It doesn't look like we got much done on the Persian Peony Tile, does it? This was the result of two intense days of stitching, plus homework. We had a wonderful time in the class; Jane Nicholas is a very gifted embroiderer and teacher, who is able to make the complicated embroidery look simple. She showed us exactly where to sink threads to make it all look so professional. She is also a commanding teacher who has no qualms about telling everyone to stop what they are doing and look at her so she can illustrate a point. That really helps to keep repetition down to a minimum and saves everyone time.
Towards the end of the first day we were starting to get a bit punchy, so she told us, "I came a long way, so if I'm still standing, you're still stitching." That quieted us down and we got back to work. Right before we quit for the day she gave us a long list of homework to do. I'm so glad I stayed in a hotel instead of driving home, as I had a good three more hours to stitch. I managed to get it all done and was ready for the next day.
At the end, she gave us some words of wisdom as to how to proceed to finish the project. She said to focus on one group of items at a time, finish it off, then go on to the next group. For instance, finish off all the stems, then proceed to the leaves, then the peony, the buds, and so on. I think I'll finish off the border to get rid of those dangling threads.
Much credit goes to Muchas Manos, the local EGA guild in San Diego. They did a wonderful job in setting up the course, from choosing the venue to providing snacks and lunch recommendations. You couldn't find a nicer group of ladies! I even joined their local guild, so now I'll have more info on upcoming classes. This group seems to be interested in surface embroidery, which in my experience, is rare. Most of the local guilds focus on needlepoint and counted cross stitch, so it's really refreshing to be with a group that likes surface embroidery.
I'll keep you posted on my progress. Today is a lovely Saturday and I have way too many errands to run, but hope to get in a few hours of stitching tomorrow. Have a great weekend!
Are you kidding me. After WOW! my first thought was how much you had done in two days. It sounds as if you had a fabulous time and learnt a lot. I'm really envious that you took a class with Jane, I wish!
ReplyDeleteWhat you have done looks stunning, looking forward to watching your progress with this.
You lucky duck!
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be beautiful :-)
Lovely!! WOW - and you got a ton done! Sounds like it was a great class!
ReplyDeleteThis is just breathtaking! What a treasure you are creating.
ReplyDeleteI love your goldwork and think that you have achieved quite a bit for a class as I assume you would have stitched samples before doing it on the real piece
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed yourself, Cynthia. I had a great time, too, but am exhausted!
ReplyDeleteSo, which piece are you going to work on now, the pomegranate or the tile??? :-)
That's a good question! I have the tile in the hoop, so I think I'll at least finish the border to get those dangling threads out of the way. If the pomegranate will fit into the smaller hoop, I may work on both intermittently. However, the SAGA convention is coming up, so I won't have much time for either.
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