It is nice to undertake a stitching project that it is entirely different to the spring and summer flowers that have dominated my stitching life for the last three or more years. Also, a semester away from teaching has given me the chance and opportunity to do some canvas work. It is many years since I last had to count holes and be constantly getting my needle into the wrong one. Be warned that black canvas is the same colour as a stitching needle thus rendering the needle invisible. Very annoying.

I prefer movement to a static design in the same way that I prefer paintings showing action rather than still life. Previous canvas projects have been the traditional circuits of different stitches all laid out in a square and headed for a cushion cover. Tell me, did I manage portray action in this design and choice of stitches? You will see some bargello that was altered to meet the needs of the situation. There is also couching, leaf stitches and padded leather. Would you believe that the gold threads used in metal thread embroidery are not used here at all? There is some DMC Floss but the rest are novelty yarns and Christmas parcel cord.

The black canvas was really annoying to work on. But it suited the concept. I must have gone through the wrong hole hundreds of times. Behind the canvas is a piece of metallic cloth where the threads were black in one direction and gold in the other. It gives the background just a bit of a sparkle when held in the right light. There was no way I was going to tent stitch all the background. It has been mounted on acid free foam core board. When our outside temperatures rise above freezing and stay there, I will take it to the framer. I think that a plain, matt black frame will finish it and not distract from the image. What do you think? I would be interested in hearing some other options. One can see too much of something to have an objective view.

This was an enjoyable break of pace and interest and it has refreshed my mind before returning to flowers. But, it’s back to flowers and the research needed to create recognizable stitched plants and flowers.

Dear Readers,

It is with great pleasure that this blog posting launches my second book:

Stitching Idyllic: Hand Stitch Recognizable Summer Flowers

I send my profound thanks to the contributing stitchers and to the reviewers. You are all part of the process of creating and publishing and, without you, this launch would be like a bicycle tire with a puncture.

The book introduction is on my web site: www.annbernard.com

You will be able to ‘take a peek inside’ just as you do when you purchase any book online. It also includes directions on purchasing if you wish to do so.

But now, join me in an explanation about writing an ebook. This is as onerous as is writing any book unless it is a part of ‘you’ that just has to be expressed. For someone creative who wants to share their discoveries, it’s a good fit but an enormous amount of work. Completion is a special feeling comparable to TGIF, but more rewarding.

First, one has to have an idea and develop that idea. One should know one’s subject well and be ready to experiment with modifications and variations in techniques and materials. For instance, there are numerous books on many of the aspects of stitching but, if your book is a repetition of what has already been published, do you really need to add to the collection? The content should be new for readers and the information relevant to the topic. Or, the techniques described should be an advancement on what is already published.

Why an eBook rather than a printed book? These are my reasons which may or may not be relevant for other writers. I am older than many of you and have spent most of my working days in the medical world. Retirement gave me the time to resume a lifelong and deep compulsion to stitch but I was unknown in this field. I did not think that I had the time to undertake the process of creating a book to be published in the traditional way. A traditional book publisher generally undertakes the task of creating professional quality diagrams, photographs and layout. The author provides the material with which the publisher works. An eBook gave me the opportunity to publish fairly quickly.

An eBook is almost entirely constructed by the author from written content to diagrams, photos and layout. The ePublisher formats, adjusts and adapts it as necessary to meet the technical requirements many of which came as a surprise to this novice. For instance, no columns or explanations written around a photo; captions have to be above or below the photo. Photos must be of minimum pixels while still commensurate with a satisfactory image. There are no pages or page numbers but referencing backwards and forwards is just a click. The people at eBookIt.com were forever patient, encouraging and helpful to this computer dummy who has no understanding of their process or of how a computer works.

After purchase, the book downloads onto your computer or tablet and you can print it for yourself in full and high quality colour or it can be a ‘quick colour print’ which uses less ink. Or you can print it in black and white which will give you the information but not the inspiration.

While the publisher makes the contacts with all the principal distributors, publicity is the author’s responsibility. What plans do I have for promoting this eBook? You are reading one of mine right now!

As with any purchase, the choice of purchasing or not purchasing is yours. For this reason, you will find an excerpt of the book on my web page which will allow you to ‘peek inside’ and to read reviews which will help you make that decision.

www.annbernard.com

This is a much more economical way for you to acquire the information than it is to purchase a printed copy especially bearing in mind the costs of printing, packaging and mailing. An ebook is available on your computer, or tablet, wherever and whenever you need it. The world is now accustomed to using the the electronic highway. With advantages for both the author and the user, I would have thought that publishing a stitching book in an eBook format would be established by now. The tablet habit is here to stay and we should all take advantage of the technology.

It is teacher’s brag time. I am always delighted to have an opportunity to work with gold threads and to teach another generation of stitchers how to handle these specialized threads. This was an intermediate class in that all had learned the basics earlier this year. Many of the projects are unfinished but I thought that it would be nice for you to see some of the creativity of this class. These are a few only; hopefully, there will be more later.

First, Janet Sunderani did a practice/experimental piece to try out some threads and techniques to see what they would do and to gain some experience. You will remember Janet from the postings titled From Clogs to Education and Silk, Stocking and Clogs.

Look how well Janet has couched the dull gold thread in the lower right corner and how well she has stitched the pointed turns. You can see them clearly when they are stitched with a coloured thread, a specific technique included in the class. Look to the left and note the evenness in the Detached Buttonhole stitching. Close by is sequin waste placed in a double layer forming ovals. In the top left quadrant she has been practising circles. Note the perfectly mitred corners. The top right corner is unfinished but she thought she would place chippits in that area. Chippits are small pieces of leftover gilts and pearl purl stitched in the same manner as beads.

The first two pieces pictured here do not use the traditional gold work threads though they are using the techniques. Yes, one can do that. Why not? Be creative in your own way with what is available.

Red Experiment

Janet writes, “I really enjoyed playing with these cheap threads because I was less concerned about doing it right and just freer to experiment and see how the threads behaved. Obviously many are not designed for this work and are quite gaudy. The cores of some were elastic and you cannot plunge them easily so mostly I did not do this. The braids tend to unravel so I sealed the ends with clear nail polish.”

That is a good tip. When your design includes loose ends of Japanese gold thread left on the surface of the fabric, dip the ends in clear nail polish to stop them from unravelling.

Meet Wellington, the Cat with Pizzazz and Blue Suede Shoes

Connie Dorion wanted to stitch a gift for her daughter who has recently lost her husband. She chose a pale mauve silk for the background. The first decision after that was that Wellington should have blue suede shoes. From there, she chose ribbons and trims to create a memorable cat. His face is gold leather and his smug smile is all Connie’s doing. He makes me smile, too whenever I see him and I love his blue whiskers. Connie is hoping that Wellington will be a therapeutic addition to her family. Wellington is completed but there are still some back basting stitches to be removed.

Or Nué

Barbara Lee Johnson is not only in a leaf phase of her life but this is her second piece of Or Nué. You will know Barbara Lee as a regular contributor to stitchinfingers. This is the lower quarter of a new piece. The photo segment is small so that you can see the detail. Or Nué is a difficult technique. Not only that but each line takes time and concentration and progress is slow, really slow. Note the evenness of the green and the gold stitching. Look at her pencilled guide lines and the straightness of her stitching in conjunction to the guide lines. The Japanese Gold thread is laid down in pairs which is the traditional way of stitching Or Nué. The ends will be left on the surface and covered with a matt board. If they were sunk through to the back, they would in effect, tear the fabric. This is a safe way to handle this problem. Barbara Lee is an experienced Gold Work stitcher, this being at least the sixth piece she has undertaken.

There are other, interesting pieces stitched by members of this class but they are not sufficiently complete at this time to show them to you though I am hoping there will soon be an opportunity to share them.

It is a teacher’s delight to be able to post a blog such as this. Thank you, stitchers.

And the clogs?

Well, my father had an expression – From Clogs to Clogs in Three Generations. It was a dire warning to remember that clogs , a mark of poverty and of hard work, were worn by people who, through hard work, industry and thrift, made a good future for their children. If we squander our inheritance, we will end up wearing clogs again. My grandmother wore clogs and so did her children until their grammar school days, much to their mortification. Aunt Edna was sent home from school for wearing clogs as they were too noisy and was told to return in leather shoes.

I have a tiny pair of traditional Lancashire clogs made by Walter Hurst of Hindley – his was the last family clog making business in the UK. He was a customer of the bank where my father was manager. Dad bought them for my son Michael when he was born. They are bright red and quite beautiful. Michael has never worn them. Notice the metal on the soles and heels of the clogs. They improved wear and kept the wooden part out of the wet and dirt on the mill floor. Mr Hurst’s business has now closed and he has retired. His family made clogs for the workers of the six cotton mills and 16 mines in the area for 103 years. His son, a pharmacist, did not follow into the clog making business. It was a dying trade and neither clog making nor shoe repair could maintain the family. We live in a disposable society where cheaply made goods are built, not or service but for fashion, and then quickly discarded.

Our embroidery is an exception to this and a link to that heritage of industry, craft and thrift. We are a tribute to both the clog makers and the clog wearers!

So I am off now to find my clogs and do some gardening.

Want to know more about Clog Dancing?

http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Clog-Dancing/

Back to Janet’s voice and my research.

Among the many things that interest me is the teaching of needlework in schools; it has died out completely. On the Antiques Roadshow is a sample folder or book, stitched by a young Irish girl in Kildare, of beautiful tiny garments pin-tucked, smocked, embroidered, hemmed and buttonholed to show off her skills to prospective employers. I could not find pictures though I did find a picture of the instruction manual used by the teacher as an example and guide. It is heartbreakingly beautiful.

http://www.prices4antiques.com/Reference-Books-2-Needlework-Instruction-with-Samples-Irish-Female-Academy-9-inc-D9684635.html

When I saw the item being valued it gave me the shivers to think it was the work of a small child and it was the means of securing her life and her future.

It seems to me that many Victorian industrialists tried hard to provide for those unable to work or fend for themselves. They felt a social and moral obligation to do so. I am sure they lived comfortable lives themselves too, but they did provide employment, housing and education for their workforce. JP Coats certainly did so to the benefit of my ancestors. The company’s attitude to their workers and their education shows how enlightened they were.

Does this demonstrate that when one educates a girl, one can change life for future generations?

The other sampler I found was stitched by a woman, Lorina Bulwer, living in a lunatic ward in a workhouse around 1900. It was featured on the Antiques Road Show in the UK. Anyone who has read What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman will know that one did not have to be a lunatic to be incarcerated in an asylum. It could be a matter of convenience for someone else. This is a video you really do need to see. It is a sampler like no other and is well worth connecting to the Antiques Road Show to see and hear about it. Please view this video even if you miss the others.

https://twitter.com/timetidemuseum/status/420852758531407873

How privileged we are to be able to sew for leisure and pleasure.

https://www.paisley.org.uk/paisley-history/ferguslie-half-timers-school/

Ferguslie Half Timers School was one of the finest school buildings in Scotland. Built in 1866 by the Coats family, they hired eminent architects to build a “palace of education”. It was described as “an admirably equipped school” and a “model of beauty and appropriateness”. It is now, unfortunately, derelict having suffered fires and then been left open to the weather. A drawing and floor plan of this school can be found from the link above. Half Timers were students who worked half a day in industry and went to school for the other half of the day. If you search the web you will find a video of the Ferguslie school in its current condition.

Eagley Mills owned by Chadwicks and then JP Coates has fared much better. It was closed in the 1970s and has been converted into residences. See the transformation of this old mill building.

http://www.pjlivesey-group.co.uk/case-study-4-eagley-mills/

In 1750 James and Patrick Clark began work in the loom equipment and silk thread business in Paisley, Scotland. In 1830, James and Peter Clark inherited the business naming it J. & P. Coats. The company expanded and is now an International provider of threads and other textile items and operates under a variety of names. One of the brands we all recognize is Clarks Anchor Embroidery Floss.

Social history tells us of the lives and times of our ancestors and the conditions in which they lived. I am hoping that these articles focussing on the daily lives of ordinary people will keep the details of their lives within our memories.

This is a good moment to offer profound thanks to Janet Sunderani without whom the last two blogs would not have happened. I have enjoyed this trip into our history about which I knew nothing. Researching for pictures and videos has been interesting and rewarding.