Pill Pouch Joanna henson

 Joanna made a pattern at last month's meeting using her Secret Stash. She embroidered the pattern using parallel running stitch in bright colours.

Realizing that she needed a pouch for her pills she folded up the sides and stitched them making a pocket with a flap.

Thanks Joanna . What a good idea, pretty and useful as well!

Raffle Colour - Fungi 4th October 2022

 

6th September Meeting - AGM - followed by setting the programme Secret Stash- Fran Walker/ Machine Embroidery- Sandra Kendall

 We started our new Embroidery year with our AGM. This was our first proper AGM since we reformed the group a year ago.

Last year we started with £30 per head subs and over the year we have gradually built up our finances from the monthly raffle ,sales table and a table at a craft fair. Thanks to the hard work and support of everyone we are now on a better financial footing and we are able to have our first outside workshop in October.

We also have a new committee to support the group by the work they do behind the scenes and we are able to look forward to a brighter future.

Following the AGM we set the programme for the following year where many of our members have volunteered their skills to lead workshops. We are also going to run a skills based day with 4 different activities to try out across the day.

We then got down to the important part involving stitch!

Fran, one of our own members, had set up an activity called Secret Stash where members were given a small roll of fabrics with the task to make something with stitch in 2 hours.

A roll of fabrics

Members took only a few minutes to look at their fabric, come up with ideas and then you could hear snipping of scissors and see the pinning of pieces .

 There were some wonderful ideas and not one was the same.

After the pieces were set out and pinned stich was used to link the fabrics together.

After 2 hours most members were nearly finished and the range was extraordinary. It was a fun 2 hours and thanks go to Fran for introducing us to the idea.

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In a corner of the room 2 machines were set up to give more free machine practice to 2 of our members.

One practiced straight stitch and the other practiced zigzag and then she used straight stitch on a range of materials including sheers.

It was a very busy meeting but a lot was accomplished, the AGM, new committee, setting the following year's programme, Secret Stash, free machine embroidery.

A big thank you to everyone for helping to take part in the above activities and set up the programme for the next year.

Raffle -Drought September 2022

 

North West Open Day

 Please let anyone who might be interested know about this event and encourage them to attend what should be a good day.

We will also have a stall.

My Journey - A presentation by Clarissa Bousfield July Meeting 2022

 Clarissa had been invited to speak to us by popular demand after her work had been seen at the Silverdale Art Trail and we were very pleased when she said yes.

Clarissa  arrived with all sorts of wrapped,  tantalising, packages in boxes and there was a lot of excitement in the room as to when members would see what was inside!

She set up her exhibition of  sketchbooks, early 3D models,  fashion story boards and framed pieces of the most exquisite embroidery mainly of frogs and butterflies.

She spoke about her early years and how as a child she had always enjoyed making things, learning many of her skills from her mother.

She had then gone on to study A level Art and continued her studies at Herriot Watt University studying Fashion and Textiles.

She said that most of her work was 3D as she loved the form of butterflies and frogs.

Many of the butterflies and frogs were on the red list and therefore there was something special about seeing a 3D embroidery of an animal which we will probably never see in the wild and might not exist in a few years time!

The presentation was illustrated with pictures of her work via her computer and as each piece was show there were gasps of Wow! and Ooh! at the complexities and the sheer artistic skill involved in making animals so life-like. The number of processes involved in each piece was awe inspiring and Clarissa is now learning to make lace to add to her numerous skills.

After the talk Clarissa answered questions and the members were able to wander around looking more closely at her work asking more questions as they went.

The presentation was enjoyed greatly and set a level of embroidery we could only hope to aspire to. Fingers were itching to return home and do some more embroidery.

Thank you Clarissa for a very interesting and informative presentation and inspiring us all to aim higher in our own work. We wish you every success in the future with your artistic skills as they develop even further.

Free Machine Embroidery - Mary Seaman and Sandra Kendall July Meeting 2022

 We had a talk booked for the afternoon session so members were able to do their own work in the morning  or there was a chance to join one of two machine embroidery groups. Mary led the group  of Beginners and Sandra led the Improvers.

Mary showed the beginners group how to lower the feed dogs and set the stitch length and width. When they were ready for thread she showed them how to catch the bobbin thread and bring it to the top and hold the threads taut while stitching began.

They practised control by making patterns, leaves and other shapes.

The intermediate stitchers practised stitching up and down and side to side. Then circles and filling in a shape followed by vermicelli stitch.

They then practised edging two small pieces of applique, an oval shape to be made into a bird by adding legs, tail, beak, crest and wings and a flower that needed leaves and a stem, followed by a stamped gingko leaf which needed outlining and veins.

The free machinists were going home to practise some more because it is one of those skills that needs constant practice. It often needs a practise piece before starting  a new embroidery as the stitching is affected by thread, fabric and surface fibres.

We hope to continue with a chance for more practise sessions in the Autumn.

A thank you to Mary and Sandra for leading the sessions.