Veronica

Click on the individual thumbnails to see a larger photo.

The Embrioderers Guild suggested in the last issue of Contact that members may like to make a postacrd and donate to the guild for sale. I have got the bug and here are some of what I have sent them. They are fun to do, don't take a long time and a feeling of satisfaction when finished. Why not have a go, and the Guild will benefit!

I love working in variegated threads and this was one way to use up some of my threads - doing Hardanger, another discipline I love! I am new to this and apparently you need to post them 'naked' so that everyone sees the body and admires it as well as giving lots of joy and pleasure to all those who see them as they make their way ot the recipent!

In March 2009, my husband and I visited South Carolina, and of course, as I was the navigator on this holiday, then our journey involved visitng quilting shops and buying fabric. He said that he woudl like a bag for his laptop so that he need not take the bag that usually comes with a laptop with him when we go away. This is the result of that holiday - the dark fabrics are those bought from 'People, Places and Quilts' in Summerville. I was going to make a simple bag, but he saw the log cabin pattern and decided he would like one in that pattern. The blocks were made by hand, and then hand pieced and hand quilted - certainly a labour of love. The border was machined!!! Plastic press studs were used to close the flap but as there is quite an overlap then it does not matter if he does not use them!!!! I did think of making a magnetic catch, but of course, magnets and computers do not mix!

This is the back of the bag, and you can see that the log cabin blocks are not in the usual straight pattern, but I have placed these on the bias. To ensure that there is not too much stretch, I inserted elastic under the binding on the front at the top of the pocket! This keeps the computer slightly tighter in place!

In the latest issue of 'Contact', an Embroiderers Guild newsletter - in a little box on the back page, there was a plea asking for cards to be made and sent to Anthea Godfrey at Hampton Court Palace - the headquarters of Embroiderers Guild. The cards would be sold at the Knitting and Stitching Show in October in aid of Embroiderers Guild funds. These cards are what I made using the cut off log cabin blocks from my husband's computer bag. Nothing goes to waste!! Incidentally, there are no greetings on the cards as that is what was requested by Embroiderers Guild!

This is the Beaded Fish that I learnt how to make at the recent Day School by Ann Mockford. The one on the left is the complete fish whereas the one on the right is a close up of the fish. Again great fun to do and this was the first time I have tackled anything like this!

These are two pictures of a quilt I made at classes at a local quilting shop. I have always admired other people's quilts and never thought I would be able to make one myself but I have! I could have machine quilted it, but I decided to hand quilt it - a never ending, but fulfilling task! What makes it a 'quillow' is that you sew a pocket on the reverse of the quilt, then fold the quilt and push it into the pocket - making a 'pillow' hence quillow - quilt and pillow!

Confusion. This piece of work did NOT begin as it is shown here finished! I was in therapy at the time of working it and I had it all planned out in my head as to what I wanted to do. However, the therapy became difficult and I could not put a needle into the canvas - I was confused, the piece of work was not going as I wanted it to! I decided to call it 'Confusion' and then, with that as the title, I could stitch away to my heart's content using variegated threads, ribbons, beads and whatever I fancied, I was free. Friends that know me look at hti spicture and cannot belive that I did it - it is so unlike anything I have done before. It hangs at an angle as I couldn't decide which way to hang it up!!!

Small slash bag - I bought the pattern for this bag in America, originally for my grand daughter. I made hers, and then adapted for myself. It is larger than an evening bag, so that you can place your phone, hairbrush etc. in the inner pockets as well. Plus, of course, lots of people want to know where you bought it!!!

Encrusted Calico Sampler - These are photographs of a project the 97 Group did recently. It is Encrusted Calico and for me, it was an excellent project because I learnt lots of new stitches. People tend to think that members of the Embroiderers Guild know everything about embroidery, and that is not right. In this piece of work, I learnt how to do – Bullion Knots; Woven Wheel; Back Stitch Wheel; Cup Stitch and Woven Picot.

Other stitches used were Seeding Stitch; Buttonhole Stitch and French Knots. Various threads used included Silks, Perle and Flower threads. I ‘trapped’ washers, curtain rings and wadding in-between muslin and calico before I began stitching to achieve this effect! It was a really fun way of learning new stitches and achieving a good finished piece of work!

Christmas hanging. I made this hanging for a service at my local church during Christmas. It was fun to do as it was mainly applique but I sewed 'sheep' and stones on the hillside and stars on the sky!

The stole was made for a friend at Rochester Cathedral. He knew what he wanted so designing it was easy.

The 'R' stands for Rochester Diocese, the grapes and bread for Holy Communion, and the sheep because Christ is our shepherd. The design is machine stitched on to the silk with hand embellishments.

This bag was made as a result of two things – one going to a WI day where I saw lots of pieces of work that had been 'slashed' and I thought that I could do that! The second reason was that as a member of EG then I needed a bag to take my pieces of work to exhibitions in. The latter gave me the reason to make the bag in the way that I did. Great fun to do but very time consuming!!!