More Reticella

I have been playing with another design of Reticella. I want to do a major piece and am having trouble with design. For some reason the designs just are not flowing. Something about this little sample looks disjointed. I think I know what it is and have come up with a new design which flows much better than this one but have yet to put needle into fabric. I want to test it first before I start on the major piece and am running out of time. I want the design sorted out so that I can take it away on holidays with me in December. Yikes! Only eight weeks to go! Better get stitching!

A Summer Sanctuary

My latest finished work finally revealed. It has been finished for some time but I have held of posting it until now. It is on exhibition at present at the NSW Embroiderer's Guild "A Gathering Of Threads" exhibition. The exhibition opens today at Olympic Park, Homebush, in Sydney & runs until Sunday.

The piece was a challenge in which we had a specific size & base to work to & had to include some metallic gold. What we did after that was up to us. There were 9 of us in the challenge & it will be interesting to see them all hung together, as they will be all so different.

I have used hand dyed fabric, with Drawn Thread, Patchwork, Cross stitch & Surface Stitching. The piece is in two layers. The underneath layer is patchworked together, while the upper layer is drawn, surface stiched & cross stitched. Hand dyed fabrics are used in both layers.

More Needlelace Trials

I am still trying to perfect my motifs of needlelace. Above are two more examples I have been expermenting with. The one on the right is sample number 2, where I still used the same thread as sample number one seen here but added in more support. It still proved unstable so then I tried sample number 3, the one on the left above, and added in still more support. I also left out the picots & changed some parts from wrapping to buttonhole stitch & vice versa. I used a different thread with this sample as well which I like much better. I have another two threads that I want to try but as far as design goes it is still back to the drawing board. I still need to add in much more support.

Reticella Recognition

Today I am a Happy Little Vegimite ! Some time ago I was approached by Carol Leather for permission to post my Reticella piece on her website. Today I have had notification that this has been done. Although the piece is on my own blog here, it is also now on Carol's website here. I am stoked that someone thinks it is beautiful enough to post as an example of modern Whitework. Thank you Carol.

If anyone would like to see the piece in the flesh is is being exhibited at the Embroiderer's Guild exhibition

"A Gathering of Threads"

being held at

Southee Pavilion

Sydney Showground

Sydney Olympic Park

10th - 14th October, 2007

Anyone living in or visiting Sydney over this time frame should really take a look at this exhibition. It will be a feast for the eyes.

Fabric Bowl

On one of my on-line groups someone has been asking about hand made free standing bowls. This is one that I made about four years ago. Mine is made from fabric & uses embroidery, beading & crochet motifs as decoration. It was made as a "Circular Shades of Black & White Plus One" challenge with the Stitchers Plus Stitchers group that I belong to. Any type of bowl will need some kind of support for it to keep it's shape. This one uses plastic, but a lace one would require something else.