WOYWW576
Well, hello my friends. It’s been a weird ol’ week! Couldn’t settle properly to anything at all… so, consequently, I have moved around the house doing a bit here, a bit there. So, rather than a photo of my desk on the landing, my picyures this week are from all over the place! Why not join us around the world, peeping t people’s art spaces. https://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ ill get you there – and you will be made most welcome.
I did manage, between I-player episodes to finish the multi coloured blanket from last week. This meant I now had 5 blankets finished… until I visited a friend who wanted to see what I had been doing with my time during lockdown. So I took that lovely peachy coloured one, my robin, and the scrapbook … and sold the blanket! Oh well – another visit to Aldi coming up?? So here’s the first centre of activity, and the multi coloured one I finished this week.
My second area of activity was to sit on the bed and continue with that tapestry. I now have very little to do… I’ll show you a photo when it is completely finished. So, I thought, what now? Julia has sparked something… her suggestion of finishing UFOs… well, over 20 years ago I did a City and Guilds course in Design with Embroidery. I always wanted to document why and what! So, I hauled all the work, design boards, completed commissions, books and samples out of the wardrobe and the cupboards, and photographed the lot! Maybe I’ll show you a few bits over the coming weeks – I’m certainly hoping to put together a website page on here with it all. No idea how long it will take… but it was such a HUGE amount of work – even for just Part 1 (the only part I managed as John was becomming less able to pick up the slack) – that I didn’t want it to just get stuffed in cupboards and forgotten. So, a couple of pictures…
One small piece we had to make – a needle sampler book. Pages, each describing a different sort of needle, used for a different style of work. I embroidered the book front, and marbled all the enclosed pages. (Told you it was a lot of work!)
One of around 50-60 sewn samples. This one demonstrating free machine embroidered leaves. The background is just one of the card backgrounds created to display all the samples.
My final, finished, piece. (One of four large pieces) The brief was – a metre, based on Sea and Sky. The embroidery and its mount had to be a metre in length or depth. I chose a photograph of an early morning mist on Ullswater (not my own image, but with permission from the photographer), and based a 3-d firescreen on it. There are at least 5 layers of voile, all slightly different colours, all demonstrating different techniques, all separately mounted and held nearly an inch apart to add depth, with a light behind, and standing on 10inch legs. Yes, it was quite a project! It shows free machine embroidery, distressed fabric, hand made cording, applique, dissolvable fabric work…. you name it, it went in to this piece!
When I got the syllabus for the course, and realized quite how much work was involved, I was determined that whatever I made as my finished pieces – they would be of use. I wasn’t going to spend all that time and then throw the things away. So, the firescreen sits in my lounge even all these years later. The other items are around, too!! But I’ll show you those another time.
Another workspace this week has been the garden – Yes, I know that a weed is only a flower in the wrong place… but actually, there were quite a lot of them in the wrong places – so it was time to begin the sort! Here’s what’s on show out there this week…
So, top left to bottom right… The day lily – is in full flow at the moment. It would be good to have a different colour as well, as the two large banks of these are all the one orange. No idea what the second flower is – about 3 feet tall, near the pond… The teasel is already over 6 feet tall, and will, I’m sure, grow taller before it becomes a seed head. The mimulus in the pond looks great this year, and there are now orange poppies as well as the yellow Welsh variety. No idea what the purple flower is – none of my neighbours has either. We only know it grows and spreads well here by the sea! The geraniums are glorious this summer – and, as you can see – so is the grass in the midst of it! And as for this red poppy… growing up right between the slats of my garden chair – who knows where it has come from. I have NO other red plants in the garden! Obviously making a bid for freedom from some other garden…
So, that’s me… working in different places, but not achieving a great deal this week (there’s still plenty of grass in the garden, for instance!) I leave you with a touch of Wales…
… taken four years ago this coming August, on a day trip to Angelsey. One of the country parks up near Holyhead. No mountains this week, no sea, just a gorgeous pond and vertical cliff face in beautiful sunshine.
Take care dear friends. Stay safe. God bless you all.
Margaret
Wow, that City & Guilds course looks a lot of work. I remember the fire screen too,and look forward to seeing more over the weeks. Well done on selling a blanket, even if it means hving to make another!! Helen #2
Wow Margaret what spectacular embroidery. The course was an amazing amount of work. The fire screen is indeed a thing of beauty, glad you get to look at it each day. Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #8.
Wow the City and Guilds how wonderful!!! I did a box making course run by them when I was a teen, I really should have done more. Your pieces are amazing can’t wait to see more. One of the things I’d wanted to do as a kid was restoration work on embroideries or something like that. It never happened and now with the hands going numb all the time with pins and needles it’s just a passed dream. Thanks for the visit BJ#7
Morning, oh I do miss visiting you and seeing the fire screen every time, it just symbolised you and John.
That leaf design and needle book look fun, when we are allowed to visit, I would love to see all your creations from the course
Bless you for sharing
Chris
Oh what wonderful work – I absolutely love your fire screen piece, what a beautiful and tranquil image. The little leaves are gorgeous too and what a sweet little embroidered book – I love the needle on the front of it.
It looks like your garden is a riot of colour at the moment – the yellow flower is Jerusalem Sage (although mine is a darker yellow, more like the colour of gorse) and the mauve one looks like Erigeron, my friend calls it Sea Daisy – which would explain why it likes your garden!
Hope you have a good week and stay safe,
Diana xx #11
Thats a lovely lot of work you have there well done, such a lovely lot of colour in your garden,
Take care and stay well and safe,
Oh how fascinating to see your embroidery projects for the C&G course, they are amazing and so beautiful – I shall look forward to seeing the rest of them as you feature them over the next few weeks. What a wonderful thing to have done Margaret, maybe one day you could do the other modules. You obviously have a real skill , thank you for sharing. And I’m so pleased you sold that blanket, I know you give pretty much all your crafting away (as do I) but sometimes it’s good to know that what we make has a worth and it’s some cash to splash on new stash!!
Hugs LLJ 4 xxx
God morning! Thanks for your earlier visit (not often I can say that at 9.30 in the morning as I’m not usually this organised). I am not criticising your photography skills but that photo really does not do that fire screen justice – when I read all the work that had gone into it I had go back and peer again, I hadn’t realised all the layers etc that were there. What a fantastic project to pull it all together, can’t wait to see more. While I remember, the yellow flower is a Phlomis, (Turkish sage?) and I have lots in my garden, they do spread once they get their feet down. That last photo is simply stunning, there is such beauty in the world it takes your breath away. Happy WOYWW, stay safe, stay well, hugs Cindyxx #11
I can confidently say that the poppy came from a birds bottom. Or beak. Isn’t it pretty, and aren’t they hardy seeds!! You are a modest dark horse missus, the CandG stuff is amazing, the amount of work involved makes me swoon just thinking about it…..specially the needle book. What a great knowledge to have though, which needle for what. Most of us (me), wouldn’t know more than three or four types for specific jobs! I appreciate your tackling the garden, it helps me feel better about the part that I have to start on…the it that still looks like a building site but now is weed strewn patio at the side of the house. It has been the concrete mixing, brick storing, ladder dropping are for three years, but now, it needs to be sorted! I don’t enjoy it particularly, but I do want it to look tidy if not nice!!
I can help with the purple flower, we have loads all growing on the front wall and some on the back wall; they’re called Seaside Daisies! They’re also known as Seaside Fleabane, and Beach Aster. They’re originally from California but are now found everywhere. I love the cover of the needle book – very clever to embroider a needle with thread. I shall be interested to see all your work. I love embroidery – looking at it, that is. I don’t have the patience to do it. I went to see an exhibition of Medieval embroidery at the V&A several years ago – it was amazing.
Oh my goodness, Margaret!! What a marvellous pieces of art. I can imagine it will time take to make all that. WOW. The flowers are such a great bunch of colours and your photo of the mountains is breathtaking.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Happy WOYWW
Mariane #26
Oh wow, Margaret, such fabulous embroidery pieces! Well done. I very much look forward to seeing your new website page about it all. We have a great friend who has done City & Guilds embroidery and is now working on her diploma (or “diplomall” as she calls it – they are from Bristol lol!). The assignments set are quite challenging and I always love seeing what she does. I used to belong to Westcountry Embroiderers when we lived in Plymouth and we had weekly meetings – workshops and dayschools, and I learnt a huge amount. I’ve got a couple of embroidery UFOs which I shall get to eventually, probably after I’ve completed the knitting ones. Your garden is looking really great, and what a gorgeous landscape photo of your environs! The crochet blanket is great, too. You certainly have been busy.
Thank you for your visit. Yes, the pantry project was quite tiring, but not too bad, because I didn’t do it all at once, but it took place over several days with plenty of rests. There was a lot of stuff lying around in the kitchen until I completed it all! I am very happy with it now.
Happy WOYWW and God bless,
Shoshi x #22
Actually Margaret I well remember some of your embroidery as commented on them, but loved the relook.. and your garden is wonderful. I’ve lots of those plants in wrong place too.
Well done on selling your peach rug too, it was lovely.
Re your last Welsh spectacularly beautiful vertical cliff scene, would I be able to borrow it as a template for bible verse?
It would work well as mostly one level of colour ie not light dark contrasts. Often use them on my Christian blog, do it in Phonto app. Will email it before publish if ok..
Happy WOYWW ?
Thanks for sharing, and may God bless and keep you and all whom you love safe and well.
Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz. X #21
{Wonderful Words of Life – Shaz in Oz}
{Calligraphy Cards – Shaz in Oz}
Oh! My! Goodness! What an interesting post. Lots to see and admire, especially all the needlework, soooo beautiful. Can’t help with the flowers, I have forgotten nearly all the names of plants now. Thank you for the view, it’s quite breath taking.
God bless you and keep you safe
Christine #28
Hi Margaret, I love the pieces you made on the course and can’t wait to see more. I’m not surprised they wanted the crochet blanket, it’s gorgeous. Thanks for asking about mum. She’s fairly settled but it will take time and the carers are sorting the visiting times which are better. Have a lovely woyww and a happy creative week, Angela x20x
Good grief, what a lot of work?! But so worth it. I particularly like the trees in the fire screen and the free machine embroidery on the leaves, just beautiful. Have a great week, Lisa-Jane #23
Hi Margaret, oh my, that C&G coursework is stunning! I’m not surprised you wanted the pieces to serve a function, it would have been a shame for them not to be seen. Lovely flowers in your garden, I was going to say the purple one has the look of Michaelmas daisy to it, which is a member of the aster family. Good news you sold a blanket- it’ll fund the next one, lol. Stay safe, Have a lovely week, Hugs, Shaz #16 X
Your embroidery is beautiful! WOW!
Love the colorful blanket.
Gorgeous flowers. I’m barely able to keep ours watered for the heat and wind.
Love your Wales picture!
Thanks for popping by and have a wonderful week!
Carol N #30
Wow that course was quite something wasn’t it. The pieces you have shown us are stunning. Love the Wales picture – makes me want to swim! Happy WOYWW. Take care and stay safe. With love & God Bless, Caro xxx (#34)
That was a fabulous read Margaret, thanks. Felt like I was reading a nice magazine.
Stay well and safe and see you next week.
Lynn xx 14
Hi Margaret, I would want to be able to use pieces if I created ones as lovely as you have. They are absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing them. I’ve been looking into crocheting – maybe next year I will challenge myself to learn a new skill. I remember similar blankets from when I was a child, my mother used to make them. Nice that you sold one, too. Love the Anglesey photo – I shall have to see if we can visit there next year when we are on holiday. Have a lovely week and stay safe and well, Heather xx #13
Hi Margaret, hmmm first thought on the purple flowers was Asters but, I do not know if they grow like a ground cover. (the ones I had were more like Daisy type clusters of plant with flowers on tall stalks)
It is always so interesting to me to see what other people are growing or have around them. ~Stacy #31
Beautiful Embroidery Margaret , I especially love the framed piece. The crocheted blanket looks gorgeous too – not surprised they are selling. So Sorry I am late posting – I chose the wrong day to tidy my craft room and lost the whole day !! Have a great week . Soojay #27
Sorry I am so late, had a bad day yesterday and today is not much better as yet. But did have two and a bit days of no pain before.
Love what your plans are, that is a very rewarding task and I am sure it will be passed from generation to generation when you have finished it. The screen sounds amazing, looks fabulous in the photo but the layers I guess need to be seen to appreciate.
Margaret, is there no end to your talents?
Hugs, Neet 6 xx
I loved reading your blog – what beautiful pieces of work! I love the leaves embroidery!
Loved the little bit of Wales – I lived on Anglesey 20 years or so ago and before that South Wales. Now though, after several countries, we have settled in Australia.
Stay well, keep safe
Susan #39
Ah – my idea of a perfect post! Margaret your embroidery is stunning – do show us more – I love it. It reminded me of my Textile course when I trained at Sheffield City College of Ed. I really enjoyed learning new techniques and it has stayed with me all my life. I guess I even passed it on to Max too! Happy days! xx Jo #16
Hello Margaret, Your embroidery is marvellous and the final picture is a beautiful view. Feeling rather stressed probably worried about Dolly! God Bless Angela x #38
Oh WOW, that misty embroidery piece is really beautiful!!! In fact, I love all the embroidery you show. Thanks for stopping by my blog last week, I’m rather late but took a break from creating to visit you back. Enjoy your weekend, hug from Holland, Marit #24
Wow! Such gorgeous photos on your post! So sorry for the very late visit, but I had a busy week. Wonderful photos of your embroidery and I love the garden pictures. Have a wonderful rest of the week. Dorlene #32
Hi Margaret! Sorry I’m so late, it’s been hectic week.! Your embroidery is absolutely stunning, you learned a lot on that course! I think I might have that purple flower in my garden as well, I will try and identify it. What a beautiful country Wales is, you are so lucky! Thanks for your visit, Lindart #36