I feel I haven't really achieved much stitching wise these last few weeks. I have been busy with Christmas preparations, I have been baking mince pies etc, which seem to be disappearing as fast as I can make them! We have also just purchased new sofas, which involved lots of furniture moving and cleaning.
I have started work on 'Libby's Grand Illusion' the Bonnie Hunter 2014 Mystery Quilt. I am behind as usual, but Libby is not in a hurry and I want to enjoy the process. I have decided to work on this quilt on Friday afternoons, which means I will achieve a little bit on it each week. I have been saving the clues and just going along at my own speed. It is nice not to have to work to a deadline!
I pieced this little quilt and hand quilted it using big stitch quilting and perle cotton, it will be the outside, and I managed to pick up couple of hot pink zips and some fabric on sale at my local shop for the lining
Both of these will be for this bag, lots of people are making them at the moment, it looks like a complicated pattern, but apparently you just need to take your time with it!
Yesterday was the last Embroidery Class before we break for Christmas, I finished this small Goldwork piece, to fit in this trinket box that I have had for at least 14 years!
I have been thinking about my next project ready for class again at the end of January. I love the combination of silks with Goldwork but I am not really good at it. I have decided that a sampler might be the way to go, I am thinking of a silk shaded and Goldwork stylised flower surrounded by squares or rectangles of different techniques. That should give me the chance to try lots of different Goldwork techniques and stitches without committing to a huge project. I already had a couple of skeins of the AVAS silks and filled in the gaps so I have a nice shaded range of greys and lilacs. I bought a sample pack of Silver 'Goldwork' threads (Goldwork is the technique, it is still called Goldwork even if you stitch with different coloured metallic threads) I think for the back ground I will use this Oakshott green shot cotton, it is shot with pale grey which I think will really pick up on the silver metallics. I will need to back it with a calico to take the weight of the metallic threads, but think it will work really well.
If anyone has any experience of stitching a Goldwork Sampler or can offer any advice on where to start I would be really grateful! I would like to get my design sorted and every prepped ready to start in January.
Do you want to do Modern Goldwork, or keep to the traditional techniques? Tracy Franklin wrote a book about Modern Goldwork, and I think the RSN have published a book about traditional goldwork - try to get a sight of some of them.
ReplyDeleteThe calico backing is a good idea - and when you come to mount the finished sampler, be sure to pad it, so that plunged ends don't show through!
that is a pretty trinket box - your work certainly perked up a trinket box
ReplyDeleteYour trinket box top is so pretty :)
ReplyDeleteOh love your trinket box so very pretty. The mince pies sound yummy :)
ReplyDeleteI made a goldwork sampler, although it is not quite finished yet. I started at all four sides with different tecniques, and then did a main design in the centre.
ReplyDeleteIf you like I can put it on my blog, so that you can see it.
Love seeing what you are up to! That Sew together bag is something I think looks wonderful. I'd heard there was a tutorial for it on Quilts in the Barn blog?? Sometihng like that. I have yet to look it up, but various people said it was really helpful. I'll be looking forward to seeing how you do with it.
ReplyDeleteLove all the blues for your Grand Illusion! And that trinket box is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe sew together bag isn't hard, it's just that the pattern is badly written! I'd look up the Sew Along that someone did as apparently that had loads of helpful tips. I made mine at a guild meeting and the basic idea is quite simple.
ReplyDeleteYour goldwork is lovely, you may think you're not any good at it, but you're only going to improve with practice. I look forward to seeing your sampler.
SO glad you still had that trinket box Elaine LOL It looks so beautiful. Cheers Glenda
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