2019 Begins

As per usual, I begin the new year with the hope of learning new things, finishing some projects on the go (otherwise known as UFOs, WIPs, and other assorted letters) and having a bit of fun.

This month…it is the fun.  Huck weaving.  Although I have done Swedish weaving (same technique but with different materials) I have always wanted to do the finer work on the Huck cloth.  I have read about the towels and linens that were usually found in a home (especially around the 1930s) and wanted to try my hand. For a bit more history on Huck weaving you can take a look around the internet and find a few histories etc. on it.

On January 8th, I will take my pearl cotton, my hemmed and pre-washed fabric and my blunt needle and start my project.  Oh the joy of starting a new project. And no guilt.  I have actually finished a few projects that were Christmas presents so I feel no guilt…at least not yet.

I have promised myself that in January I will pick one of my UFOs and put it on the top of my priority list to finish.  It isn’t that I loose interest…it is more that they get interrupted by other more pressing issues (deadline gifts and that 8 hrs a day we give to the thing called a job not to mention other commitments such as volunteer work).  We will not mention the fun new projects we get to try through the guild.

I will be showing the Huck weaving as we go along…and I will show you the project that I intend to finish… if you have any you are trying to finish (New Year’s resolution anyone?) let me know.  Always great to hear what other people are working on.  Possibly give me more incentive to relax and stitch (always better than dusting).

 

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Drive Safe

Ornaments have been exchanged (pictures in the new year), food has been eaten, sweets have been consumed, people wish you Merry Christmas (for those who partake), Happy Holidays and of course due to what is normally the expectation of the annual Christmas Blizzard…Drive Safe. And it is only the 21st of December.  Christmas Day will be here soon and turkeys and hams (whooo – just had visions and the soundtrack of the Grinch go through my head) are on the near horizon (though I think I have had 2 or 4 or so turkey dinners so far).  They year is running down to the end.

Now of course with the ultimate of gift giving time come to the end there is only one thing left to do….start looking through the web and magazines and stash to see what you are going to work on next.  I am eyeing things for next Christmas, birthdays and of course someday something for me…..someday.

So sit back and enjoy the end of 2018 …flip through some magazines…remember nothing is binding until you state it out loud to the receiver.  Dream some dreams…check the stash….enjoy the journey.

 

Barb’s Patchwork…continues….

Whoo Hooo someone loves me…they sent me pics of how the project is going along with some of the guild.  I must admit I am jealous.  The workmanship and the colours are so great.  I just keep think …with I had picked those… and an occasional thought of …wouldn’t that look lovely in MY house.  I know.  Green with envy here.  What about you….take a look…

Gotta love the work they do.  Here are some more.

Some are as written and some have been modified. Gotta love them.

Gingerbread People Like to Read Too

I must admit I like my library system in our region.  Books, ebooks, videos, and a whole host of other related and even non related items.  I have to admit…I even chose my place of residence based on how close it was to a library.  OK I will confess…I don’t like my library…I LOVE my library.

Now the other thing I got to admit is fun is that they invite groups in to do things with their patrons.  I have seen music groups…choirs…knitting lessons.. and of course us, let me rephrase that… US, the Kitchener-Waterloo Embroiderers Guild !! 

Our course (we held two sessions) was the making of a Christmas ornament.  The result, between giggles and questions, were gingerbread people.  Here are some shots of a couple in progress.

With quickly mastered skill our students maneuvered some brown felt and some coloured thread into a Christmas ornament to use for years to come.  (Mine will also if I can keep it away from my cats.)  I hope our  students enjoyed their time with us, as a teaching guild we enjoy passing on our enjoyment of creating something by hand.

Here are a few shots of some finished creations…

Stanley Park Library Display

Well November is here and December is approaching.  Cold weather means there are days that are just more enjoyable when you don’t leave your house.  Rainy days…sleety days (is that really a word) and those days when the ice under the slush just makes a couch, a lamp, some fabric and a needle and floss your favorite friend.

December also means Christmas to most of us…whether we celebrate it or not, you can’t miss it’s passing so……..

Welcome to our display at the Library.  Among other items (and yes seeing it live is better so if you are heading to the Stanley Park Library in Kitchener, stop for a view) you will see a lot of the Christmas ornaments that have been made  and exchanged over the years between our members.  Must admit I don’t know which is better.  Making one to give away, or receiving one that someone else made.  Whoooo Hoooo must get onto finishing the one I will be exchanging this year.  No hints….guild members read this too.

Now as much as I could sit and stare at all these pretty things for hours (while stitching on something at the same time of course) I must get ready for Saturday.  Our guild is teaching a class (actually two) on simple embroidery.  The classes are sold out at this time and I am definitely looking forward to teaching at it.  The things you can do seated in a comfortable chair.  If I can get some pictures I will put them up after the course is over.

Now as any crafter no matter the medium knows what else goes on in November…. it is the countdown to having all the projects  you are working on as gifts suddenly loom up in front of you and say DEADLINE!! So putting all my cheeriness aside…OMG I really got to get back to my stitching so ….bye…

Barb’s Patchwork continued…

OK…now to show mine.  I know…talk about blowing your own horn but hey…I am also a musician.   I am not telling porkies here (those with any English background will know what that is) …I play woodwind…trust me.

Not my usual colour choices but I was trying to go outside my envelope with this.  I think I like it…but then again, if I decide I don’t love it totally… someone else will love it more then me.  I rarely get to keep my own creations… they use the guilt trip on me way too much.

I have loved stitching on this.  Pattern enough to keep me interested, but not too big.  May even make a few “changes” to it as I go on.  Who says I have to make a replica.  What more could a girl ask for…well more canvas work of course cause it is one of my favourite things.   All I can say is…keep on stitch’n people.  Have a great day.

Barb’s Patchwork

So….materials bought…canvas stretched on frames (or not as the individual prefers)…pattern handed out and instructions for the beginning given.  Brows furrowed…needles threaded…and they are off.

Class was Tuesday, about eight days have passed and two of my fellow stitchers have sent me a picture of their progress.  Lets see what we have so far.

The same yet so different.  A change of canvas colour, the threads and so completely different they become.  I wonder how many times they recounted the “outline stitches” before they moved to the next stitches.

Tomorrow I hope to take a picture of mine and add it in for viewing.  See if I can coax a few more to show their in-progress work.   Well back to my real work now.  Then home to some stitching and – please forgive me for saying this – chores.    I really think housework and “work” work should not interfere with my hobbies.  But then again – how could we afford them without the pay cheque.  Catch 22 if I ever saw it.

Enjoy the day….do something with your hands…and play with some string.

Road Trip

A group of us Guild members carpooled and road tripped to London, Ontario.  Why London you ask….well to visit Stitch It Central.  Look it up on the web and you will see why we all behaved like kids given money and left without parental supervision in a candy store.  Off to purchase our supplies for our next project (actually starting tonight).  It is called Barbara’s Patchwork and it was part of the Stitch Of The Month – December 1999 from the American Needlepoint Guild Inc. (again I say look it up on the web).

I won’t say that is all I purchased but hey…have debit card will purchase…and what fun I will have with all my little treasures I found.  For some reason my mind keeps on repeating the words “my precious….”

But back to the project.

As you can hopefully see on this (I apologize) very bad picture of the project, it is canvas work with different weights of threads, types of threads, colours of thread and different stitches.  Although working from the same pattern, each of these are going to look so different.  I do so love canvas work.

I am hoping some of the members will allow me to show you some of the progress we make as we move along in the next few sessions creating art from string.  Very pretty string I must admit.  Can’t wait to start….show you some more in the near future.

 

Drumbo Fair

Sunday September 23, 2018.  Drumbo Fair.  Pancake breakfast, vendors, food truck, pie sale, 4H prize showings among others (and I can say WOW to the handwork I saw) and us, among the other hand workers.  Wood carving, chair caning, felting (though personally I call it painting with fibre…it is absolutely beautiful) basket weaving, lace making and us…the KW Embroiderers.

Well I for one have to admit I had a great time.  With enough time to wander around and see the stalls and all the exhibits (even got in to see the museum they have there) and even grab a bite to eat (I did mention a pancake breakfast and a food truck) I curled up stitching and talking to the people who went through the handcrafting area to view the products and some creation of the work we do.

We got to show kids and adults alike the pieces we were working on and they viewed the finished pieces we had on display.  I have to brag and say that we got a few WOWs ourselves from some of the people through (my fellow stitchers do brilliant work if I do say so myself).

I am showing pictures of the table we sat at.  Hope you enjoy seeing some of the work we had on display.

Fall 2018 – K-W Embroiderers

Welcome back to another year of stitching.  Our registration  was September the 4th but if anyone wants to join us, we are always open to new people at any time of year.  Please see our meeting dates or contact us.

This year looks to be an interesting mix of projects (see our schedule for the fall listing).  Our instructors love showing those for whom these are new skills and the rest…we just love having a new project on which to practice those skills.  Starting something new is always fun.

The show and tell of projects worked on or finished over the summer break  was great.  Those pictures will be posted after I receive them.  Also, I will be posting pictures of past projects and other items created by our members.  Bragging rights never end.

Onward into the new stitching year….