September 2016

Our group met at Jenny's home this month, with  six of the group attending. Morning tea of orange cake and pistachio & white chocolate biscuits preceded show and tell. 

Sheila had made a number of brooches that featured her now famous faces. All featured applique and surface stitching.

This is a portion  of Wendy's play attempt from "Stitch and Play In the Mountains", held on the 12th March 2016, with Effie Mitrofanis. Wendy enjoys trying new ways with different thread, and the colour and texture made it fun.

Jenny had been using up scraps of linen and had completed this Hardanger book mark that was started last month. Using a dark green Perle 8 thread, a variagated Perle 8, and a pale green stranded  thread, the book mark was stitched on white linen fabric. The full story of this bookmark can be read on Jenny's personal blog.

This is just part of the progress that Susan had made on her "Memory Quilt". The quilt now has 130 different fabrics made into 1,017 hexagons, of which half have been stitched together. It may become bed sized eventually.

Gerri had finished this blanket made from 28 knitted squares using variegated Acrylic yarn. The squares are crocheted together to give an effective border, and  the finished blanket will be given

to "Wrap With Love"

Jenny had finished the front of her new jumper started last month on the train to Wollongong. It features a cable pattern on one side, and is made from "Savanah", an 8 ply yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

Annette had also started a new jumper in 12 ply Jet, with a pattern sheet from Lincraft. So far she has completed the lace sleeve.

Sheila had made a pencil case using the instructions on Julie Fei Fan Balzer's blog. Sheila is looking at the possibilities of decorating it with stitches.

Sheila had also made this bag using instructions from a Quilting Arts website. The flap could have decoration, while the bag could have a clear pocket for a name tag. This would make it useful for meetings, conventions etc. It is big enough to hold credit cards, money and lipstick.

"To be on Earth, the heart of God" is the motto that is reflected in these hearts that Gerri was making. The fabric is indigenous in design, hence the connection back to the earth and land with a hint of the creation stories. The hearts will be used as gifts.

Another successful day by all who attended. We enjoyed lunch in the sun on Jenny's back balcony, a 'show & tell" of Jenny's sewing room, and some of her pieces that she is most proud of.

An Exhibition

Back in July, we wrote about our collaborative project for an Exhibition, and now has come the time to reveal what we did.

Our collaborative piece was displayed as part of the Biennial Embroiderers' Guild NSW Exhibition, which was held on the last weekend of August. Thanks go to Wendy and Annette who hung the work on our behalf. The were able to creatively layout a mix of techniques, colours and shades to show the works beautifully.

This collaborative work began last year when the question of whether to exhibit or not was raised. " I will be lucky to stitch a 2inch square" was one member's comment. And so an idea was born. That member did manage three squares!

Members could use any technique, any colour and any material, as long as each piece measured
2 inches or 5 cms on each side.

It was fun to see the pieces come together for a test run at our July meeting. We also discussed the title of the work and agreed on " From Little Things". These words came from the Paul Kelly song "From Little Things, Big Things Grow"

At the exhibition, several members were able to explain the work to the public and other members of the Embroiderers' Guild. We received many favourable comments.

We are now looking forward to see where each of us takes our individual pieces. Several members plan to make their works into books, others might join the pieces to create a larger work, and others might use their pieces as starting points for larger works. The possibilities abound.

The big question: will we plan another collaborative piece in two year's time?

A big thank you go out to Sheila who wrote these words, and to Wendy & Sheila for taking the photos.