Our May TRSG program was with Katie Strachan who gave a talk on varying levels of relief in surface embroidery. The picture above shows one of three embroidered boxes worked in techniques from low to high relief to illustrate the various effects you can get. They were absolutely breathtaking. There was even a Tudor Rose inside one of them!
Katie has a website called Katie Strachan Embroidery just in case you were as fascinated as I was and want to see more of what she does. Her FlossTube channel goes by the same name. She is a very talented needleworker. Laurie B., our TRSG President, says Katie talks about her stitching, her love of silk threads and their differences. She also adds to her stitching what she calls “sparkle prim” to patterns she stitches from our favorite designers. I feel a FlossTube binge coming on. Want to join me? Let’s leave a comment on her FT thanking her for sharing her talent with the TRSG.
Our May slide show was one again a feast for our eyes.
Robert stitched this Hands Across the Sea Sampler on 40-count R & R linen with DMC thread.
The sampler was stitched on R&R Espresso Linen, 40 count with DMC threads.
This was a fun workshop we did through ZOOM with Amy Mitten. The story was a mystery and we stitched the clues as a member read the story to us. The designer explained the history behind the motifs as well as talking about how to execute the stitches. She gave instructions on how to hem-stitch the edge of the sampler. Sherri is still pondering whether she will finish her sampler with or without a hemstitch.
Sherri attended a retreat at the Shepherd’s Bush where several designers contributed stitches to the class piece. The contributing designers were: Heartstring Samplery, Chessie and Me, Blackbird Designs, Plum Street , Jeanette Douglas and Shepherd’s Bush. I think I recognize a few of my favorite designer’s styles, I bet you can too. It looks like it was a fun retreat!
Shelly stitched this teensy pin cushion on 56 count Cafe au Lait linen. She used 100/3 silk in color #681. She placed her embroidery scissors beside it for comparison. It’s so tiny and do you see the little red beads along the edge?
Becky stitched her piece on Weeks Dye Works Confederate Grey, 36-count. She used all the called for threads except she substituted Roasted Marshmallow with CC Bamboo. The frame was found at Hobby Lobby.
Last month we saw Karen finish this beautiful Blackbird Designs Sampler. This month we get to see it fully finished. Karen had it framed by Country Cupboard in Murfreesboro, TN.
Gretchen stitched this beautiful Hands Across the Sea Sampler on a 45-count hand-dyed linen using Soi d’ Alger 100/3 silks. With all that RED, what’s not to love? It’s gorgeous.
Shelly used a magazine photo of a bedroom for her palette inspiration in this exquisite sampler. She wanted to stitch a band sampler made up of patterns from the 16th century. Those patterns were found in the book shown, German Renaissance Patterns for Embroidery (Curious Works Press, 1994). The linen is 32-count Lemon Ice by Lakeside Linens. The flosses are DMC and one Gentle Arts over-dyed cotton.
Roberta stitched this Brenda Gervais pattern on 40 count Lakeside Light Examplar. She used the called for colors from the pattern.
Roberta stitched this Jeanette Douglas pattern on Picture This Plus 40-count Heartland. Just look at those colors and all those birds. Every time I see this piece finished I want to stitch it. Roberta used mostly all of the called for pattern colors. Well done, Roberta! It is a beautiful piece.
Roberta also finished this retreat piece from the 2023 Cross Stitch Extravaganza she attended. This is a Needlework Press design stitched on perforated paper. The blues are pretty in this piece and I’m not sure which I admire more, the stitched pattern or those gorgeous blue Cohana scissors!
We were privileged to have Vickie LoPiccolo Jennett speak to the TRSG last year on perforated paper and it’s history during the Victorian Age.
Mary B stitched this sampler by Permin of Copenhagen with Hand-Dyed Fibers silks. It is so cute with the cat, butterfly and birds. The border looks fun and different.
Deborah O. stitched Mary Ann Preece on stash 36-count linen using DMC floss. She personalized the name. This is a Hands Across the Sea Design. So lovely!
Deborah stitched this design by Bendy Stitches on Picture This Plus 25-count Arbor linen. She did her own conversion with over-dyed threads.
Debra stitched her Seasons of the Heart by Brenda Gervais using Katie Strachan’s silk conversion along with her own substitutes.
I know MaryEllen was working on this Queenstown Sampler Design during our last guild meeting as we listened to a wonderful presentation by Lynne Anderson about Mexican Samplers. She kept stitching away on it and this month has a finish. MaryEllen stitched this with two threads over four threads on 46 count linen. Well done, MaryEllen! It is lovely sampler and we can appreciate it all the more now that we can recognize some of the motifs we learned about!
Ava’s Tudor Bee was stitched from a kit TRSG members received during our 20th Anniversary. The Blue Flower generously designed this pattern for us and the Guild gifted the threads and patterns to members.
We are having a Spring Tudor Menagerie SAL and Ava is the first to finish. Congratulations Ava! We would love for you to join us if you would like to stitch any of the Blue Flower’s Tudor patterns.
