Jacobean Crewel module and a little Recreational Stitching.

The RSN Future Tutors course has a very packed schedule and we are now well into the first term. We have received our marks and assessors comments for our first Basic Skills piece and I am very happy to get the feedback on this as we have already moved onto stitching our next assessed pieces. Must remember that I still need to pay attention to the rebate when Mounting!

Jacobean Crewelwork

The first assessed technique I have stitched is Jacobean Crewelwork. Our tutor has guided us through developing our design, choosing colours, applying the design to the fabric and then finally commencing the stitching. I developed a stitch plan and, using traditional Linen Twill fabric and Appleton’s crewel wools, I am now almost finished stitching the design. In my design I have tried to represent the elements I have seen in the parks around Hampton Court Palace and I think it is coming along fairly well.

Dogs everywhere!

Art and Design classes have also commenced – this is an area that I do not have very much confidence in. The exercises that our tutor has set will hopefully build on my very limited skills, and maybe one day I will be able to get a sketch design down on paper so that it actually looks like the design I have in mind. Until then I will practice and continue to trace and adapt.

Recreational Stitching

I love to try new stitch techniques so when I saw Jacquie McDonald‘s Stumpwork Vegetable Garden advertised on the RSN website, I had to make time to take this one day class – luckily for me it was on the weekend. It was a wonderful kit with all the supplies so nicely packaged and the fabric printed ready for us to commence. Jacqui took us through all of the vegetables one by one as we created our own gardens.

Lovely Kit

Here is my finished piece still in the hoop. I think I might use it in the top of a box when I find time to make one, or maybe I will be able to find a wooden box with the right sized opening. Love the Cauliflower!

Jacqui McDonald Vegetable Patch design, stitched by Sally Randle

Knitting and Stitching Show – Alexandra Palace.

The other adventure I have been on recently is attending the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace. This event is huge and I found it somewhat overwhelming to see so many stalls and traders – and so many goodies – all in one place.

I was lucky enough to be demonstrating on the RSN stand and also assisting in a Learning Curve class along with two of the other Future Tutors. The class was lots of fun and the students so eager to learn that the hour and a half just flew past. What a great experience. I will need to be more organised for it next year as I will get to lead one of the classes myself. So exciting!

I will also have to get my shopping list ready so I don’t get so distracted by all the shiny objects on sale. I mostly restricted myself to some interesting threads and needles this year. As Canvas Stitches is our next assessed module I was on the look out for interesting threads to include in my piece. I also found some curved Tapestry needles that might come in useful.

What a guy!

My other surprise from this event was that my husband purchased me a pair of handmade Ernest Wright embroidery scissors for our anniversary, which just happened to be right after the show. They are very beautiful, feel very good in the hand, cut superbly, and certainly are one of those tools to treasure for a lifetime then pass on. Ernest Wright have a Utube video on how they make their scissors that is worth watching.

Thanks for reading, now I must get back to stitching.