White Threads

Peace and embroidery

Today is International Day of Peace (21st September – if it’s not that date where you are yet, it will be soon!).

Last Saturday at our church we had a fundraiser for the local women’s shelter. The idea was that the creative women of our church set up stalls of their creations for others to buy, we invited the rest of the church and the general public, and all enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea together as we browsed the stalls. There were handmade cards, bath bombs, jewellery, posies of flowers, home made food, leadlight creations, artworks and much more.

One of my friends who was one of the organisers asked me some months ago if I’d have anything to sell. No, not really… I make lots of things, but none of them are for sale. The things I sell are my kits and books etc. So we settled on me displaying my work and having books and kits to sell.
Vetty Creations display
It was a really lovely afternoon, full of enjoying and celebrating each other’s creativity, and some really good food. We also heard from a volunteer from the local women’s shelter who told us how in the past two years that the shelter has been open, they’ve helped 150 women (and presumably associated children) but also had to turn away about 500. They were very grateful for our fundraising, just as I was so pleased to hear of the work they are doing.

But, on to the theme of peace…

One of the lovely ladies of our church, who has always been such an encouragement to me, and at times acted like an extra grandparent to our girls, came and stood in front of my display and drank it all in. She sighed heavily and happily, and said “It just makes me feel so peaceful, looking at your work.”

What a simply lovely thing to say. That my work, that I so love doing, can bring a feeling of peace to someone else, is simply lovely.

My work brings me peace too. How about you: does doing needlework and being creative bring you peace? I know for many of us, it is the time of stillness, of concentration, of slowing right down to work carefully and methodically that brings not only great joy and satisfaction, but also great peace.

Happy International Day of Peace. I hope you get the chance to do some embroidery today.

Celebrating the end of schooling

We’re nearly at the end with The Reader. In just 4 school days time, The Reader will attend her final day of secondary school. Then she’ll have a few weeks holiday (full of study, mind you), a week’s study leave, and then her final exams, stretching over a few weeks.

She’s so very ready to finish school, and would love to get those exams over right now, if possible!

I’ll be heading to Perth in November, right after her exams finish, for some classes with the Western Australian embroiderers guild. The Reader was then going to join me and we’d go sightseeing for a few days, to celebrate the end of her schooling.

However, the other day, a textiley friend mentioned to me that she was going to Tokyo, and was looking forward to fabric shopping while she was there. She’s been before, and said how wonderful it was and how reasonably priced the fabrics are compared to what we have here in Australia. And that got me thinking…

The Reader did the pattern drafting course with me some years back. She’s taking a year’s break next year to work for a bit, before heading to university. And she wants to do lots of sewing during that period. I thought, therefore, that she would love to go fabric shopping. On asking her, the response I got was little excited squeaks of happiness!

I investigated airfares. I found that by purchasing well, we could get airfares to Tokyo for around the same price as going to Perth. It surprised me, but encouraged me! It’s now decided, I will go to Perth, then come home, and we’ll both head to Tokyo for about 5 days. We have friends in Tokyo who have unexpectedly and very generously offered for us to stay with them, which will be so lovely.

Have you been to Tokyo? What textiley, fabricy, embroidery things do you recommend we do/see? I definitely want to see some Kogin, seeing I’m currently writing a book on Norwegian pattern darning, and Kogin is the Japanese pattern darning. We’ll go to Fabric Town (Nippori) and I’ll hope to get to some yarn and embroidery stores if possible. Hit me with your recommendations please!

Is your needle too small?

Perhaps you listened to FiberTalk recently, when Susan Greening Davis was the guest. Susan created some controversy by stating that when using 2 strands of embroidery floss on linen up to 36 count, she would use and recommend a No 22 tapestry needle.

This certainly sounds pretty large, but I actually agree with her most wholeheartedly.

Recently I’ve been stitching with 1 ply wool, on a range of counts, up to 40 count. It is very fine wool on very fine linen. I had been using a No 26 tapestry needle, but I found that the wool was wearing, and getting little “burrs” that would catch on the fabric every time I pulled the needle through. While the wool seems quite thin, because of those little bits of wool fuzz that stick out from the main core of the thread, it’s actually a bit thicker than it looks.

So I changed to a No 24 tapestry needle. Oh, it made all the difference in the world! My wool no longer gets the little burrs and it doesn’t abrade in the same way. It certainly looks like a huge needle, but it is the RIGHT size for the thread.

I found that when using a chenille needle with the wool thread, I was much happier with a No 22 chenille needle than a 24 chenille. This is because when using the chenille needle, I’m stitching not only through the holes in the linen fabric (smooth), but also through some of the previously stitched wool thread (fuzzy). It just works better to go bigger again. The larger needle (22) makes finishing off thread ends a little difficult, so for finishing threads, I change to a 24, and it’s quite easy again.

The important thing is the thread, NOT the count of the fabric. You need to use a needle that creates a hole large enough for the doubled over thread to go through. You need to account for the doubled thread, because when it goes through the eye of the needle, it comes out both sides, and is therefore doubled, until the end of the tail.

In my Portuguese whitework classes, I supply a No 24 tapestry needle, to go with the No 8 pearl cotton, working on 38 count linen. This needle seems big for the count of the fabric, but the count of the fabric isn’t the important thing. The thickness of the thread is. And for that thickness, it’s the right needle. I have had students who protest and surreptitiously pull out their own needles and change over to a 26 or even 28. When I come around to them, and feel their needle with their thread, yes, it feels lovely and dainty, however, it really is too small. Some people won’t be convinced!

In each case, the thicker needle looks much more appropriate, despite the fact that you might think they’re going to be way too big.

The question often is: “Won’t it create large holes in my fabric?” Well, yes. That is the idea! Most of the time, with most linens, those holes happily close over. The holes it makes won’t be there forever. Even linens that are a little more wiry, such as Permin linen, will close over as you work with the linen and it softens up.

Some fabrics, such as silk, you do need to be more careful with. I would probably err on the side of smaller rather than larger, but still keeping in mind the doubled thickness of your thread.

So what do you think of all this? Do you think Susan and I am talking rubbish? Do you use a small, dainty needle, no matter what you’re doing, just because it feels nice? Do you choose according to the thread thickness? Do you choose according to the fabric count? Are you willing to give larger needles a go?

Happy International Left-Handers Day

As a left-handed embroiderer, I like to celebrate International Left-Handers Day. As a left-handed embroidery teacher, I love having left-handed students (I love right-handed ones too, but the lefties are special!)

Happy International Left-Handers Day to all the lefties out there!

Happy World Embroidery Day!

Celebrate World Embroidery Day 30th July
Today is World Embroidery Day. (If it isn’t yet 30th July where you are, it soon will be, and it is already here in Australia!)

When it is World Embroidery Day, I like to stitch in public. I didn’t know if I was going to have the chance today, but as it happens, I think I will. So join with me, wherever you are, in stitching in public, and enjoying World Embroidery Day!

Wrist pain scare

In the past month, I had a bit of scare. My wrists started to hurt. For me, that sort of thing could be career ending!

When I realised that it was definitely a thing, and I wasn’t imagining it, I was very scared. So, off to the doctor I went. He diagnosed – and this is a wonderful mouthful – de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Impressive name, isn’t it?!

I was actually so relieved that it wasn’t Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. He prescribed some anti-inflammatories, and told me not to do anything that made it worse. Easier said than done, seeing you don’t know that it’s going to make it worse until it is worse…

He said not to have physiotherapy, because a physiotherapist wouldn’t do much to help, and may make it worse.

With the use of the anti-inflammatories it has definitely been improving. I’ve been careful to stop stitching if it starts hurting. I’ve been using my embroidery hoop on a stand (I normally do anyway!) and alternating between having my dominant (left hand) and my non-dominant hand on top.

The Gymnast broke another finger about six weeks ago, and was under the care of a hand surgeon and a hand therapist (physiotherapist specialising in hands and wrists). When she was there, getting the all clear last week, I had a chat with the hand therapist about what I do.

I realise that for me, good hand and wrist health is absolutely imperative if I want to have a long and enjoyable career in embroidery. I explained what I do, and why I was wondering if they could help me – to see what I do when I embroider, and show me what I can do better in terms of movement. She assured me that they would be able to assist me.

So this morning, I went to see the hand therapist. She agreed with the doctor’s diagnosis of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. She showed me that some of the shapes I was able to make with my hands were not quite what they should be, and that continuing to use them in that way would mean that I’d be likely to develop arthritis in my thumbs as I got older. She also said that I have quite a lot of hypermobility in some places (which is not a good thing for stability of joints). I suggested this might be one reason why my daughter is such a good gymnast – because she inherited that hypermobility from me.

We’re thinking long term here – I want to be using my hands well so that I can continue using them, without pain, for a very long time yet!

She’s given me some exercises to do, which will help strengthen some of the muscles. While getting me to do them, I was thinking how appallingly badly I was at doing them. I could get hardly any of the movement she wanted to me to make at all. Some of the movement was barely perceptible. Conversely, she said I was catching on extremely quickly, whereas other people could take weeks to make the improvement I had already made while with her. She suggested this was another reason why my daughter might be such a good gymnast!

She then got me to put the needle into my hand and make the same shapes again, that she’d been trying to get me to make before. I couldn’t do it! So we dispensed with that, and I’ll continue to sew as I always have, but regularly do my exercises, and when I’m better at making those shapes without the needle, we’ll try it with the needle. And when I do, it will definitely slow me down as I try to do it with the right hand shapes!

It’ll be slow progress, but as long as I regularly do my exercises without cheating, I’ll make progress. I officially give you permission to email me, comment here, or comment on my FB page to ask “Have you done your exercises yet today, Yvette?!” I’m investing in a long and enjoyable career, and while it will be hard, it will be totally worth it!

hoops, scissors and peacock feathers

I had a couple of deliveries this week. It’s always fun to get parcels!

The Dovo Hardanger scissors (which I sold the last of at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair) are now back in stock.

And finally, I again have all sizes of the Klass and Gessmann wooden hoops with stands back in stock. Hurrah! They come in 6 inch/15cm, 7 inch/17.5cm, 8 inch/20cm, 10 inch/25cm, 11 inch/27.5cm, and 12 inch/30cm. I’ve been waiting on some of these sizes for several months, so it is good to have them all again.

It’s winter school holidays here, and while my daughters are at home, I have embarked upon a new project. The Reader is in Year 12 this year (final year of schooling), and that means special end of school things, such as the Year 12 Formal later this year. I offered to make her formal dress, and because she’s around for fittings, school holidays is an excellent time to get started.

So far, I have drafted the bodice pattern and made three toiles. The third toile fitted very nicely. I then transferred that pattern onto the fabric and have begun the embroidery. She’s having a teal green dress, with chiffon skirt, and an embroidered bodice.

The colours on this are really weird and nothing like what they really are!

The embroidery uses peacock feather motifs. There is satin fabric, silk dupion fabric, cotton fabric, beads, mini sequins, metallic threads, shiny rayon threads… so far. I’m doing the appliqué and the beading while the bodice pattern is flat and mounted on a frame. Then I will take it off the frame, sew up the darts, and work the remainder of the embroidery (probably mostly couched metal threads) in hand. I have to do it after sewing up the darts as the lines of couching will go across the darts.

I’m enjoying it. It’s something a little different, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it done. It’s getting sparklier by the minute!

Hardanger at Summer School

Early-style Hardanger biscornu

In January 2018 I will be teaching my Early-style Hardanger Biscornu at the Embroiderers Guild NSW Summer School.

Early-style Hardanger Biscornu
with Yvette Stanton
Fri 19 and Sat 20 January 2018 10.00am to 3.30pm
76 Queen St, Concord West, Sydney.

In this class, for intermediate to experienced Hardanger stitchers, we will explore some of the stitches that were used in Hardanger in times past but have fallen out of regular usage. The biscornu will require some accurate satin stitch prior to class so that we can concentrate on the fun pulled and drawn thread work parts in class! The biscornu will not be finished within the class, but instructions will be provided for its construction. Alternatively you can use your imagination to finish it in any other way that you like.

We will be working on 36 count linen, so make sure you bring appropriate magnification and lighting. A kit will be supplied, including linen thread and linen fabric.

You can book a place in this class by contacting the Embroiderers’ Guild NSW. More information can also be found on the guild website. If you are interested in this class, I would register quickly, so as not to miss out. There was a lot of interest in the class at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair.

Embroidery prize redraw

Hardanger biscornu from Early-Style Hardanger Unfortunately the winner of the Hardanger that I was stitching at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair, whose name I drew last week, did not contact me within the week (I even gave a few days extra!), so I have redrawn the prize. The new winner, again drawn totally at random, is Catherine Robinson.

Congratulations Catherine! Please contact me before the end of Wednesday 12th July to let me know where to send your prize!

If you’d like to stitch one of these embroideries for yourself, the pattern is the Biscornu from Early-Style Hardanger. This is a project I’ll be teaching a couple of times in the next year (details to come), so stay tuned if that interests you.

Stitching during the show

While I was at the show, any time I wasn’t serving customers, I was sitting at the front of my stand, stitching. This is because people are always interested to see someone doing needlework. It was like I had a four day long “Stitch in Public Day”. I find it interesting to note how many little girls stop to watch, when I’m doing embroidery. Some of them are instantly entranced, especially if it isn’t something they’ve ever seen anyone do before.

The piece that I was stitching was the Biscornu pattern from Early-Style Hardanger. Here it is nearly finished – all I have to do is cut the long eyelets. (Actually I thought I had finished it, until I realised I hadn’t yet cut them!)

I ran a competition during the show, so that for each $50 worth of products purchased from me, customers received one entry into my competition. The prize was the stitched embroidery.

After the show, I drew the winner randomly. The winner was Qinghua Zhou! Congratulations Qinghua! The winner was informed via email, and now has until the end of Monday 3rd July to contact me. If she doesn’t, the draw will be made again.

Stitching this piece was a lovely way to pass the time at the show, demonstrating embroidery, and it’s nice that I can give it away to someone who will appreciate it.