Monday, June 21, 2010

Son's wedding.




My Embroidery World

My embroidery world started for me when I was a lilttle nipper of 6 years old. My maternal grandmother was always busy with needle & thread doing something. I used to watch her fascinatedly as flowers & leaves suddenly grew from under her hands. One day she presented me with an apron already stamped with "Jack & Jill" tumbling down a hill on it. With her gentle coaxing I learned how to do the basic stitches, stem stitch, satin stitch, chain stitch, long & short stitch & straight stitch. I was hooked for life!

As I grew older I attacked different tecniques such as Richelieu cutwork, & I worked a table cloth in the tecnique which I still have today. Later after leaving school I went into an apprenticeship for 5 years for dress designing & making. This put me in good stead for sewing garments for the family & my two sons. They wore little sheppherd suits which were smocked on the front yokes which was the nearest thing to embroidery that I could get away with on boys garments!

Later after my husband & mother died I decided to join our local Embroiderers' Guild to which I have belonged for nearly 21 years. It was there that a whole new world opened up for me to learn dozens of different tecniques all of which I love. I sat another course for Design & Creative Embroidery which lasted for a year before completion. This gave me the confidence to be a tutor, & I have tutored embroidery of all sorts up & down the country & at local shops.

My favourite types of embroidery are: stumpwork, Elizabethan, goldwork, pulled thread, needlelace, blackwork, Spanish-Moorish cutwork ................................!

I also make bobbin lace & do parchment craft as well - just for a change!