August 2020

As we in Sydney continued on a second wave of hot spots from Covid 19, our group decided that once again we would meet via Zoom. Two meetings were scheduled, with a small break in between for drinks and snacks. Seven of us attended, some for a short time, some for the whole time. It was good to catch up with show and tell.

Jenny was finishing of samples that she had done for a major piece, and was turning them into pin cushions. The first one featured a square of reticella, and was finished off with a needle lace edge.

Jenny had also finished off this work bag that was started over nine years ago. Born out of a Counted Thread Round Robin that went around the world, The piece had come back home with holes and broken threads in the fabric. Jenny mended the fabric, fixed up holes, completed the stitching, and turned the piece into a work bag. The piece had travelled to USA, Canada, England, and parts of Australia, and features many forms of counted thread techniques such as Hardanger, cross stitch, blackwork, Wessex Stitchery and Drawn Thread.

Suganthi had finished one stork and had one still in progress. 

They have been worked in stranded cotton, long and short stitch on pale green silk and 

will eventually be cushions for her sister.

Following the completion of her quilt, Sheila used the leftover fabrics and wadding to create three shopping bags.  The cut lengths were joined together somewhat randomly and then she used a quilt-as-you-go method to make the bag sides.  Two of the bags used the leftover fabric for the gussets and a furnishing fabric was used to complete the third bag.  The fabrics are from the 'Thimbleberries' line that Sheila won in 2002.

The above  is Jo's sample using ‘Shosenshi’, a  translucent paper yarn, made with linen. Jo also, added a single strand of silver metallic thread with the yarn to do the stitching.

Jenny had used scrap yarns from her stash to finish this blanket. Her son has christened it 'The Homeless Blanket', though has claimed it for himself.

Sheila's daily practice for August is to stitch on paper.  Years ago, she had marked a large heavy weight paper with india ink.  It was torn it into double page spreads and each day of the month, a simple stitched design is added to one side of the spread.  The pages will be made into a book at the completion of the project.  Sheila's further explorations can be found at:  https://www.instagram.com/thingstitcher/.

We as a nation are still waiting and watching as this second wave of Covid 19 keeps raising it's ugly head. In the mean time we still keep stitching at home, and are planning our upcoming exhibit. 

 

October 2015

 Our October meeting at Guild HQ was a busy day with people coming and going all day due to the Guild's AGM. Consequently, there was lots of chatting with old friends and acquaintances who were continually dropping by. Show and tell was a big part of the day, showing our finished pieces to these friendly drop-ins.

First up we have Robyn's Reclining Box. A covered box, with lid, made from patched fabrics and Robyn's reclining lady.

This is a view from the top of the box, showing the reclining lady on the lid, while the pic below is a view of the whole finished box.

Jenny had been continuing with her filet samples, this time playing with multiple colours to create light and shade.

There were also other samples playing with hems. As the filet mesh is made by withdrawing threads from a fabric, experiments were required to make sure the edges were strong and would stay together, without fraying or falling apart. All these samples are in preparation for a major piece in the future.

Robyn had finished her "Walkabout" bag. This has been made from the panel that she had been working on over the last year.

Annette had been working on her Reticella Hussif. Shown above are the end pieces, and part of the body of the hussif, which will take some time to finish.

Donna had participated in  a play day some time ago with calico, silk and eco dyes. The dyes had come from the bark of a river red gum tree  from Shepparton, Victoria. The apple design is a vintage folk design, which Donna has used to stitch onto her dyed calico and silks.

These flowers in a vase were also stitched by Donna, continuing on with her personal running stitch challenge. In this piece Donna is trying to develop perspective with simple lines.

Sheila had been continuing on with her on-line course with Pavi from Peony and Parakeet, with the two gorgeous pages above.

These two pages are from Sheila's personal journey to draw every day.

Annette had been knitting socks with Canadian yarn. The yarn was supplied by her daughter while she was in Canada in early 2015. The sock is a basic cuff to toe pattern knitted in two colours.

Robyn was working on this colourful piece of hardanger that she started in a workshop with Helen Harvey.

Susan was continuing on a project to use up "stuff" that she has had for a long time. 

"Broken Cup" is a machine embroidered appliqué work  which was started some years ago and never finished. It has now been cut up, and will be completed with trellis laid work.

"Garden" is another piece that Susan started and stopped many years ago. Featuring layers of net, over polyester, the piece has now been appliquéd with stamped leaves and abstract flowers. The flowers were cut from another unfinished embroidery.

If you have enjoyed seeing our work, you may also enjoy a visit to our Guild Headquarters this month, where our group's work is all on display.

July 2013

The July meeting of our group brought six of us in attendance and 3 apologies. Show and Tell was the order of the day.

Susan had finished "Summer After Summer". It is her  interpretation of time passing, and the change over the seasons, years, colours and textures of summer. The riotous colour at the height of summer, drought and the aftermath, bushfires and the new growth in a new summer. The piece is worked totally in stem stitch in a variety of threads. Above is the finished piece while below is a small close-up view.

 Annette had started a sampler of reticella in a class with Margaret Stephens earlier this month. A wonderful class , great learning experience, and with more to do.

Jenny had attended a fabulous workshop with Alison Snepp - "Hussif Using Linen Stitches" . The finished piece is supposed to be a hussif, but Jenny is going to make hers into a needlecase.

The Embroidered letter project is gaining momentum with Sheila stitching up these mini quilts .

 

 

 

 Annette had stitched her letters on the train. A good way to make the journey go faster as well as helping in the Guild Project.

Gerri had been playing with buttons and beads to form her letters.

Mararenelle returned for another day and had also taken on the letter challenge. Each letter had been used as an opportunity to experiment with different fabric and threads to see how they work together.

September 2012

Our meeting this month saw 9 members and two guests, a total of 11 people in all. Our two guests were sisters of two of our memebers, one all the way from Canada, and  the other from Tamworth in the New England region of NSW.

 
Show and tell as always filled the day. Susan's canvas work is a work in progress called "Spring Walk". An abstract interpretation of the glorious spring - flowering gardens that she walks past at the moment.

  The above is the beginnings of a journal cover by Donna using raised chain band. A lot of fun, and with some luck Donna will remember how to work raised chain band forever.

Jenny brought in her reticella table mat for some of our members who had not seen it finished. The piece had recently been on exhibition, and the full story of the piece, as well as other pieces of Jenny's in the exhibition, can be read about on her own personal blog.

Both Robyn and Jenny had been to a private, invitation only, workshop with Chrishine P. Bishop in Byzantine Lefkara Lace. The workshop was over two days. The above piece is Robyn's WIP while Jenny's can be viewed on her own personal blog.

Wendy had been making bookmarks in various techniques using silk thread on linen fabric. Being free in design, the bookmarks will be displayed at Concord and Five Dock libraries during October and November, along with other embroidery works and textile books.

Gerri's samples above are a work in progress from a class in Ukranian Insertion stitches. For Gerri it was a breath of fresh air to learn new things.

Sheila had recently been on a trip to Uluru and Kata Tjuta in Cental Australia. The above drawing is one in her travel diary where she used sand from the location to colour the page.

This is a fabric rubbing done by Sheila using oil pastel on cotton fabric. The design was on a bench in Alice Springs.
I wonder what our next meeting will bring. Be sure to pay us another visit to find out.