A weft yarn

Elephants: Mother and son

Date: March 2013

So, after a week's stitching adventures with the elephants I've managed to make good progress on the mother elephant's trunk and front leg. I've also put some shading in under the baby's trunk as well. 

In Jenny McWhinney's notes you are given a picture of her finished embroidery (which looks amazing) and some drawings of the elephants, with stitching instructions. I've mentioned before that I like to work closely with Jenny's images as I think this will give me the most pleasing result. I feel that I still have so much to learn about threadpainting that I'm really keen to just follow the master's instructions.

I love the way the little elephant peeps out from under his mother. Some time ago, I decided the baby elephant was a boy. It just kind of suited me. My first born is a son. So, if this is the elephant mother's first born then it is a son.

We're big fans of the David Attenborough series of nature documentaries and, probably some time in the early 1990s, I remember seeing footage of a mother elephant waiting with her new born baby, who struggled to stand. There were quite a few anxious moments of footage and it seemed uncertain if he'd get it together. The herd wants to move on and eventually they do start moving out, but she stays with him and encourages him. He manages to stand but, in my memory, it is a long time before he is successful. In the documentary you hear the elephant experts theorizing that he was a large baby and the way his legs were folded in the womb resulted in them not being able to stretch out and support his weight. It is a great relief when finally he stands, supports his weight, and can slowly walk with Mum. I tried to find the footage through an internet search and this was the closest I could find > a gif on Reddit. Without the whole context of the film, I can't quite tell if this is the same story. And be warned, it is Reddit, so there can be some... ah...strong language in the comments.   Mother elephant lays down to encourage her new born who can't stand yet.   

We subscribe to National Geographic and I still have the magazine delivered in its printed form, but will sometimes also download and read the articles on the iPad as well. In the September 2015 magazine, there was an interesting and challenging story about the ivory trade in Africa. It is challenging to read how the trade takes its toll on humans as well as elephants. Much of the poaching is taking place in Uganda and Kenya, and the ivory is then trucked through Sudan, to reach sea ports, on its way to overseas markets. As the poaching is intricately caught up with the warlordism impacting on these countries, the article provides many details of Uganda's key warlord, Kony, and his crimes against humanity. Reading it isn't for the faint of heart but that is nothing compared to the courage that it takes to defend Elephants against poachers, or even the courage of being an investigative journalist, or more importantly, the courage to put your life back together after the violence that is dealt out by Kony's gangs.

My kids have this expression they use with me....'wow, that escalated quickly'. Not quite sure how we got from embroidery to disturbing tales of violence and death. Never a dull moment here at A Weft Yarn. To end on an uplifting note, as in there is still good in the world, you can always check out this fabulous site.

 

 

Previous posts

Return of the Elephant (February 2013)

Zebras Finished (February 2013)

Progress on Threadpainting Zebras (July 2012)

Zebras have got legs: African blanket (June 21, 2012)

African blanket: Threadpainting Zebras (April 12, 2012)

Thread painting elephants - Samburu blanket - animal number 2 (September 15, 2011)

There's an elephant on my sofa (August 30, 2011)

Samburu blanket thread painting: Giraffes (June 18, 2011)

Giraffes, Africa, Blankets - embroidery - thread painting (March 23, 2011)

Leopard door started

Date: March 2013

I'm back on the casket stumpwork trail and have needed to buy a supply of size 28 tapestry needles so that I could progress the casket needlecase a bit faster. The sharp needles that I've been using catch on the 36 count linen and slow me down. Tapestry needles have a blunt end and this makes it easier to slip it into the tiny little hole in between the linen weave. I use a magnifier and light when I stitch and am impressed whenever I hear of anyone who does this stitching without magnification. I ordered the needles from oz stitch and they arrived promptly and I got going.

Towards the end of this stitching episode on the casket needlecase, I receive notification from Amy Mitten that my Mermaid kit is dispatched, March 2013. There's quite a story to this mermaid mirror. By November 2012, I had been in the Cabinets of Curiosity course for about 8 months and had received my first kit, and gotten excited, and started this Casket Needlecase project in lieu of my actual casket. Through my reading on the forum and in the lesson materials, I had settled on my design and it would include a mermaid. They were very common on 17C caskets and I liked the playfulness of the water, the imagery, the grotto, the little precious stones that the girls added to their embroideries. Also, a big fan of swimming, but that's another story.

Anyway, back to the mermaid mirror story, in January 2012, the Needleprint blog announced a competition to design an embroidered mirror. The prize pool was generous. From the blog...

Many of you know that Needleprint was founded with 3 aims to: open up the world of needlework, by making images of needlework more accessible; conserve needlework collections for generations to come; and promote needlework. So today, I have great pleasure in announcing this major Needleprint needlework competition that will have a first prize of £500 (or dollar, euro, yen equivalent). The objective is to design and stitch a cover for a handheld mirror - the sort of mirror you might pop in a handbag.

In September 2012, they announced the finalists. And the standard was breathtaking. I could not be a judge (and not just because I was busy and they didn't ask me). Thankfully, an appropriate panel was established, because I wouldn't have wanted to choose from the talented entries. Perhaps if it was my profession I could but from my suburban pew, they all look pretty marvellous.

Anyway, 1st November 2012 and the winners were announced. Such beautiful work - and - Amy Mitten, who is also in the Cabinets of Curiosity course, won with her Mermaid mirror. We went a bit nuts in the forum chatting about how wonderful it was. Amy then offered it as a kit and class on her website. A few of us were even emailing her before she posted it for offer. Emailing in a loving supportive way, not like some hungry paparazzi hunting down a celebrity.

I opted to have the Mermaid kit sent by cheaper, slower post from Canada as I was aware that this would sit in the cupboard waiting, waiting. Others in the class got started straight away when their kits arrived and I got to enjoy their progress vicariously, for another day. It really is an amazing embroidery project and so appropriate for us casketeers. In the meantime, I'm going to lounge around and pretend to stitch. Channeling this guy below.

 

Previous Posts

Lion door finished (needs lion though) (February 2103)

Summer Progress on the Casket Needlecase (January 2013)

Starting the Casket Needlecase (December 2012)

 

 

Return of the Elephant

Date: February 2013

As described before, I finished the Zebras after 5 hours of stitching and now I have returned to the Elephants. The whole journey of this blanket started with a lesson on the giraffes, then a lesson on the elephants, then a lesson on the Zebras. Each time I returned to Sydney for the lesson from Jenny McWhinney, I had not finished the previous project. This was never a drama. You could not meet a friendlier more relaxed teacher than Jenny. Well probably you could, but what's the point of exaggeration if you don't get my point? She's lovely. Anyway, then I finished the Zebras and now am working backwards and have returned to the half finished Elephants.

By working on the African blanket, I feel like I'm coming back to an old friend. It is also nice to pull out of the stumpwork casket world for awhile. I must make sure I'm not submerged by that process of 17C embroidery. I don't think I ever want to be an expert in one type of things. Beauty comes in many forms to me.

I am agonising about how to make sure I get enough instruction time, as well as time to stitch as well as balancing my expenditures through the cabinets course. I would like to keep visiting Sydney and keep taking lessons at Mosman needlecraft. I loved my trips to Sydney and the women in Mosman were great fun and very supportive. However, balancing my finances seems important as does managing my energy levels.

I have a lot to go on with here and so, as a research project, I've made a list of TV series to watch! I think that's the answer. I worked through the online catalogue of DVDs that I could borrow from the ACT library system and there are heaps of movies and historical dramas (think every BBC show you've ever loved and then some). So, I'm thinking that has to be my solution for the time being.

Stay home and embroider elephants and watch Middlemarch.

 

Previous posts

Zebras Finished (February 2013)

Progress on Threadpainting Zebras (July 2012)

Zebras have got legs: African blanket (June 21, 2012)

African blanket: Threadpainting Zebras (April 12, 2012)

Thread painting elephants - Samburu blanket - animal number 2 (September 15, 2011)

There's an elephant on my sofa (August 30, 2011)

Samburu blanket thread painting: Giraffes (June 18, 2011)

Giraffes, Africa, Blankets - embroidery - thread painting (March 23, 2011)

Zebras finished

Date: February 2013

Back in July 2012 I was very close to finishing the Zebras. So, after only 5 hours of stitching, here we are!  

My 10 hour rotation scheme really suits me as I like having diversity of projects (rotation) and I also like to see progress (10 hours) and I kind of like systems. All of my life, I've applied systems to the things I do. In fact, I sometimes reflect on what I'd leave behind and it would mostly be organisational systems, cue strange comic-book style evil laugh (mwahahahah). I have some grand plans that I'll leave a series of domestic masterpieces - suburban mum does magnum opus type stuff, but instead what I'll leave behind is plastic folders full of lists and records and systems. We're laughing here, folks. In case you were wondering.

About 12 months ago I had a health scare that I took seriously but fortunately was more about being alive than being sick and when I came out the other side of it, I did give legacy type stuff quite a bit of thought.

I know why I'm making this blanket, as in I know why I'm making this specific blanket as opposed to the many times I've described that I make things because there is beauty in the world and I need to be part of that, because I have anxieties about being human that are calmed by creativity and that sewing is meditative. What I mean is, why Zebras? In my Pinterest I have a board called 'why Animals?' but that's a whole 'nother story. I'm feeling this point is hard to get to, which isn't surprising really, I pretend this is my diary (and it is of course) but its also the internet, home of ridicule and instant shaming.

I have finished my first set of African threadpainted animals to honour my dear old Dad, who died in 2010. That story is buried down in one of those links below as in the inspiration for this project. I'd go back and read it but I've got living to do, and I'm slow enough at these things. Six more embroideries to go: Elephants, Giraffes, Cheetahs, Lion, Gazelles and the Samburu people. Back to work, girl.

Previous posts

Progress on Threadpainting Zebras (July 2012)

Zebras have got legs: African blanket (June 21, 2012)

African blanket: Threadpainting Zebras (April 12, 2012)

Thread painting elephants - Samburu blanket - animal number 2 (September 15, 2011)

There's an elephant on my sofa (August 30, 2011)

Samburu blanket thread painting: Giraffes (June 18, 2011)

Giraffes, Africa, Blankets - embroidery - thread painting (March 23, 2011)

Lion door finished (needs lion though)

Date: February 2013

I am finished one door panel of the casket needlecase. A stumpwork lion is going to sit regally on the mound. He doesn't exist yet. In fact I have to make the leopard's door panel first - and then the leopard, and then the ship....the wrapped drawers...ok, rambling here. 

I am really proud of this. I bought the kit impulsively and optimistically, full of dreams for the future and remembrances of the past. It sat in a cupboard for a few years and then I started an even more daunting task - an embroidered casket course. In the excitement of materials arriving I jumped in, framed this up and started stitching. I think it looks beautiful.

As mentioned before, it is one strand of au ver a soie silk over one thread in the linen weave (not quite sure how to express that). Where the pattern is deeply coloured, every thread is covered. Where it is paler, then it is every second thread that is covered. I really like that effect. It was interesting also working with the linen and the natural imperfections in the linen. As I've not done this kind of project before - tiny tent stitch on 36 count linen - every part of the project was new to me. I'm pretty impressed with the effect but at this stage, probably pretty confident that I'm not going to do my embroidered casket in tent stitch on linen. It allows for beautiful details in the embroidery but is very time consuming.

Previous Posts

Summer Progress on the Casket Needlecase (January 2013)

Starting the Casket Needlecase (December 2012)

Summer progress on the Casket Needlecase

Date: January 2013

As I mentioned previously, I've started stitching the Casket Needlecase kit from Thistle Threads. I’m not 100% sure how it got bumped out of the cupboard and into the 10 projects rotation stream, except that the Cabinet of Curiosities course may have prompted me. Once I broke it open and started, I was dismayed by the tiny scale of it: 36 count linen, one strand of silk, what was I thinking? This will take me forever.

I spent about 50 hours over Dec – Jan and have nearly finished the lion door – which is about 1/8^th of the total project. My estimate of forever seems accurate. Instead of my usual 10 hour rotation, I ended up spending 50 hours because the room was set up for Christmas and it was too difficult to move frames around and rotate projects. It made for an unbalanced mid-year point but it did mean I gave the casket needlecase a real go. Having come this far, I am now feeling more proficient with the tiny stitches but still there is much stitching to do.

One of the benefits of being in an online specialist learning community is the sharing of tips and tricks and the encouragement and inspiration, and the temptations. In the forum, people discuss the latest in research and study of 17C embroidery. So somehow my library is expanding and I am finding a flutter of little Australia Post Cards that tell me a package is ready to be collected. I am going through an explosion of Casket related book buying: Twixt Art and Nature from Hedgehog Handworks ($100 plus a bonus – I bought a lovely hand turned wooden paperweight with glass dome to house the California Poppy sampler so I can finish it).

I also bought the Thomasina Beck book, Embroidered portraits from Jan Messant, Trish Burr’s Colour Confidence, Canvas Stitches, Boston needlework – all because of the Ning forum – I’m also thinking of buying the Needlelace book....hmm will I resist the purchase to save a bit of money? Sigh.

All of this is great for the mind and soul, maybe not so great for the wallet.

 

Previous Posts

 Starting the Casket Needlecase (December 2012)

Six felt Santa ornaments finished

Date: January 2013

I finished the last of the felt Santas in October 2012 and told the story of their journey in this post.

These guys have adorned the tree, of which, for some reason, I have no photos.

What I can share though are the memories of the piano recitals. So, the Fat Red Santas and the Berry Blue Santas were stitched almost exclusively at the children's weekly piano lessons. Both children took lessons from a wonderful piano teacher and once a week for an hour, I sat at her kitchen table and embroidered my felt Santas while I listened to my children play their weekly accomplishments to her, and then she'd assist them, they'd play duets and she would usually finish the lesson by playing something herself. And I was happy. Of all my mother jobs, taking my children to piano lessons was one of my happiest.

If you ever feel inclined to read a truly exceptional tale of Piano Lessons, then I highly recommend Anna Goldsworthy's memoir of the same name. Anna Goldsworthy is an Australian pianist who is a daughter of a famous Australian playwright and novelist, Peter Goldsworthy. While she has used her talents for music, her memoir is a lyrical book which develops the story of the profound bond between teacher and student. It also has some fantastically lighthearted stories of adolescence and parenting of adolescents, which as you can imagine, I am going through, so I appreciated being able to laugh at this period of life.

Our teacher Rebecca organised piano recitals twice a year. We attended our first in December 2007, when Nicholas was in Grade 4 at St Matthew's Primary. In 2008, we moved to Kaleen Primary and then Tess, who was in Grade 1, joined Nicholas at Rebecca's home for weekly lessons. The recitals were usually in churches in Page, Waramanga and Ainslie. These below were taken at All Saints Church in Ainslie. Afterwards, there was cake and chatter with the other parents.

Previous posts

Blue Felt Santas Finished (November 2012)

Felt Santas: so close (September 2012)

Berry Blue Felt Santas (June 2012)

Felt Folky Santas join the Fat Red Santas (Jan 2012)

Fat Red Santas - done and done (Nov 2011)

Red felt Santas - October 2011 (October 2011)

Santas - embroidery update (June 2011)

Felt ornaments - Christmas santas (April 2011)

Starting the Casket Needlecase

 Date: December 2012

I bought this Thistle Threads A Casket Needlecase kit in December 2010.

The text on the beautifully packaged box says it is 'A needlework accessories case inspired by the Leverett cabinet from the Peabody Essex collection. This eight inch by eight inch case contains pockets for a rose needle book, tulip pinkeep, and several of the included die cut threadwinders. Additional pockets can hold your scissors and other accessories in your collection. Kit includes 24 colours of Au Ver a Soie Silk, 36 and 32 count linen, all gold threads, needles, wire, gold webigmpe ribbon, pink lining silk, die cut finishing pieces, die cut metalized leather 'hardware', threadwinders, 30 page instruction book, and CD ROM with photographs of the embroidery and finishing process for the casket needlecase, rose needlebook, and tulip pinkeep."

 

I'm not 100% sure what drove me to select this kit out of my stash of historically inspired needlework projects that need starting...perhaps I selected this because I had enrolled in the Cabinets of Curiosities course and I really wanted to make something cabinet related. Once I broke open the kit, and put the linen on the frame, I was slightly daunted by the tiny scale of the embroidery. I have never embroidered on linen like this before (36 count).

I am also not convinced that my needlepoint technique (courtesy of Dominque Siegler Lathrop) works so well on this tiny scale. It certainly is slow (but I am kind of used to being no speedy gonzalez). Anyway, a start has been made and the kit is gorgeous, the colours of the silk wonderful...so I press on.

 

My antique sewing box table

Date: November 2012

I have always liked putting things into things. Beautifully designed and practical storage, like boxes and bags, appeal to me. Way back in May 2009, my husband was attending an auction and came across a sewing table that he thought I might like. I have it today and it sits next to my sewing chair and I use it both as a table and as storage of sewing supplies.

I have no idea how old the table is, nor what woods were used to make it, or where it was made. It was purchased at a deceased estate auction in Yarralumla in Canberra and we also picked up some other lovely pieces of old silverware, and a beautiful coffee table as well.

I don't quite know what to call this piece of furniture. I think of it as a sewing box table and this article provides a little bit of historical information on antique work tables for sewing and crafts

If you google images of antique sewing tables you find quite a lovely selection of old and interesting tables.

If you happen to be a Cranford fan, you would know of the wonderful scene where the lovely young doctor is attending a deceased estate auction and he bids on small table for his home. He has arrived in the village and his empty house needs furniture. It is only after he has seriously outbid some of the fussy old ladies of the village and arrived to collect his piece of furniture that it is explained to him that this is a needlework sewing table. Despite his disappointment, given he is a gentleman, he naturally enough honours his commitment, purchases it and takes it home. He then 'lends' it to his middle-aged widowed housekeeper who manages to misconstrue the gesture. When this and other gestures are added together in the romantically over-imaginative minds of the village ladies much comic, but some awkward moments unfold between the lovely doctor and the women of the village. My daughter and I giggle over that scene every time. We also love the pyjamas for the cow, but that's a whole other sewing story.

Anyway, after my lovely husband brought home a needlework sewing table for me, I didn't misconstrue the gesture at all. However it did need to be restored and as we have no special skills in this craft of furniture restoration, I found someone in the local area who looked promising - Brown's furniture recovery was in a rural area just outside Canberra. He came and picked up the table and re-lined it for us and polished the wood of the sewing table to a beautiful glossy finish. I was thrilled with the transformation.

Below are photos that my husband took at the estate sale back in 2009. He was on his own but would have liked to have some confirmation that I really did want this table. He sent the photos through to me, however, I didn't have time to take a look at them before he needed to bid on the table, so he went ahead and gave it a go, and got it! I was so thrilled when he brought it home. I was also very curious about the little bits and bobs that the previous owner had left in the table. I kept them as a collection of things. Some of the nicer pieces that appealed to me I have kept in the sewing table. It appeared that she had a handmade felt tape measure that had girl guide symbols embroidered on it. As Tess was at guides I found this a sweet touch of connection. She also had some tatting bobbins and a huge collection of embroidery scissors. I like that I've got her table and have restored it and given it a new life.

Cabinet of Curiosities: the kit

 Date: November 2012

I have written elsewhere about how I came to discover this series of historical embroidery courses which come with instructions and kits. I might have mentioned the Floral Glove and the Glittering Gentleman's Nightcap. Well there is also the Masterclass for 17C embroidery, the Cabinet of Curiosities which I signed up for in the very first group, way back in December 2011. We were required to pay a deposit to get a place in the course that took 300 participants. I dithered and dithered and kept checking back to the website to see if there were still places, yes, ok, give it some thought, can I afford to do it? can I afford not to do it? Can I stitch well enough to warrant such a project?  I had a lot of questions but no one in particular to put them to. After all, they are only questions for me. I have the sense that I was in the very last few people to get in before it filled up. I was checking daily, then the deadline loomed and finally I decided 'ok, go now, who knows what the future holds but if you don't give it a go, you'll never know'. I paid my deposit and the next day the course was full.

The course didn't start in earnest until May 2012 but once started, each month a lesson was posted to a website and we participants logged on and downloaded and read the details.

Then in November 2012, just to make it all seem so exciting and so real, the first kit arrived. When we signed up we were informed that two kits would be sent during the class.  The kits would include four full 32-color thread lines (Soie Ovale, Soie Paris, Silk Gimp and Silk Wrapped Purl) that were reproduced in a colour line that matches what we believe to be the original colours from the 17th century embroidery. Obviously these old caskets today are very faded and seem muted and pale in comparison to the colours that would have been used originally.

As well, we'd also receive the fabrics and finishing materials for the five projects and a wooden carcass for a trinket box with reproduction hardware. This last piece is intended as a small practice run for our larger work.

 

 

Sometime just before the kits arrived a private forum was set up for the participants in the Cabinet's class  to chat and share their stories and pictures. While about 60-70% of the folks are in the United States there is a sizeable group of us who are international participants from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other countries as well. One person suggested we post pictures to the forum to show our stitching spots and the views from our windows. I really like seeing my fellow embroiderer's places where they spend their time. I like imagining them in their spots sharing this thing that connects us across time and distance.

I also thought they might like to see the Brittle gum (Eucalyptus Mannifera)  from my front window.

Previous Posts

Another new project? Glittering Gentlemen's Nightcap (March 2012)

A new project - what's that you say - A Floral Glove? (February 2012)