More Glazig Workshop preparation

Over the Easter weekend I have made an effort to work the two samples I need for the Workshop I have to give later this month. I was hopeful this is the last of my preparation, following the printing of notes and linens earlier this month. 

The samples are about 2" square. While they are not overly ambitious, they each require 5 or so different stitches and the use of Au Ver a Soie Perlee thread - quite a bit to get used to.

I worked in a seated hoop stand. I needed both hands to maintain tension, as well as protecting my wrist.

I used the smallest piece of linen I had printed for the first one - figuring better for me to use than a student. I stitched it to a piece of old sheet to fit it into the hoop.

It was relatively straightforward until I came to the open chain border, which was very awkward to manage in the hoop, so I ended up taking it out and working it in hand. 

The green section is a feather stitch, the beige ones and the pink flower are buttonhole stitch (one close together, one further apart). The red flower and the yellow centre are eyelets, the purple corner is woven and there are three varieties of chain stitch.

It's a bit rough. I needed magnification. The silk is lovely to work with and largely holds its twist. 

The second sample was in most ways simpler. The leaves and dark berries are buttonhole stitch and the red flowers eyelets. There are three versions of chain stitch. 

The photo here shows my waste knots and the simple chain stitch border before embellishment.

The embellishment proved  a bit tricky. The stitch chart lists it as chainette surjetee. The diagram suggests a series of loops under each chain stitch without anchorage. Searches in Jacqueline Enthoven's The Stitches of Creative Embroidery produced no likely stitch. In the end, I came up with a version which gives the side loops indicated in chainette surjetee and is held in place by weaving under and over each individual chain.

It will be interesting to see what the Certificate Course students come up with.

I'm a bit concerned I may not have provided enough thread of any one colour for students, especially for the daisy flower in the first sample above. I intend, however, to give them the option of cutting another length from the spare reels I have. The colour choice isn't great, but this is expensive thread, and we are, after all, learning about it.

I did enjoy this second sample, perhaps because of the colours I was using. perhaps because the border, however puzzling, was neater and easier than the open chain of the first. 

I'm no expert in this area, and I'm looking forward to learning more from the workshop as we figure it out together.

Cockatoo Bag

I recently bought a kit for a Cockatoo Tote Bag from The Fox Collection. When I finished the Bee Cushion I thought I'd go straight on with the Cockatoo Bag and, as usual, rushed right in. Unfortunately, I made quite a big mistake. I mistook needle-felting for punch-needle, dug out the wrong tools and began needle-felting the cockatoo.  

The cockatoo outline is printed on the inside of the bag, while the flowers are printed on the outside. Both needle-felting and punch-needle are worked from the underside.

It was not until I had the head and shoulders felted that I realised what I had done, by which time it was too late to go back, and too difficult to undo. 

I could embroider over the felted mess on the right side, but could not disguise the contrast between the felted background on the upper body and the lower section without felting. The only way I could see forward was to continue to put a layer of needle-felting on the whole cockatoo, then embroider over it.

The felted result looked more like a crested alpaca than a cockatoo.

Eventually, however, I had something resembling a cockatoo, using a mixture of feather stitch, straight stitch and open chain.

Fortunately, and somewhat surprisingly, the flowers proved to be both more straightforward and more pleasurable. They were primarily worked in satin and long and short stitch. The stranded cotton provided was smooth with a good sheen, very easy to work with.  

The colour combinations differed in each of the three flowers. I was nervous about the length of the straight stitches in the outer flower borders and early on I added some couching.

As I progressed I got a bit more trusting, and did less couching - a decision I now regret. Some of the white guide lines are visible under the edge of the flower on which the cockatoo is standing. They didn't wash out completely before blocking.    

The thread provided was not only good quality, but generous in amount. I have easily enough left to make the whole thing again, probably twice over.                                                              

Although I was pleased with the result when it came off the hoop, I rinsed it gently and blocked it, hoping the print lines would dissolve. It didn't disappear, but it did fade. 

With an outside temperature of 38C, and 26C inside, it took 12 hours to dry.

Although there were no construction instructions, I decided if the bag was to be used, it needed lining. The back of the embroidery was likely to be caught or rubbed on any contents and needed protecting.

I selected a wavy navy cotton stripe, cutting it to the exact size of the bag. 

The fabric was large enough for me to create a gusset along the sides and the base, keeping the face of the bag the size illustrated on the kit package while maximising the internal size.

I'm delighted with the result and have added it to my slowly growing pile of gift  totes.

April Certificate Course Glazig Workshop

Last week I realised I needed to get organised for my April Certificate Course Workshop on Glazig Embroidery. The notice, with information about student requirements, needs to go into the Guild's March newsletter. 

While I have books, a finished bag, a project in progress, along with a PowerPoint  already prepared from WES Group last year, I needed to prepare student notes, plan a student project and make sure the resources are accessible. This wasn’t a straightforward task, given the specific and contemporary nature of the topic. 

I can’t invent a design of my own, and I can’t breach copyright, so am working in narrow parameters. 

I settled on two small motifs available in the book 25 Years of Glazig Embroidery. Use for study purposes should be OK. Motifs are small, simple and have stitch charts. I have 5 books of official designs and students can use any of them. 

I cut squares of linen, discovered my iron-on transfer pen was defunct,  so decided I could use (some very old) dressmaker's carbon to transfer the designs to the squares. This enabled me, in between a  hairdressing appointment,  shopping  for  family dinner and weekend house guests,  to write the notes and newsletter notice. I emailed the notice to the Guild and the notes to Officeworks for printing.

After transferring about 5 motifs to linen using the carbon, I found time for a trip  to Spotlight  between picking up the printing and taking a granddaughter to JEMS on Saturday, to buy a new transfer pen.  It is medium thickness, and worked well.

The Au ver a Soie Perlee thread used in Glazig embroidery is so hard to get in Adelaide it is unreasonable to expect students to obtain it for the workshop. I have a supply I have acquired since diving down this rabbit hole, some of it from stock clearance sales. I figured I could cut some lengths of this to add to small kits.   

I used a punch to cut cardboard circles into which I punched 7 small holes, then cut lengths of 7 different coloured silk perlee threads and attached to the cards. If students need more thread they can cut a length in class from the remaining reels.

I now have 15 kits prepared, another 5 linens printed, 5 more sets of instructions and some spare cards, so I can quickly create additional kits if required, or support students who don't want kits. 

The notice has gone to the newsletter. I've amended the PowerPoint but will check it again before creating a USB closer to the workshop.

Phew! Panic averted!