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.

November 2017

 How exciting was our little group to be the first official group to meet in our lovely new meeting space, the new, modern, and updated building of the NSW Embroiderer's Guild of NSW. It is all so bright, shiny and new, with lots of light to be able to stitch with.

The day was our last together for 2017, and everyone turned up for show and tell, a fabulous lunch, and we even welcomed a possible new member. There were even discussions as to what we will do next year.

Show and tell is a big part of our day, and because we were all in attendance, there was quite a bit. So grab a cuppa, sit back an enjoy what our members have been up to.

This is Wendy's view of the Coastal Track in South West Western Australia, worked primarily in cretan stitch.

Jenny had finished her bobbin lace book mark. Worked in Gutermann Sulky No 30 cotton thread, the pattern is one that Jenny has changed slightly to meet her own working level.

Robyn had knitted this beanie  featuring interesting cable stitches.

Sheila had made these birds using felt  and a variety of stitches. They were designed for a project for another stitching group.

Gerri had completed her blanket and loved the patterns produced by the 'cake' series of yarn.

These little  mothball holders of various sises from a variety of yarns are also by Gerri. There are twelve in all.

This is Gerri's own design of a carry-all for all her craft and embroidery supplies to go to classes. It was fun to make using up bits and pieces from her own stash.

Sheila had made this coin purse. The original  design was purchased at Castlemaine Embroiderer's Guild exhibition in March 2017. This is Sheila's version using raised chain stitch.

This is Annette's pulled and drawn sampler that will become a needle roll. It has been worked on 28 count linen with Perle threads.

The very creative  blue and orange piece above is Wendy's stitch play piece that she has been working with Effie Mitrofanis.

This beautiful sample of blackwork is also Wendy's, from a Barbara Allum's workshop.

Wendy had been having fun plying with colour on even weave linen.

Wendy had been playing with purple and yellow samples using 

threads dyed by Lizette Campbell.

This is Susan's journal cover with some stitchery and applied stitched patches, ric-rac braiding and other fabrics stitched together.

Susan's Memory Quilt is still growing, eventually going to become a bed quilt. This has been made using fabrics from friends, her Mother's sewing projects, and her own which date back  to 40 years ago. The quilt is a stash buster with still a lot of stash to go.

This is a book by Sheila, started in a Dorothy Caldwell class in 2010. Finally finished in 2017.

 Robyn has been working on a  hexagon motif rug.

Gerri had been crocheting flowers & owls, testing her stitching skills on the eyes.

This gorgeous leaf has been drawn by Sheila , part of her Inktober drawings. It is drawn with a crow

quill and india ink.

Sheila had also been playing with collage, part of a monthly project for November

Another book by Sheila, just showing one of the pages.

This gorgeous tiny brooch was purchased by Annette in Brugge on a recent trip away. The brooch is antique needle-lace.

Well I hope you all enjoyed the  year with our little creative group, and come back to see what we get up to in our new official meeting space in 2018. 

October 2017

Our group meeting this month was held at the same time as our Guild's AGM. Some of our members were busy with other commitments, so only two of our members were present on the day. The meeting was held on the second floor of our new Guild building, and those members that attended were all happy and excited about our new, fabulously lit space.

Our show and tell comes to you via e-mail and technology once again.

Sheila had completed a quilt for a grandchild. It is appliqued and quilted by machine. The owl design was found on the internet.

Congratulations also go out to Sheila whose quilt "In A Fog", gained second place in the NSW annual challenge. The quilt can be seen here.

Gerri had also completed a quilt. this one has been made from children's handkerchiefs that Gerri had in her stash. The quilt is for a new baby boy due soon in her extended family.

This little jumper and hat set has also been made by Gerri. Completed for Rotary/CWA effort for African babies. The jumpers are very easy to knit and can be knitted in one piece. If anyone wants to help out, please send us a message or comment with a contact, and we will send the pattern.

Jenny has started another  bobbin lace challenge. This one is a bookmark featuring triangular ground. The original pattern was published in Australian Lace, a magazine put out by the Australian Lace Guild, and featured a variation of a lace spider as well as the triangular ground. As both elements were new techniques to Jenny, the pricking was changed to concentrate only on the triangular ground. The bookmark is being worked in Gutermann Sulky No 30 cotton.

Sheila was fortunate to visit the House of Dior exhibition in Melbourne .

This has to be the pinnacle haute couture from the basic little black dress to the most fabulous ballgown. Each outfit could be seen as a total ensemble, but closer inspection revealed fine details

that made the outfit sing. A simple looking black wool dress at the front revealed a beautiful inverted tulip shaped opening in the back skirt outlined in silk. A daring show of the leg for 1947.

The Look 47 dress designed by Raf Simmons was like a rainfall of hydrangea petals.Tiny squares of organza, perhaps multi-layered, covered the whole dress. The dress was white at the top and gradually shaded to a deep mauve along the bottom with specs of pink thrown in here and there. A stunning dress.

A small atelier section contained the toile for Johm Galliano's Konnici-Kate suit. The toile had the designs drawn on paper pinned to it.

It was interesting to see the completed outfit later in the exhibition.

Gianfranco Ferre's Luna coat dress was a classic in it'sdesign. Basic simplicity with a stand out and stand up lapel

Jenny had received these two petit point pieces in the mail. Found in an op shop by her friend, these two exquisite pieces were destined for the bin. The quilting pin and lace pin give the perspective as to the size of the pieces and the holes in the canvas. Believed to be worked on a linen canvas, Jenny hopes to re-block them and turn them into brooches.

Hopefully our new Guild building will be open for use very soon. We look forward to our new adventures in this new space, so please come back and visit us in November to see what we have been up to.