March 2018

Our little creative group met in the library again, beginning the day with a fun exercise by Annette. We were all handed a little kit which contained the beginnings of a cute little needle roll, and a blindfold. The object of the exercise was to stitch blind onto pre-prepared fabric, then later we added some foils.

This is our results of stitching blind. The sample on the left is Annette's finished one

This is the results of our samples once we ad added some foils.

Annette's finished needleroll, both inside and out,  to show us what to turn our creations into.

Following this fun little exercise, we continued with show and tell

This hanging by Sheila was her entry into last year's Margaret Oppen Competition. The theme for the competition was 'Diamonds and Other Treasures'. Sheilas hanging consisted of paper, wrinkled and stitched to create faces. The diamonds have been machine stitched to a background.

Jenny had finished stitching on her 'A year in Stitches' blackwork/drawn piece and was beginning to put it together into a needle book.

These two samples of needle darning are by Robyn. The patterns are by Heath Matthews and Robyn is using Pearle 8 variegated thread.

Jenny had finished the final band on her blue drawn and pulled sampler. The band is a Schwalm design from the book 'Schwalm Whitework' by Renate Fernau. This is the final band on her sampler which so far has taken 7 years of work. 

Annette had started on her coloured pulled thread 'Peacock Feathers'. The instructions have been carried around for many many years and now hope to be completed

Wendy had taken on board some suggestions from the group last month to add  to her 'Stitching on the go' pieces. Suggestions were to add smaller daisies in finer thread to the top one,  and to add red to the bottom one. Wendy is much happier now.

Gerri had been making biscornu pincushions using up scraps from her stash. They feature some surface stitching and button embellishment.

This journal cover of Sheila's is made from an old carry bag that was beginning have seen better days. The better parts have been re-purposed onto this cover.

This is Sheila's new carry bag. It features an old cross stitched rabbit that has been re-purposed.

. This organza work is by Gerri,  for the installation at the Craft and Quilt exhibition. She has used both single and double stranded thread in her surface stitching. The colours  reflect the seasons.

These are Christmas teddies made by Gerri using a tartan fabric and polyester filling. Faces are embroidered using surface stitching.

Gerri’s mandala uses surface stitching to explain that all comes from the heart. This reveals how Gerri enjoys coming to our little group meetings at HQ. The mandala includes the needlework that we do; various aspects of our new building - the library; the walls designs; the sharing of coffee and ideas, as well as friendship experienced in the group. The Mandala was our design exercise from last month.

Gerri has also made some very quick needle cases using scrap fabric and embellishments from her stash.

In preparation for Easter Gerri has used rice paper decoupage techniques with a spray sealant to make these eggs. The eggs were made of paper mache.

. This is Gerri's contribution for the postcard installation that the EG will have at the  craft and Quilt exhibition. Gerri has used all manner of fastenings, combining stitching for repairing and joining fabric.

Sheila's personal challenge for the year is to create art every day. She will be changing her focus each month. January was to do an expanded square every day. The photo above and the photo below are just two of her expanded squares.

In February, Sheila's art focus was on collage, using only an architectural magazine and creating an alphabet. The above two photos are of her letter W and P.

In December the focus was on stamp carving. Above is her trial at stamping pattern repeats. 

Annette had made these socks on 2.75mm needles using Bendigo Woollen mills multi coloured sock yarn. The pattern was also purchased from Bendigo Woollen mills.

Jenny is in the process of knitting herself a new cardigan using an alpaca/wool blend in 8ply from Bendigo Woollen mills.  Using the Paton's Classics for Women pattern book, combined with a decorative pattern  from her 'Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches' book, Jenny has finished the back and is now working on her left front.

Now for some fun Australian Flora and Fauna Christmas decorations worked by four different members of the Southern Highlands Evening CWA group. 

A fun day was had by all. Please come back for another visit next moth to see how we are getting along with all our challenges

February 2018

Welcome to a new year of creating with our little group.

Five of us met in our new home of the Embroiderer's Guild NSW, this time in the new Resource Center. It was wonderful to be able to sit comfortably, with room to spread, and be surrounded by such wonderful books that are housed in this new library.

Gerri led us through a quick design exercise on mandalas that made us think as well as create. After this little exercise, show and tell was combined with our 2018 challenges. It had been decided in November last year that we would all have  our own personal challenge for the year.

Annette's challenge for the year is to finish some UFO's.

First up was this blackwork robin started last year. The original inspiration was from a greeting card by Richard Spare 2005, a hand coloured dry point print. Annette has completed a series of robins worked in varying techniques, all inspired by the same greeting card.

This white work lavender sachet was also worked by Annette. It began as a kit by Jenny Adin Christie and is a white work sampler piece.

This is  'Mary' by Annette, worked on red silk with silk thread using split stitch. The crown is in gold and the coat is underside couching of gold tambour thread.

Meet 'Robert The Horse', also worked by Annette in split stitch using silk thread. Underside couching of gold has been used for the background. 'Robert The Horse' is one of Annette's projects to be finished in 2018 as part of her challenge.

Both of these pieces are from Alison Cole Summer School class 'Opus Anglicanum Triptych'

Another UFO of Annette's is this flocked  tartan  centered square, dating from the 1920's. The piece was started at a Textile Fiber Forum class in Brisbane in the past.

Jenny had finshed some more bobbin lace pieces. The first is this handkerchief edge worked in Gutermann Sulky thread. The pattern was found in an Australian Lace magazine , and what Jenny had thought to be easy, turned out to require a lot of research to figure it out.

This book mark, also by Jenny, is a pattern from Pamela Nottingham's book on Bedfordshire lace. It has been worked in DMC Special Dentelles thread

Jenny has made this baby quilt called 'Umbrella Hills' . Made from a piece of fabric in her stash, it has been quilted along some of the lines  in the fabric print. The quilt has been made for a new member of the family born earlier this month.

Jenny's personal challenge for the year is to finish some UFO's. This piece of unfinished blackwork/drawn thread work is one that started as an on-line challenge for "A year In Stitches" a FaceBook group.  Jenny hopes to complete this piece into a finished article by our March meeting

This blue pulled and drawn work is just a snippet of Jenny's sampler. Begun way back in October 2011, Jenny hopes to have it completely finished by the end of the year, along with another eight UFO's .

Robyn is continuing to stitch on her hand dyed country piece stitching through tea bags.

This bear is Gerri's and has been made from a purchased pattern and fabric from her stash.

Above are four of Gerri's 'Bottomless Cups'using recycled items. Gerri has played with hessian, paint,wool left overs, threads, super tacky glue, beads, ribbon and her imagination.

These squares are Wendy's 'Stitching On The Go'. Wendy carries squares of linen (left-overs from old printed tablecloths and serviettes)when she travels, and uses left over threads with any stitch that comes into her head. She finds it very calming.

Wendy had attended Summer School, participating in Mirjam Aigner's class 'A Splash A Dash', which was all about printing on fabric. The above three photos are just some of Wendy's pieces that she will embroider later.

So what is our aim for 2018? We have all decided that we will each have a personal goal to achieve throughout the year. Below is a list of what some of our members wish to achieve.

Annette

Complete Allison Cole 'Opus Anglicanum Triptych' pieces

Complete a UFO for the Vlinders project.

Have a meaningful piece of work ready to go that is simple and easy to see.

Work a pulled thread peacock feather piece

Gerri

Work something for all HQ tasks

Work on UFO"s

Wendy

Complete Barbara Mullins Central Asian Bag.

Work exercises from Richard Box 'Colour And Design for Embroidery".

Work on textured stitches samples

Robyn

Project 1 'Country' - her mud/coffee dyed cloth with tea bags.

Project 2 Wearable art - Embroidered blouse

Project 3 - Painted and embroidered canvas - Hundertwasser

Jenny

Complete 10 UFO's as listed below

Tenneriffe squares - turn into something

Blue drawn thread sampler- finish ready to hang

Blue knitted bobble bag- needs a lining to be able to use

Pink and green counted thread sampler - needs to be turned into something

Bag with digitised scallop trim - needs to be made up

Allison Snepp Hussif- needs a lining

Pansy textile transfer- needs to turn into something

Fillet piece from the last challenge - needs to be worked

A year In Stitches blackwork/drawn piece- turn into something

Black beaded digitised lace piece - turn into something else

As you can all see, we have all set ourselves some work for the year, so please come back next moth to see what we have achieved.