Stumpwork Embroidery Workshop with Madeleine Ferland

Stumpwork dates from 17th Century England and is a style of raised and padded embroidery.

Last week I took a three day stumpwork embroidery workshop with Canadian Needlework Designer, Madeleine Ferland. Madeleine is a member of the Lakeshore Creative Stitchery Guild, Point Claire, Quebec. She started teaching when guild members began asking her to share her designs. Her design and drawing skills come from her past experiences as a drafts person, fashion designer and the arts. Madeleine has many designs and projects completed but only does a select few as kits / workshops.

She is a fantastic teacher and embroiderer. Her stitches are so precise and her written instructions are excellent. She taught two different sessions here in St. John's, Under the Red Oak Tree (I think it was the sheep that sold me on that one) and the Blue Flag Iris! I enjoyed the three days of stitching, however, it will take a great deal of work to get this piece completed. I've included photos of several of her designs.

The Royal School of Needlework has some samples of stumpwork HERE.
For samples of 17th Century stumpwork embroidery, check HERE.
Mary Corbet at Needle 'n Thread also has a great article with related links.
Video - making a wired needlelace leaf
Lots of stuff HERE

If you are interested in trying out this type of embroidery, Country Bumpkin has a free design for you to try.
Snail and Flower from The Floss Box

Enjoy!

UFO's

Every now and then the topic of UFO's enters the conversation at FETE (Friends Every Thursday Evening - our stitch group).Well, one of the ladies decided to write down some more terms related to quilting and / or stitching. I think some people just have too much time on their hands (GRIN)!! Here's the list to date:

AUFO  Only one unfinished object (a UFO)
BUFO   Bad or Beautiful unfinished object
CUFO   Cute unfinished object
DUFO   Distasteful unfinished object
EUFO   Excellent or Evil unfinished object
FUFO   Favourite unfinished object
GUFO   Good or Great or even the Greatest unfinished object
HUFO   Hard unfinished object
IUFO    Intricate unfinished object
JUFO    Just an unfinished object, just started or just about finished
KUFO   Kitted unfinished object
LUFO    Lost unfinished object
MUFOs Many unfinished objects
NUFO   New unfinished object
OUFO   Old …. Or ordinary unfinished object, or overdue unfinished object
PUFO    Prince of the unfinished objects
QUFO   Queen of the unfinished object
RUFO    Rejected unfinished object
SUFO    Small unfinished object
TUFO    Traditional….. Or Terrific unfinished object
UUFO    Ugly unfinished object
VUFO    Valuable unfinished object
WUFO   Wonderful unfinished object
XUFO    Xmas unfinished object
YUFO    Yesterdays unfinished object or in Australia You-beaut
ZZZUFO Sleeping unfinished object

NB UFOs could also be classified by colour, size, and style.

Also

PIG     Projects In Grocery bags

PUB    Project Under the Bed

PIP     Project in Progress and Patterns in Progress

TIS     Tops in Storage

CAP   Currently Active Projects

WIP    Works in Progress

RC      Recently Completed

WISP  Works in Slow Progress

SINS  Stuff I’ll Never Stitch

UK Art Quilts

UK Art Quilts is a new blog started this September. They have been very active on Face Book and because many of their members requested a group or a website, decided to do the blog thing! Photos of spectacular work from some of the members can be found HERE. I've also spent a little time looking at some other blogs & websites (mostly British) that are quite interesting. Grab a cup of something and enjoy these!

Painted Quilts by Annabell Rainbow
Cath Stonard Textile Art & Stitch Cloth Colour
Contemporary Quilt is a specialist group of The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles. Check them out!
The Dyers Hand
Jill Taylor - Third Age Musings
Sally's Stuff (Australia)
Occasional Jottings & 12 By the Dozen
Cas Holmes

Embroidery Show & Tell - Part Two

Here is part two of Show & Tell from the St. John's Embroidery Guild.

Embroidery Show & Tell - Part One

 Again, the St. John's Embroidery Guild had some lovely work to show last evening. We also had a special guest, embroidery designer, Madeleine Ferland, from Quebec. Madeleine is teaching two stump work workshops this week. I'm taking the three-day one. More to report on that later.
Enjoy

More September Show & Tell

Show and Tell is a favorite part of most quilt guilds. Quilters get a chance to 'show off ' their talents, discuss their work and see the work of others 'up close'. The procedure I like best is to have the show and tell items on display for the entire evening. This gives everyone a chance to view them so that if anyone has to leave early, they aren't disappointed. Quilters are given a chance to talk about their work later in the meeting. Here's a sample from the evening.
Enjoy!

Exploding Pineapples

We had a very interesting program about exploding pineapples, at the Cabot Quilt Guild, on Tuesday evening. Of course, as quilters, you know right away that I didn't mean the actual fruit exploded! I'm talking about a very simple method to make perfect Pineapple blocks. Karen Hellaby is the author of Sew Simple Pineapple and Pineapple Plus. This YouTube Video shows you how to make the blocks in her books.
Here's a couple of projects two quilters presented using this technique.

Cabot Quilter's Summer Challenge

The summer challenge for the Cabot Quilt Guild was a great success. Last evening, fifty nine children's quilts were shown to members and then given to representatives from Ronald McDonald House . Here is just a small sample. Enjoy!

Table Toppers

Last week I was working on four table toppers. One of them will be a donation to the auction at the St. John's Embroidery Guild in November. This pattern is a simple one which I designed a few years ago. There is no separate binding to add because I bring the back fabric to the front and top stitch with a matching thread. The diameter is 22 inches.

Here's a few table topper patterns for you to check:
Pumpkin Table Runner
Zig Zag Table Runner
Leafy Table Runner
Halloween
Log Cabin
Shades of the Season
Orange Peel

Enjoy!

Hooked Rugs

Rug hooking, according to Wikipedia, is 'both an art and a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug wrap'. My mother told me that my grandmother made all kinds of hooked rugs but I never saw any of them. It is one art form that I have not tried but I do appreciate them. I have seen very elaborate rugs as well as very simple ones. Today, I want to bring your attention to a Newfoundland blog, Anne's Original Hooked Rugs. Anne uses Newfoundland Themes in her rugs. This weekend, Anne announced that one of her rugs was purchased from a museum in Nova Scotia by Anne Murray, a very famous Canadian Singer. Congratulations! Check out her blog for a photo of Anne Murray holding her newly purchased rug. I love the vivid colours used in this piece. While there, have a look at other rugs Anne has created - you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Hurricane Leslie & Stuff !!

This had been quite a week here in the St. John's area. Hurricane Leslie, with a diameter of approximately 800 miles, reached our shores on Tuesday morning. HERE is an interesting video someone posted - it takes a tour of down town St. John's and up to Signal Hill during the storm. Actually, you get a brief glimpse of the colourful row houses in the older part of the city. Most visitors are usually amazed at the vivid colours and tend to look for art and/or souvenirs depicting these houses. Here's several of my card sets that can be found at the Devon House Shop.

We were very fortunate on our street as we only lost the power for about an hour. Others, throughout the city, weren't as lucky. I spent the day in my studio sewing. Since the storm, we have had very warm, sunny weather, which has been quite enjoyable. However, it certainly doesn't put me in the mood to be creative! I have to get busy. Christmas is only a couple of months away and there is so much to do.

Maybe these links will help the creative juices kick in:

We'll start off with a Handmade Fabric Bauble tutorial HERE and another fabric ornament HERE.
Here's a Christmas Stitchery and a Christmas Present Quilt
12 Gifts of Christmas Tutorials might have just the perfect gift
This Christmas Door Stop is a nice idea. Make one for spring, summer and fall too - just change the fabric and the appliqué designs.
Some Knitting Gifts for those evenings when you want to be busy but not doing sewing stuff.

To see links to other Christmas freebies on my blog go HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Enjoy!

Rock Recipes

Today I'm reintroducing you to Rock Recipes, from Newfoundland. I posted about their Gingerbread Houses in 2011. This month they are celebrating their 5th Blog-iversary and today posted their 900th recipe -  Frozen White Chocolate Cream Puffs! There are a lot of people out there who just love Newfoundland cuisine from Fish Cakes to Figgy Duff. I hope you don't mind my diversion to cooking on this warm day in St. John's.



After you check out the recipes, have a look at these interesting 'food' items:

Free Play Food Patterns - get an early start on Christmas gifts for young children
Cookie Set and Hello Kitty Placemats
Yarnalicious Cupcakes
Sewing Play Food

Enjoy!

Books

While on vacation, I collected a few books and magazines. Take a look! Actually, the Machine Embroidered Seascapes by Alison Holt, was waiting for me when I got back home. I thought I'd include it too. It's an excellent one for those who are into thread painting. The Complete Feltmaking, More ... Texture with Textiles and Needleweaving were purchased at a second hand book store on North Avenue (Wicker Park area of Chicago). The Christmas with Possibilities is bright and cheerful with easy and quick to do projects. They are also easy to adapt to make other Christmas things and not just the ones shown. The Christmas one was a Joanne's purchase with a 50% off coupon. (Love those coupons).

As you can see, I have a variety of interests! Will I ever get the chance to do all in my 'want to do list?!' I can always try. . .
Enjoy!

Wool Roving from K E Designs

On my travels, I visited Windsor, NS. This is a very nice town. However, driving along the main streets, we noticed two ladies dressed up in winter clothes (it was 31C and sunny) and Christmas decorations along the street and in the windows. Then we saw the lights and cameras - a Christmas movie was in the works! For awhile, I thought I had skipped a couple of months.

We had lunch at an outdoor bar & grill further along on Water Street. Right next door, was K E Designs, a small gift boutique. Of course I had to peek inside! My eyes were drawn to the hand dyed yarns and roving. Of course, some of the roving found its way into my stash. It was very difficult to choose which colours would work best in my art - anyway here's what I purchased: