November 2015

 2015 for our Stitchers Plus group of the Embroiderer's Guild NSW Inc, has been the 'Year of the Personal Challenge'. It was a year that we all created our own challenge to work towards, culminating in a great display in November.

 Annette's personal challenge was to fix up and redress her beloved doll from her childhood.

This view shows the pantaloons that Annette also made.

 Jenny's personal challenge was to explore filet. To make the mesh by withdrawing threads from fabric, chart her own designs, and to play with colour in filet. Close-ups of these pieces may be viewed in previous posts.

Our houses from 2014 all on display together. From top left going anti clockwise - Susan, Jenny, Robyn, Sheila, Annette, Robyn and Wendy.

Annette's Russian dolls.

Robyn's work basket.

Sheila's sketchbooks. To sketch something every day was Sheila's personal challenge for 2015.

A stitched circle by Donna.

A stitched vase of flowers by Donna.

A bag by Robyn. This bag was part of Robyn's personal Challenge for 2015.

A machine embroidered piece stitched by Robyn in a workshop. Inspiration came from a postcard.

A quilted wall hanging by Sheila.

The pieces below are all by Wendy. Wendy's personal challenge for 2015 was to finish off pieces that she had started in previous workshops. There is definitely a particular style to Wendy's work.

Extra Pieces by Robyn. Above is her lap top bag, while below her self portrait worked from her own original drawing in free machine embroidery

 

The two pieces above are by Susan. Susan's personal challenge was to finish off pieces that she had previously started, using only items in her stash.

Extra pieces by Donna.

A piece by Gerri.

All the above pieces were on display at Guid headquarters in November. Such a great display! After spending the morning admiring how great it all looked, we retired to the back room to participate in Christmas lunch, and to discuss what was on the agenda for 2016.

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.