Embroiderers' Guild 2015 Challenge

2015 is the fiftieth anniversary year of the Embroiderers' Guild of South Australia. As part of the celebrations, each member has been given a small (about 10 inch square) piece of gold dupion silk to embroider. These will be put on display in August.

I have never taken part in a challenge before and the photos of the last anniversary (Ruby) challenge ten years ago did not fill me with confidence to get started.

In the end I took the plunge, deciding to embroider an owl in silks, using an image from the Colouring Book, Secret Garden - the book Mary Corbet has been using as the basis of her kingfisher embroidery.

I like the owl and intend it to symbolise the collective wisdom of the Guild accumulated over 50 years.









I traced it to tracing paper, then to the gold fabric using pencil and my LED lightpad - really good for the job. I have simplified it a little, figuring I can always add detail back in.


I sorted through my silk threads and collected a good range of colours - a number variegated -around a generous and somewhat fantastic palette. I plan to use them as I go rather than planning it out in detail.I will buy more threads as need arises.

My initial play has resulted in some button hole stitch around the eyes, bullion knot eyebrows and fly stitch breast feathers.


I have no idea if this is going to be worthy of display, but I'm looking forward to a challenge of imagination  - focusing on colour, harmony and finding the appropriate stitch as I go along.