Eleven down ... one to go

Finally, I completed Module 11 and sent it off yesterday for assessment.  I couldn't believe it'd taken me almost a year to do, which means I can't dilly dally with Module 12 as I want to get it all finished by cut off in May.

I can now show you some of the finished pieces I submitted.  This one above is my experimental cut work done with hand made felts.  Unfortunately the photo doesn't do it justice .  Its one of my favourite pieces.

Below is my experimental pulled work.  I used two layers of loose scrim and bamboo thread and randomly gathered the threads in a circular motion. 

I completed a notebook on all the techniques relevant to pulled work, cut work, drawn thread and needleweaving - which really come under whitework.  This is just one page of my notebook, on Dresden work.  I spent a long time too, researching museums and galleries - and was a bit peeved to find that there was a musem on Ayrshire work, just around the corner from where we were staying in Scotland a few years ago, and I didn't know anything about it. 

 And now for something completely different ... I couldn't help but include this photo I took of the little piglets at the Royal Show in October.  There's something really cute about those little bums .. and I did feel guilty the next time I ate bacon.

 We mainly went to the show to take some elderly friends to see the Clydesdale horses, but I couldn't help but disappear for an hour to view the craft section, and wanted to share some of the work I saw there.

This one won the contemporary embroidery and appealed to me because it was done with a lot of the Casalguidi techniques I like.  It was stitched by Geraldine Peterkin.

And this one won first prize in the "Any Category" and 2nd prize for the Overall Exhibition in Embroidery at the show and its no wonder, its beautifully stitched and looks just like a photograph.  Its created by Mary Pearson in free machine embroidery.  What I would give to be able to stitch like that!!

 Before we finally left for the day I had to have a peep at the cats and dogs, and fell in love with this gorgeous cat who's the mascot for the Swan Animal Haven.  I love the way she's got her paw on the collection tin ... how could you resist heh?

So now its a breather for a day or two, and then into sorting through the past 6 years of work and making sure everything is in order and putting it all together. 

Experimental cutwork

Sorry I've been away so long, but my hands haven't been idle.  I have managed to complete my experimental cutwork sample for Module 11.  I used two layers of handmade felt and a multicoloured thread.

I don't want to give away too much info yet until I've lodged my design for assessment, so I'm just giving you a little peak at part of the design.  Hopefully it won't be long until I've got the whole module finished and can upload the complete piece. 

Heirlooms

My sister's mother-in-law recently passed away at the age of 93.  She was a wonderful lady and is surely missed.  MIL (as I'll refer to her - mother-in-law) was first generation Australian of Italian heritage, and her famiily made a tremendous mark on the history of this state.  She came from a large family, and family was the most important thing to her.  

Recently her daughter has come across embroideries that MIL hand stitched as a young woman, and I've been lucky enough to enjoy them and photograph them to share with you all. 

These embroideries are all approximaely 75 years old and are in brilliant condition and the stitching is exquisite.  MIL worked for a tailoress when she was young, and she would sit with her sister and they would spend  hours together stitching and chatting.

Even the back of the work was as neat as the front.  This one above is cross stitch worked on a damask tablecloth ... no fabric threads to count over.  Perhaps the design had been printed on the fabric, we don't know.

This table cloth is again worked in cross stitch and four sided stitch for the hemming.  It is soooooo neat!!!  Looking closely you can see that the stitches are all worked over the same fabric threads, yet the linen is very fine and it would've been hard on her eye sight.

Its nice to imagine the stories shared whilst stitching with her sister.  Many people dismiss embroideries such as this, but only those who have spent many hours doing it can appreciate the love and devotion that goes into such work, and the stories behind them.  Sometimes they are done whilst watching babies sleep, or waiting for a husband to return from work, or as gifts for people they love, or as items for a home when newly married - they are all intricately woven into our lives, and are as special as a photograph or a diary.

Again you can see how neat the back of the work is.  The one below is my favourite.  It's a tablecloth with rounded cutwork corners and crocheted edges, and is as crisp and fresh as the day it was made.

Having just worked my own cutwork design I can appreciate the work put into this, and marvel at the consistency of her stitching - the tension is all the same, the stitching is precise and neat.  It's just beautiful.

The colours are so fresh and still very white.  I believe it was only used on special occasions, and can understand why.  Can you imagine someone dropping beetroot on it !!!????

Some close up views for you.

Even the crocheted edges were done by MIL.  She was very much a woman who did things by hand, as that was the way in those days.  She made her children's clothes, was a wonderful cook who could provide a banquet at a moment's notice - enough to feed half a nation at each sitting.

And like many Italians of that era she and her family would gather to make tomato puree, this was something that would be a family affair and take all day to do, amidst laughter, eating and chatter.  Do you think we've lost something nowadays?  I do.  What wonderful times they were, and even though she will always be missed, how lucky are we to have such wonderful heirlooms to treasure, all made by her own hands and with an abundance of love woven into all of them.

Cutwork

It's funny how things turn out sometimes.  During the stitching process I really didn't like my embroidery on this cutwork sample.  I thought it was untidy and too lumpy and I got a bit fed up of it.

But once I cut out the negative spaces and washed and pressed it, I was pleasantly surprised and actually like it a lot now.  I have a feeling it'll be something I do again in the future.  The longest part was getting a design that would suit.  I searched for ages on the net and finally found two designs I liked and then fiddled around to make them work together, then added some scallops so that I could finish off the sample neatly and hey presto!   

The only thing I'd change in future is where I placed the cross bars ... some are too close to tight corners and don't work very well, making it difficult to cut away the fabric, and I'd adjust the pattern so that the two designs don't overlap in places .... this is where the stitching got a bit lumpy.

I used a white linen and DMC Perle 12 thread for this sample.  I started with cotton a'broder but it soon wore the thread and made it fluffy, so I unpicked and started again with the perle.  This worked well except I kept catching the thread underneath and it twisted a lot.  Trial and error, I suppose.

I'm glad its finished and now I can start on my experimental samples - haven't a clue what I'm going to do yet - need a couple of hours to sit quietly and have a think.  Better put the kettle on then and find those chocolate biscuits ......