Kits!

Kits are ready for the EGA Sun Region and the EAC Inspiring Threads Seminars!  I'm looking forward to meeting and stitching with new friends!

2016: An Exciting Year to Look Forward To

As my brain catches up to the fact that it is now well into 2016, I thought it would be great to share with you some exciting events that I will be participating throughout this year.

I'll Be Teaching and Lecturing At:

April 28- May 1:  EGA Sun Region "Red Sails in the Sunset" Seminar  
 in St. Petersburg, Florida

Interpreting Moss with Creative Goldwork Embroidery Bowtie (1 day workshop on April 29)
Dandelion of a Thousand Wishes (2 day workshop on April 30- May 1)

May 17- 22:  EAC Inspiring Threads at Humber College, Toronto, Ontario

Beehave Goldwork Sampler (2 day workshop on May 18-19)

Dandelion of a Thousand Wishes (2 dayworkshop on May 21-22)

Historic Foundations for Contemporary Embroidery lecture


August 28- September 3:  Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina

 Embroidering Impressions of Nature (week long workshop)

 September 20:  SAGA National "Anchored in SAGA" Convention in Hampton, Virginia

Haystacks of Giverny (1 day workshop)
Evolution of Consuelo lecture about my Consuelo: Glitter of a Dollar Duchess gown 

November 2- 6: EGA National "Star Spangled" Seminar in Alexandria, Virginia

Beehive Goldwork Sampler (2 day workshop on Thursday and Friday)

Gregg Floral (2 day workshop on Saturday and Sunday)

Exploring Color Interactions Illuminated in Goldwork Embroidery lecture

Other Exciting Events:

October 19-23, 2016:  Textile Society of America "Crosscurrents: Land, Labor and the Port" Biennial Symposium in Savannah, Georgia
I will be presenting a research poster about my Exploring Color Interactions Illuminated in Goldwork Embroidery project. 

Dandelion is finished!

Here are some photos of the final dandelion:

Dandelion of a Thousand Wishes

My son loves dandelions.  If he sees one in the grass, he picks it and gives it to me.  Making wishes on them is even more fun.  Seeing their seeds fly through the air sets him into reels of laughter and makes my day.  While I was in Durham working on my RSN Goldwork, as I trimmed the ends the Japanese and Rococco threads after I plunged them, the piles of fluffy golden bits reminded me of his dandelions and giggles.  I always save my scraps when doing goldwork, partly because they are expensive and precious materials and partly because that was one thing I remember Tracy saying at my first workshop with her "Save everything, you never know what you might could use them for"--and so I have.  

So, I am starting a new series.  A series of goldwork weeds and wildflowers--outsider flowers using what some may call an outsider art of creative embroidery.  I want them to feel fairly traditional in composition but completely nontraditional in detail and execution.  

For the dandelion, I am using an Aida Rustico 18 count cotton ground fabric.  I thought the rough fabric would be a nice complement to the goldwork, and I loved the slight slub and oatmealy color of it.  All the metal threads I am using are saved ends or "weeds".  Some are tarnished.  Some have barely any metal still wrapped around the fiber core.  All of them are in this pile because they are some kind of damaged or leftover good.  I have decided to embrace these flaws for all the design excitement they could be.  I have to admit, I'm having a lot of fun with this!  I hope you enjoy it too!

 Left Dandelion:  Loose ends with a varigated cotton DMC, stretched smooth purl, and stretched pearl purl. 

 Outside stems:  Stretched silk wrapped purl stitched down with metallic thread.

Inside stem:  Stretched smooth purl cutwork with varigated thread worked over string padding.

 Before her haircut. . . 

 Blossoms finished with a haircut.  

 Dandelion bud:  Bullion knots, stretched smooth purl, and chipping

 Just a bit more to finish . . .