December 2009

Happy Christmas to all my readers and the many friends I have made throughout the year!

In November my design was published in "The Gift of Stitching" and I thought I would make it my Christmas gift to all of you. If you look in Freebies you will find the pdf for "Christmas Wishes."

Peace, hope, love and faith are essential if we are to understand each other and our complex world. I hope in 2010 that you all have a year filled with love and hope for the future and of course, plenty of needlework to inspire you.

Stitching provides me with relaxation and time to think but how to 'make up' what I have made can be a problem. This month I have included instructions on "How to make up a round ornament". Many of my designs have sections which can be used for ornaments, cards, bookmarks and other items.

It is very simple if you follow the stages. Click on the inserted video to start the sequence. Pause when you need a longer look and replay as many times as needed. I hope this makes the construction of an round or oval ornament straightforward.

Thank you for supporting Blackwork Journey through its development.

Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

Liz

November 2009

Andalucia, Spain beckoned this month with its wonderful history and Moorish architecture and as usual I came home with hundreds of photographs to be sorted and catalogued. These will provide information and inspiration for future projects.

Blackwork dates from before the time of Henry VIII and was used on shirts, chemises and smocks in England. Catherine of Aragon married Henry VIII in 1509 and brought many blackwork garments with her from Spain.

Portraits of the late 15th and early 16th centuries show embroidered sleeves, collars and cuffs. The history of blackwork is well documented but the portrait of Elizabeth 1 wearing hand stitched blackwork sleeves, stomacher and collar c.1590 demonstrates the beauty of blackwork. The cuff worked in Hobein stitch is a detail from a portrait of Jane Seymour by Hobein c.1537 and the third portrait is of Mary Cornwallis painted by George Gower c.1580 provides evidence that this technique was highly developed.

   

The links between the needlewomen of the past and the embroiderers of today are renewed and reinforced by paintings such as these! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have done.

October 2009

Blackwork Journey is one year old this month! It has been a stimulating, but very steep learning curve.

I have had a number of designs published and sold through outlets around the world, with the added benefit of meeting a number of wonderful people along the way.

When I began promoting blackwork and selling my designs, I only had a limited idea of the work involved, although I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve. However, by introducing new techniques and specialist stitches within my designs, I am hoping that every month there will be something new to try.

I recently visited Prague, Vienna and Budapest and armed with a list of needlework shops, I managed to buy counted thread evenweave fabric in every city, which was quite an achievement when no one spoke English! I found that by taking a piece of embroidery along with me and showing what you would like worked wonders, especially with an unfamiliar technique such as blackwork.

In Szentendre near Budapest, I met a wonderful lady called Judik. She has a small shop selling hardanger designs which she stitches. Her work was exquisite. She took me into her workroom and showed me the materials which came from Roumania and the threads she used. My husband sent out a search party to find me, because I was missing for so long! We exchanged e-mail addresses and I bought some of her work home as a reminder of a very special lady. (see below).

 

Next month, we travel to Andalucia in Spain in search of inspiration and more needlework. Since Spain is the home of blackwork, I am hoping to find some examples of the work in museums and meet more people who love embroidery.

Autumn is coming here in the UK, so it is time to get out the materials and threads and consider what projects you are going to start for Christmas. There are some Christmas designs on the site and a Christmas Cross for you to try in Freebies.

Thank you for your support. Happy stitching.

Liz

September 2009

I have received a number of queries about the term "Call Out" which is used by my pattern designer programme "PC Stitch." It is an unusual term, which I have never met before. However, it represents metallic cross stitches and is shown by a square with a symbol inserted.

"Legend" is another term that has been queried and is the American term for the UK Stitch Key, which lists the symbols and silk numbers used in the chart.

Two symbols together on the "Legend" represent DMC thread and the Anchor alternative thread number.

I always use ONE strand of thread for back stitch and TWO strands for cross stitch. Metallic threads are used straight from the skein, or reel without splitting unless specified.

I hope this helps to explain how the system works and removes any confusion.

August 2009

Summer is supposed to be here, but as I write this, the wind is blowing and the sun is hidden behind the rain clouds. This is the perfect excuse to get my stitching out and work on a long neglected project, one of the many tucked away waiting for the finishing touches. I have little 'pats' in every room to be picked up and put down as the mood takes me. I recently came across an anthology of contemporary poetry called "Reflections" compiled by Alan Jacobs which contained a poem by June Evans that appealed to me very much.

"Free Spirit"

Oh - to be free
Free to fly
To glide
To soar
To rise with ease
Above
To spread my wings
And go
To leave behind
My burdens and cares
To know
Freedom
No limitations, no chains
To be
Whole.

Needlework frees me from the everyday worries and as I stitch my mind wanders, sorting through the demands of the day, planning for the week or perhaps, thinking of the next design. Peace for me is a piece of stitching!

Mary proudly displays her first piece of blackwork at her "Show and Tell" in Alexandria, USA. If you have any pictures of your finished work I would be delighted to display them.

July 2009

July marks the addition of another section to Blackwork Journey.

"Create Your Own Project" is designed to encourage embroiderers to develop their own ideas within a provided framework. Instructions and patterns are included so that the stitcher can choose where to place the different patterns, use her own colour schemes and develop a unique heirloom for the future.

Knowing where to start on a new project can be quite daunting, so this section is designed to remove the 'fear' factor. An Information PDF at the beginning of the section can be saved to your computer or, downloaded as a tutorial guide. This contains ideas that I have found very useful over a number of years. Please let me know what you think of this section and if it should be altered or expanded. I intend to add patterns to this section on a monthly basis, along with more charts in the "What's New" and "Freebies" sections.

I did find a comment on a website recently asking for an alternative translation for the word "freebies" but I rather like it!

I was also delighted to receive an embroidered card from an 83 year old lady called Ilene. Ilene works in miniature and the square which she selected from CH0028 Squares within Squares was exquisite. She has stitched the square in Madeira Machine Embroidery Threads, Border No.40 and Filling No.60 and measures 3 x 3cm. It is really beautiful and adds an extra dimension to blackwork embroidery.

June 2009 A celebration!

June marks the first six months of “Blackwork Journey” and it is now time to take stock and plan ahead and develop the site further. I owe a special vote of thanks to all those who have made a very difficult learning process for me, far less painful. My site would not be where it is today without their help.

It really has been an adventure and I have made contact with some wonderful people, so thank you all for your support!

On a serious note - I stitch most of the designs that I create and where possible, I add a name and date to the worked piece. I find it very sad that when someone has gone to great lengths to create a piece of needlework whatever it is, they do not put a name, or date to their creation. Named and dated samplers are very collectable, both here and abroad, whereas unnamed and undated samplers are far less valuable and have less meaning. Years from now, people will look back at the piece of work and say they know who created it and when!

When you work a quilt, or blackwork design or sampler, or embroider a cross stitch, you are undertaking something very personal that makes a statement about you as an individual. To find items of crochet, lace or embroidery unnamed and unloved on junk stalls, or in charity shops is sad. Someone has spent many hours working to create something of beauty and I think it is only right that their effort is recognised.

Many years ago, when I was teaching, a lady came in with a present. She handed me a bundle of dirty, very old newspaper. When I unwrapped it, a piece of hand made Honiton lace emerged. It was so black, I never thought it would be possible to clean it properly, but after a considerable amount of gentle soaking, rinsing and careful drying, an excellent exhibition piece emerged that had lain in a drawer for years rotting away. I like to think that it has found a new home with someone who will truly value the time and effort it took to make.

So whether you work on one of my freebies, or a masterpiece be proud of what you have created. You are making your own heirloom for future generations to admire and wonder over.

May 2009 To bead or not to bead?

I have been asked why I use beads in a blackwork design. To bead or not to bead is a personal decision. I think adding beads in the right place can add an extra dimension and can really 'lift' and change the final appearance of the embroidery.

Care has to be taken not to overdo the beading and also to choose the right size of beads for the project. I have worked a sample which is half beaded to show the different effects. You must decide what is right for you.

I always add beads after the embroidery has been finished to avoid wrapping the silk round the beads when I am stitching and whilst I usually use Mill Hill Beads there is a wonderful range of colours and sizes available at the moment. I have a large collection of little tubes full of beautiful beads just waiting for the right design.

It is rather like being a quilter - there is always room for one more piece, or one more skein of silk, or one more packet of beads!

Threading a beading needle can be difficult if your eyesight is not quite what it should be. I often use a big eye quilting needle No.10 or a 'betweens' which come in a variety of sizes as an alternative. My rule is, if you can see to thread the needle and it passes through the bead, use it!

April 2009

Spring has finally arrived. The daffodils are blooming and the trees are coming into bud at last. It has been a cold and miserable winter but there is so much to look forward to.

A number of readers have sent me photographs of their finished work so I have opened a section in Gallery to display their pieces.. It is a great thrill for me to receive their photographs and to read their comments. Thank you. Please keep sending them in!

Lesley Wilkins from the "Antique Samplers Magazine" is founding a Blackwork Guild to bring together blackwork enthusiasts from around the world. The launch will be on Ist June 2009 and if you want further details either visit her Site or send and email.

Blackwork is a fascinating branch of embroidery which has not received the full recognition it deserves and I look forward to becoming a member and helping to spread the knowledge just a little wider.

March 2009

The section "Inspirations" has been added during March and I have had a very good response. Thank you for your comments! It has been great fun to create and I look forward to developing it in the future.

On a more serious note I have just had the unfortunate experience of having some of my designs pirated by a Chinese company. Infringements are a major problem and are now part and parcel of the designing industry.

It takes considerable time and effort to create designs and to experience such blatent disregard is frustrating and annoying. When you surf the web if you come across instances where designs have been copied illegally, please contact the designers involved and help to stamp out copyright theft.

February 2009

February has brought a new challenge. I have decided to add a mini travel blog outlining where some of the ideas for my designs have come from. Click on "Inspirations" to see some of the amazing people and places who have influenced my ideas.

January 2009

2009 is here - a new start, a New Year! Time to finish all the old projects and create new ones has been my resolution for the past twenty years and I have yet to achieve it.

I found a quote which rather sums up how I feel about my needlework. It comes from Lady Roxanne's Blackwork Article which I found whilst browsing the Internet...

"Blackwork is black, except when it's not. Blackwork is reversible, except when it's not. Blackwork is a counted thread technique, except when it's not. Blackwork is called blackwork except (you guessed) when it's not."

If you are new to blackwork or find a thread that you want to try out, it is useful to work a few stitches to see how it looks. It can help you to decide whether two threads are better than one, how close to work them or whether crochet thread, perle, Sulky etc., will create the effect you need.

This sample was worked on 28 count evenweave. I then used the shading effect to create "With love" on 18 count Aida using one strand of DMC 310 Black stranded cotton. Don't be afraid to experiment, the results can be very satisfying!

Just occasionally a little tool emerges that is worth its weight in gold. Kathleen Dyer has created a Fabric Convertor and given me permission to include it for you to use. It makes it very simple to calculate the amount of fabric needed to work your own projects.

Just click the button in the left pane to bring up an Aida and Linen/Evenweave Calculator in inches and metric.