Side tracking...

 ...again.

The little silk piece from the other week has been calling out to me. I am just loving the feel of the smooth silk at the moment and all I want to do is create smooth, shiny little stitches. Colour in with thread. There is something about 'blank fabric' that does not always appeal, so I decided to fill the entire back ground as well. Tiny little running stitches, in neat little rows and using the grain of the fabric as a guide. Getting into a rhythm it was rather meditative. 

Plump satin stitch seed completed the fruit. Almost good enough to eat.

Pomegranate Roundel

Done.
At only 6cm (2 1/4") in diameter it would make a lovely brooch, pot lid or paperweight. I have another use in store and just need to get out the glue...

Happy Wednesday,
Anna

Goldwork progress

What's with the many scissors...?

One of my boys asked as he brought me a cup of coffee the other day (yes, he actually does these things from time to time).

I managed to spend a few hours on the goldwork piece last week and I have often thought that my work table looks a bit like a surgeon's tray with my scissors, tweezers, wax, mellore, thimble and other bits and pieces lined up next to my work. 

Well, the yellow handled ones are my favourite for very fine work. It is a pair of Kai 4" embroidery scissors. Nice and very sharp with a short blade so you can snip in close. The gold ones are my goldwork scissors - great for trimming threads and the curved ones are just fabulous for cutting purls. It is another pair of Kai scissors and my friend, Jenny Adin-Christie put me on to them. You see, the serrated blades on the goldwork scissors tend to grip, snag and unravel purls - these on the other hand cut crisp and clean. Love them.

I finished another two lobes - they are getting nice and big now. 

   It is taking shape and it interesting to see how the the fillings, even though they are the same, reflects the light differently in each one.

Only two shapes to go + the finishing touches. I added an extra lobe curving the opposite way since the original drawing. It just needed something... 

Look back and see how it got this far. 

1. Stitching before stitching

2. Glittering start

3. Progress

4. Progress 

5. Chip chip

Enjoy your week.

Anna x

Work & Play

As you know I will be teaching a hand embroidery course at TAFE SA as part of their short course programme in May and June. This first course is a general introduction to surface embroidery stitches and I am steadily working away on the course material.

It is going to be all 'hands on' with the focus simply to learn stitches and what you can do with them - or at least begin to get an idea of the possibilities. In each lesson we will go through and practice a different family of stitches eg line, chained, linked, knots and so on. 

Part of getting the material ready is a bit of stitching - Thankfully! That way I get a bit of 'playtime' (I think I would go mad if it was all computer work) and make discoveries too. I am not preparing samples of everything - this is not planned to be a 'copy the sample' kind of course, but I still like to have some examples to show and illustrate. It is great because I get to play and make discoveries of stitches too. Just like last night when I had a bit of a play with the simple running stitch...

... now who would have thought!

... Just rows and rows of it and a pretty variegated thread.

For the Foundation Stitches Course you will complete the following:

• A small portfolio, demonstrating knowledge and understanding of equipment, preparation and materials
• A small portfolio of work, showing samples and knowledge of elementary surface embroidery stitches including: 
• One sample of Line stitches
• One sample of Chained stitches
• One sample of Looped and Cross stitches
• One sample of Knot and Isolated stitches
• One sample of Filling stitches
• Your personal sampler based on a simple design or colour exercise and relevant to your area of interest

Hopefully everyone will not just learn the stitches but also get an idea of the endless possibilities and get inspired to try new things. You can download both the FLYER and the COURSE OUTLINE if you would like more details. If you want to and are able to join me, you can BOOK here.

As well as working on the course I am also playing with ideas for some new tiny silk embroidery designs. As much as I would love to spend the rest of the afternoon doing this...

... I'd better stop playing and get to work.

Have a fab weekend. (we are picking grapes ... again...)

Anna X