New Project - Hardanger!

EGA Hardanger Sample Piece

Our EGA Chapter signed up for a Group Correspondence Course in Hardanger and I thought, why not? Another new project - just what I need. As if I don't have enough UFO's to finish. But this is a new technique, and an opportunity to try something new.

Motif 1 - Heart

The class is taught by Marion Scoular, whom I admire very much. If you recall, I went to Albuquerque over Labor Day weekend to take a class in Richelieu Embroidered Tea Towels from her. At first, I was a bit skeptical of this new, well to me anyway, style of embroidery. This is worked on 25 count fabric, and I usually work surface embroidery on much finer stuff. This happens to be Lugana, a cotton/rayon blend. I chose a mushroom color of fabric and white threads to keep things simple. I didn't want to waste a lovely hand dyed thread in case I really messed up this project.

Added Motif 2 - some blocks

Everything has to be very precise, all the blocks need to line up properly and you really have to be careful about traveling threads on the back and securing the threads properly. Many times I realized I stitched over three threads instead of four and have had to pick out quite a bit. Now I'm being more careful, checking the work with each block (called Kloster blocks, as you may know).

Center design

Here is the center design, with a Viking ship in the center of the heart. This is worked with No 5 Perle cotton and a size 22 tapestry needle. It feels so large in my hand! And no hoop or frame, this is all worked in the hand, also a bit unusual for me.

Close up of Viking Ship

There will be four Viking ships in all. The almost look like sea horses, don't they?

Starting on the border

I've made a start on the border in this photo.  If you look carefully, you can see the pink basting stitches running horizontally quite a bit above the center. My very first stitch was a mistake, by counting up from the center too far. But all the stitches line up, and the design doesn't get much bigger than this, so I won't run out of room on the fabric.

This Saturday most of us taking the class will get together to compare progress and share stitching notes. I'll see how it goes! I think we will really need another get together before we start cutting away the fabric threads, that will be scary. We just started the project in January, so we have six months to get it all done and send the pieces in for judging. That shouldn't be too hard, as long as I don't get sidetracked, which seems to happen far too often.