January Stitch Club

 Our January stitch club will take place on Saturday 20th January 2024 at the Thomas Garrett Rooms, Heighington.

Robyn Smith will be leading us in creating a needle felted picture.  Below is a list of requirements:

• A background to use for your picture, Robyn uses old wool jumpers, wool blankets, wool felt, tweed or wool fabric, linen, think about the colour of your background if you are going to see it in your finished picture.
• Felting needles, Robyn uses mainly 38 and 40 twisted needles. She will have some with her that you can use on the day.
• Felting needle holder.
• Sponge or rice bag for working on
•  Wool tops, merino, corriedale, you can have a selection of wools fibres, Robyn will bring some with her.
•  Photos for inspiration

As usual, Robyn will bring loads of stuff with her and people can use what they want and donate a few pounds to her, depending what you use, so do not worry if you don`t have any of the materials.

Below are some examples of what can be achieved:

Until then, Lincoln Stitchers wishes everyone a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. See you in January!

November Stitch Club

 There was a good group of us at the November stitch club, and we were very productive.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the air was nice and relaxed for making the felt decorations.  The triangular ones are actually bookmarks.

Results were very varied, some being very three-dimensional.

Our next stitch club will be on Saturday 20th January when we will be creating a needle felted landscape with Robyn Smith.

In the meantime, wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and all the best for 2024.

Christmas with Bron - 18th November 2023

 Our next stitch club will be on Saturday 18th November at the Thomas Garrett Building in Heighington.  It starts at 10:00 and goes on until 15:00, so you will need to bring a packed  lunch with you.  Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

This time we are doing Christmas with Bron who is guiding us in creating embellishments that can either be used as a brooch, or to decorate a bag, or even as a Christmas decoration.

Requirements list as follows

• Felt, preferably wool based, but any will do, in colours of your choice
• Embroidery theads: stranded cotton, perle, silk etc
• Beads: sizes and colours of your choice
• Beading thread and needle
• Other embellishments such as sequins, charms, ribbon, small buttons etc.
• Sewing kit: sewing/embroidery needles, scissors etc.

If you want to turn your piece into a brooch, we will try and locate the brooch clasps!

The embellishment is made up of reducing concentric circles/petal shapes of felt, joined by embroidery stitches.

All welcome.  Cost £5.00 for members, £7.00 for non-members.

Please let Judith know if you are coming, so we know which room to book.

See you there!

Jan and Feb 2024 - be futuristic!

 photos delayed until end 2023.

Social sewing - stitch club 21st Oct 2023

 Jill has COVID so Christmas cards are cancelled

Instead bring your own project and come and chat and stitch together (Bron's idea)

all the best, Kate

Doddington Hall Uniform Collection

 

Doddington Hall is now the home of the famous M C Tsen uniform collection, which consists of over 900 ceremonial military uniforms (mainly British), hats, helmets, swords, drums, belts et.

Of Chinese descent, M C Tsen went to boarding school in England during the time of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, and was so taken with the pomp and circumstance, and the colourful ceremonial uniforms, that he made it his life's ambition to collect as many as he could.

Sadly, he died in 2019, but his wish was for the collection to stay together, and that's when Doddington Hall stepped in and are now custodians of this wonderful collection.

The uniforms date from around 1881 - 1945.  The majority are from the army, but there are some navy and air force ones as well, and also some civil uniforms.

The collection is open to the public by appointment only.  Anyone wishing to visit should email the following to make arrangements:  info@doddingtonhall.com.

Well worth a visit if you are into your goldwork/silverwork embroidery.  Currently viewing is free, although they do appreciate donations to help with the upkeep and preservation of the collection.

Social sewing , 21st October 2023

 Jill has COVID so we are having a bring your own work and sit around in a social group session together. So relax and think of the autumn season and enjoy the company.

Kate

We will have the opportunity to make 3 different textile cards.

1.  Simple appliqué tree scene

2.  Foundation pieced tree

3.  Mindful stitched robin

Please bring along -

- your sewing kit

- selection of threads

- any fabrics you might want to use, including Xmas prints, cream/white fabrics & lace etc

- any suitable embellishments

I will provide fabrics from my workroom, bondaweb for appliqué, foundation layouts, card stock, glue

We will have plenty of time to make multiple cards.

Jill Pearce 

Kate will bring along a little PAT tested iron, a towel (as a base) and baking parchment (to protect the iron from bondaweb).

Off the Wall: Exhibition by Meniscus, Willoughby Memorial Gallery, Corby Glen 6-27th September

Willoughby Memorial Trust Gallery

Moreley’s Lane, Corby Glen, NG33 4NL

12 – 5 pm. Tuesday – Sunday

ADMISSION FREE

 

Wednesday 6th and running until Wednesday 27th September 

 

Meniscus are group of textile artists who create under the mentoring

and guidance of Cherrilyn Tyler.

There is a wide range of styles and techniques, with inspiration for this

exhibition including Japanese ceramics, towns and landscapes, nature

in all its forms, foreign travel and articles of clothing.

 

Brenda Scarman 16th September 2023; stitching with her kits

On Saturday Brenda Scarman set up an exhibition of her work and talked to us in the morning about her life in the world of embroidery. Here are a few pieces she showed us. 

For more please look at Brenda's blog www.brendascarmanembroidery.co.uk

In the afternoon, using kits Brenda had sold us, we sewed and chatted. I have a few extra raised embroidery kits (on sale or return) and will bring them along in October. 

The first person to send me a photo of their finished work was Jill. Ribbon work with help from Jacqui.

This is the piece I created using Brenda’s raised embroidery kit.

Here is an exquisite piece of work by Julie

A stunning embroidery by Kathy who attached the shells with shisha stitch

I look forward to putting more finished work on the blog by group members. Please email me your photos.

Raised embroidery – 16th September 2023 - make your own detailed beach piece: inspired by Brenda Scarman (backed by Kate)

There will be a short talk by Brenda for about an hour - 'A Delight in the Traditional'

A kit ( the cost of the kit will be £3.50 rather than £3 as materials have gone up a little in price) will be available to buy from Brenda, who will have a stall with a variety of other items too. So during the second hour (11-12) we will be able to buy things from Brenda before she packs up to go home at lunchtime. Kate will be available for the rest of the day to help with the embroidery of your beach piece.

Her kit for the day of raised embroidery will be in neutral, light beige type colours (ideal for a beach); it will contain

• A top layer fabric (Tussah silk) and a bottom layer of muslin (both 10 inches square)
• Items for trapping (including plastic beads, rings and buttons)
• Various needles (including chenille and tapestry)
• An assortment of threads (including perle, crochet and Gutermann)
• Instructions

You will need to bring your own hoop.

Here are some examples made by an enthusiastic Kate; she will be supporting you through the day with this project.

Kate's first piece using the kit (very popular on facebook)

linen backing

silk backing with added net

tideline with waves

Textile art by Moira West at St Martin's Gallery, Lincoln 25th to 30th July

 Exhibition Gallery St.Martin's, Lincoln, UK

July 24th-30th 2023, 10am - 4pm

Trade 1-3

Dawntime

Chain stitch with Kate 15th July 2023

 at the end of the day

one finished piece

one free stitch abstract

some plants emerging

 

finished at home

some birds coming along

a planned abstract in the making

and exotic raised chain stitch!

Special request to everyone coming on Saturday 15th July

I’m after any pink/mauve fabric scraps if they can be spared. I’m planning on making a notebook cover for an aunty but it’s not a colour I like so I don’t have any myself. Any help appreciated, thank you!

Kathy Paton

Kathy Paton has been making beads with Tyvek paper

She wanted to share this with you, so that maybe you too would like to have a go at home.

First I painted an A4 sheet of Tyvek paper with liquid acrylics ( in my case, Magic Color). The gold is powder that is sprinkled on wet paint. Other paints would work, just might not be as deep in colour. 

When dry, I used scissors to cut the paper in long triangles as I wanted rounded beads. For tube like beads, cut in rectangles.

I wound the paper around a bamboo skewer (not metal as they conduct heat) towards the pointy end. Needs to be a round skewer, not flat. I pressed the skewer with the end piece facing the ground so it didn’t unravel. I did this outside so there was no problems with any fumes. I heated the paper with a crafting hot air gun, slowly turning the stick as the paper contracted.

Some others I made. 

I found using Tyvek paper was easier than Tyvek fabric. I bought mine from eBay: 

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401686924994? mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ZnLf0tp8RuW&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ui oiWqN1SFq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Chain stitch with Monica and Kate, 15th July 2023

Please let Kate know whether you will be coming or not. 

Could you bring -

• ·        Two pieces of calico or felt (one for practise – size of stitch, colour coordination etc and one for your work)
• ·        stranded embroidery cotton in colours of your choice

• ·        crewel needle (easy to thread)

But Kate will be bringing all of these, so if you are lacking anything there will be no problem.

Monica and I can help you with basic chain stitch and I will try and help with any variety of chain stitch you happen to chose. Ann has provided information sheets of how to do alternative types of chain stitch.

Chain stitch is a lovely rhythmic hand stitch, very good for meditative stitching. Monica’s abstracts and trees are marvellous examples of the beauty that can be created with this stitch.

This stitch is used a lot in Indian embroidery to create densely covered cushion designs as well as designs on garments and other decorative textiles; here the use of chain stitch sewing machines has speeded up and regularised the process. Please bring along any examples you might have and we will have a little display on the day.

This stitch club can be used in various ways

• ·        you can explore the varieties of different types of chain stitch; my favourite is the detached chain stitch (daisy chain stitch).
• ·        Another approach is to bring a piece of calico with a design pencilled on, and outline it and fill it in with chain stitch.
• ·        Or, like Monica you can just bring a piece of calico (or felt – but remember this will stretch a bit) and just sew, following your inner being.

The subject for your piece can be abstract, trees or whatever you wish. Birds and animals work very well in chain stitch – both outline and infill.

Sadly Ann Roberts has been called away to a funeral and so we will learn about the lavender wand another year. Judith wanted to know this year and has learnt the details from Ann, so maybe ask her about it.

Here is some of Monica's work

Beaded bracelets with Jill Saturday 17th June 2023

Jill was well organised with wire, silver rings, cord, tools and pots of beads for us all to use as well as examples for us to see.

There was a wonderful sense of achievement and satisfaction as we all completed one bracelet each and many of us started others.