Thanks, Samples and AGM.

Well finally I am sitting down to blog and before I begin I have got to say a big thank-you to Margaret from Maggik Moments. She has awarded me my first award, which is so kind of her as I have not exactly kept the side up, I actually should be given a kick up the **!!@/!**. So Thanks once again Margaret I really appreciate it, I know I should do something with it which I will in the next few days.


Now back to what I promised to report on 3 weeks ago – it’s amazing that you can go away for a week and it is like you have been away for a month when you get home. Well my trip to Missenden Abbey was great and I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It was Level 1 C&G Machine Embroidery and although I have done some machine embroidery it is usually straight stitch, also I have always meant to sit down and do samples and put them mounted together, so this was a chance to start.

So this is The Abbey a lovely building and grounds

with the residential block and workshops/studios just across the drive.

Pam Watts is a fantastic tutor and such fun, which made the week even better. I am hooked and had already booked on an Easter School for ’09 but I have put my name down as interested in doing Level 3 starting Autumn 2009, as Pam is so encouraging, so hopefully life won’t get in the way and I will have time to save up. We were 14 in the group and we all got on well together and did a lot of laughing, I am so glad I went and another thing that was great – no cooking, washing up, I didn’t even have to make my bed -- Magic.

So here are a few pictures of my samples.

Hard edge applique with massed stitching.

and another sample mounted on linen.

Soft edge applique.

Drawn thread work.

Pulled thread work.

Machine embroidered lace.

Couched threads.

I now realise I have to take a bit more care taking photos. I still have a couple left but I need to take new shots but the batteries are re-charging, so I'll show them again.

We had to work at quite a steady rate to get everything ready to be assessed on the Friday, so no time for messing about or re-doing. It was all worthwhile as we all achieved our goal.

Now, I had made some dresses and earned a few pennies so rather that waste my money this is how I paid for the course. It being a residential course I thought at least I won’t spend any more money --- WRONG!!! Everyday there was someone with tables full of goodies to tempt us and you guessed it, I was tempted --- I am so weak. Books, handmade paper, machine and embroidery threads with people like Winifred Cottage, Gill Sew, Art van Go and on top of that Rainbow Silks a 5min. walk down the road --- a girl can only resist so much. Needless to say I have a lot of saving to do.

The time has flown by and I seem to have been running around in ever decreasing circles and I have not done any machine embroidery since I came back. I shall not bore you with cottages, alterations, sheep etc. But I will jump to last Saturday and Pembrokeshire Emb. Guild AGM. We had a really interesting talk by Riitta Sinkkonen Davies who weaves wonderful linen pieces with a slide show and a demonstration of turning flax into fibre ready to spin. The only down side was that we were only 10 people for the talk and by the time of the AGM we were only 6. We have been very concerned if our Guild will survive and this will certainly be the make or break year. There was no nominating and seconding for offices only volunteering, so I am now secretary and we have an uphill struggle to try to recruit new members. We only had 22 members last year and 6 of those live away; a couple have said they will not be joining this year and a few have family illnesses to cope with, so keep your fingers crossed for us.

After feeling depressed on Saturday I had a lovely day out yesterday, which is why this blog did not get posted until today but I will tell you about that tomorrow as I have more pictures. Thanks for bearing with me today.