Stitch December/January 2023

Are you a social stitcher? Do you belong to a stitching group, like our industrious embroiderers on page 15? Or do you love to head to stitching workshops and shows whenever you get the chance? I was thinking about how important the social side of stitching is for so many, when I got to enjoy a trip to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, back in October. The place was packed – and had been each day apparently – despite train strikes occurring on some of the dates the show was open. It struck me that post-pandemic, many embroiderers were champing at the bit to meet up with others, and see some pieces in person at last, with plenty of retail therapy to boot! It’s wonderful that needlework…

FIND THE TEMPLATES FOR THIS PROJECT ON PAGE 55 For this project, I was inspired by Tudor sweete bags – beautifully decorated embroidered bags that were often given as gifts and might hold an extra gift inside. Sticking with the Tudor theme, I wanted to include pine cones and fruits as these often feature in the Hampton Court Palace seasonal decorations, which are quite a treat for the senses! Whether you make the bags for yourself or a loved one, my hope is that they create an extra spark of joy to accompany the delights that are inside. YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS • Fabric: - Cotton twill, Cream, 110 x 40cm- Cotton calico, 70 x 40cm (optional, use if your main fabric needs additional support)- Lining fabric, 60 x 40cm…

How long has the group been running and how many members are there? There are 30 members at present, spilt between three groups. Two groups are held on Fridays, 10.30am-12.30pm and 2-4pm at The Bubble, Chapel Court, Bath. The other group is held Thursday mornings 10am-12pm at St John’s Foundation, Combe Park, near the Royal United Hospital, Bath. All three groups come together for our one day exhibition held at The Bubble during summer and for a knees-up lunch at Christmas. What sort of regular activities does the group get involved with? In 2017 we were asked by Bath Abbey to design and produce an altar frontal. I drew out a design that all the class could take a part in. The design was ‘passed’ by the Abbey and I…

FIND THE TEMPLATES FOR THIS PROJECT ON PAGE 54 Alfred Tennyson wrote, “Many, many welcomes, February Fair-Maid”. For me, the snowdrop is the first sign that spring is on her way. Their small bowed heads dance in the winter’s wind with so much joy and a promise of what spring has to offer. I have wanted to stitch snowdrops in silk ribbon for a while now and I do hope this design does them justice. YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS Fabrics: -Rusticlinencottonblend fabric, 50 x 50cm -Muslinforback), 50 x 50cm -Naturalfelt10 x 10cm Lightweight card Wadding Sawdust/wadding for filling the Pin Drum Silk ribbons: -2mmDivanNiekerk Silk Ribbons #24 Light Pine, #19 Fern -4mmDivanNiekerk silk ribbons, #19 Fern, #25 Dark Pine, #53 Dark Peace, #55 Custard, #74 Wisteria, #76 Lilac, #89 Lavender,…

With just a little effort and a few stitches a beautiful result can be achieved in no time at all. Here are a few of my top tips when working with silk ribbon… 1 Try to keep the length of your ribbon to about 12-14 inches. This prevents it from running a seam down the middle and fraying on the edges. 2 It is important to use a large, sharp-pointed needle with a large eye. This means the needle makes a big enough hole in the fabric for the ribbon to pass through without snagging. The large eye prevents the ribbon from folding on itself. 3 Ribbon is used just like thread, but it is a softer and more pliable material. 4 If you make a mistake, in most instances…

WALES STUDIO 40 THE COVID CHRONICLE EXHIBITION JANUARY 14TH – 25TH FEBRUARY 2023 Studio 40 40, Queen Street, Neath. SA11 1DL Studio 40, a new Art Space and Gallery in Neath, Wales is exhibiting The Covid Chronicle in January/February of 2023. It was the idea of Wendy Bliss who started the project during lockdown February 2021, inviting people to respond to how the pandemic was affecting them, in fabric and stitch. At the time, Wendy had no idea how far flung would be the response. www.thecovidchronicle.org ONLINE THE EMBROIDERER’S GUILD EMBROIDERY EXPLORERS! WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2023, 5PM Join couture embroiderer and RSN embroidery degree graduate Felicity Alice online for a series of two 2-hour workshops. Workshop 1: Making a mark; experimenting with a variety of materials in a contemporary…