN Day Classes

The other days classes I have taken at the Royal School of Needlework are Silk Shading, Stumpwork and Knot Garden.


The Knot Garden class was actually in Winchester for just one day, but enough to create a small garden and make plans for a larger one soon. I have the DMC box with the glass insert in the lid, I think it will be fun to make a knot garden to put in this box and I have been thinking about a lavender knot garden too. I have taken pictures of many knot gardens for inspiration. especially the gardens at Hampton Court Palace and Kew Gardens.


The stumpwork class was two days, again enough to give me ideas of other projects I can make later. There were several kits to pick from, I selected the castle because I wanted to learn to make buildings and the mount with the bushes. I also, purchased one other of a snow drop. Some of the other people made orchids, they were beautiful.







The silk shading class was for two days and we used DMC and/or Anchor floss and stitched on silk fabric with calico (muslin to the Americans) on the back. There were several different flowers to pick, I like yellow and my husband is from Kansas so the sunflower had to be my project. Now I have learned that I should have picked a tulip instead of the sunflower, but that can be my next silk shading project. This project is still not finished, I will finish it and work on more silk shading to improve my stitching. In this class we used two ply of floss, but most classes use only one ply which is slower but much easier to work with. I think the silk shading is the hardest class that I have taken, so I need to practice a lot before I take the Certificate Class next spring.