Colour Challenge Chinese Whisper

My next finish was something that I had not even started but it was long overdue. The colour Chinese whispers travelling page was a swap/challenge on the Embroiderer’s Guild Forum. The idea was that we all started with the same basic design, which we could modify but the original design had to remain evident. The first person stitched the design in a single colour. The second person stitched the design using two colours, that used by the first person and one of their own choice. Each subsequent person stitched their own take on the design adding their choice of colour to those stitched by the previous person. I was the seventh person in the chain and the colours passed on to me were royal blue, orange, bright green, turquoise, red and violet. I selected a range of threads from my stash that offered the closest match to these colours and added gold as my choice.


For me, this was by far the hardest challenge I have taken part in so far. I really struggled to come up with a design. I did not want to simply use the original design as a frame around a separate design but I could not see any other way of using it. Although there was no specific deadline given, I knew that everyone else had completed their pages weeks ago and in the end I felt under pressure to complete mine. I turned to a favourite book to look for inspiration, Just Flowers by Lesley Turpin-Delport, and found it in the ribbon embroidery alphabet. In the book, each letter is matched with a flower whose name begins with that letter. I stuck to that principle but changed some of the flowers to ones that better suited the colours in my list.


I enjoyed the challenge and the embroidery, and I think that it is quite pretty but ultimately I was disappointed at my lack of imagination on this challenge.

Happy Stitching

Chinese Flower, finished

Next on my list of things to finish was Chinese Flower.

When I began this piece in September, I never imagined it would still be on the frame in January. I have taken a lot of time and care over the stitching but even so I am amazed at how much stitching time this small piece took (unfortunately, I did not record my hours but as a rough guide one each leaf took 3-4 hours to stitch).

© Trish Burr/Carol-Anne Conway

I cannot sing the praises of this on-line course enough. I think the design is really pretty. The transfer on the fabric was excellent; the grey lines are dark enough to be seen clearly but cover nicely with the thread. The instructions are very good, with clear indications for colour placement, stitch direction and order of stitching. I also purchased Trish’s DVD, The Long and the Short of It, and found this indispensable. I initially watched it all the way through but then review the relevant sections for each lesson. Optional assessment was offered as part of the course for a limited time period (beyond the end of the course). I only completed Lesson one during that time frame. Trish’s response was timely, gracious and very helpful. Even though it was well past the finish date, I did send a picture of my finished design purely for her to see and Trish responded with some very lovely comments about my stitching.

© Trish Burr/Carol-Anne Conway

As for stitching the design, well I loved it! The printed design looks a little cartoonish and I could not image how I would transform that into anything closely resembling Trish’s stitched sample. I tried to everything I had ever heard or read about long and short stitch and follow Trish’s instructions as closely as possible. From the very first element, the rose bud, I was staggered to see what was emerging from my needle and as the project progressed I felt more and more confident about my stitching.

© Trish Burr/Carol-Anne Conway

I could not wait to start the kingfisher. I was aiming to make the colour transitions and appearance of the leaves and petals as smooth as possible so, at first, I found it difficult to achieve the more irregular look of the bird’s feathers. I eventually got the hang of it and, once I had, I really enjoyed the freeness of stitching with abandon!

© Trish Burr/Carol-Anne Conway

I am such a silkaholic that I did not think I would ever be satisfied with a piece stitched in cotton floss but I am quite impressed with how it came out. I’d be interested to see the same piece stitched in silk for comparison but I won’t be undertaking that any time soon.

If you have been thinking about taking this course (if/when Trish reruns it), I whole heartedly recommend it and I am delighted with my version of the Chinese Flower.

Happy Stitching

Floral Melody - finished

Like most people, I associate the New Year with fresh starts and new beginnings but for the first few weeks of 2012 I am focusing on finishing.

First up, the big one! I had hoped to finish Floral Melody by Christmas 2011. I didn’t quite manage that deadline and FM had to go on hold over the festive period. It seemed to take forever for things to settle down and for me to get back into my usual routine but I eventually got there and Floral Melody eventually got finished!

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

It took 300 meters of thread, 138 hours of stitching time and goodness knows how many beads (and I have no intention of counting them). In addition to the beading techniques, one important thing that I leant at Phase 3 is that if there are two identical sides to a project, work on both sides simultaneously. If you complete one side then go back to work the other, you will certainly forget what you did first time around. Also, I needed to ensure that I had enough beads to do the same thing on both sides. I could have divided the beads up before I started, but I didn’t, so I needed to keep track of usage. Most importantly, I found that when I had completed the first side on Poppy Pouch, it felt like I had finished completely. I had to dig deep to find the resources to start afresh on the second side.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

This time, I made sure that I worked on both sides throughout, ensuring that I never got too far ahead on one side. When the finish post was in sight, this time it really was the finish.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Over the past few weeks, I have focused most of my stitching time into this project and now that it is finished, I can reveal why. Phase V class is only taught in Atlanta by Matsukawa-san and I could only enrol for that class once Floral Melody was completely finished. In anticipation of finishing on time, I had booked my flight and reserved my hotel room but my heart was in my mouth until my place on the class was secure.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Last weekend I completed Floral Melody, sent of my booking form and have been accepted on the Phase V class. And tonight I have heard from my good friend and travel companion, Sue, that she has completed her Phase IV. For those unfortunate enough to have access to Skype, I apologise for the slightly disturbing image of me doing a happy dance earlier this evening.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Happy Stitching

Disco Donna

The December meeting of the Embroiderer’s Guild, Oxford Branch is always a social event. Sometimes we have a members competition were we are asked to make something in advance. This year we were given instructions for a "Disco Donna" and asked to make a fairy version.

I thought that I might have a go at improvisational bead embroidery for my Donna. In her book, One Bead at a Time, Robin Atkins, advises that you start with a fabric that you love, so I had a rummage through my stash. The problem is, every time I found a fabric I loved, I had earmarked it for another project, or I considered it "too good" for a frivolous project. Eventually, I found a small square of silk, that Susan Elliot had given me as a 'bonus' for being her first customer on ETSY. There was just enough to make a Donna, I had no preconceived plans for it and I LOVED it. Next job was to pull all of the beads and sequins that I thought might work with the fabric.


I drew two rectangles (for the body) and two circles (for the head) onto the fabric and outlined each shape with beaded back stitch. Then, following the advice given in Robin’s book, I chose a bead that appealed to me and stitched in onto the body and just kept selecting beads and stitching them on until I thought I was done.


I drew Donna’s face onto fabric with coloured pens. I should have guessed that the ink would bleed but I thought that this happy accident gave her a more quirky look.


I added the hair after I had assembled and stuffed the head and body.


And finally, I added the arms and legs.


My Donna is more ‘Disco’ than ‘Fairy’, but then so am I!

You can see all the Disco Donna Fairies that came to our Christmas party here.

Happy Stitching

Doodle Page - Flower Bed

For my own doodle page I had selected a piece of fabric cut from a thread-bare Liz Claiborne blouse that had I had been saving for just such an occasion. I asked the other participates to embroider me a garden and to get it started I doodled an aster, inspired by Lesley Turpin-Delport in Just Flowers. Then I sent my page on its travels starting in Australia.

Sadly, after Dian added her embroidery and sent my page on the next leg of its journey, it went astray. I cannot be too upset; this is part and parcel for Round Robins and worldwide exchanges. My main regret is that I will never get to see Dian’s original embroidery in my garden. Jo who was next in the Round Robin, made a replacement page from fabric in her stash and Dian very kindly embroidered some flowers for my garden a second time. Not only that, but Dian also did a doodle of an aster similar to the one I had originally done.










I am very pleased to say that my page then completed the Round Robin without a hitch before coming home to me.


Thank you, Robins, for the beautiful garden that you stitched for me.

Happy Stitching

Doodle Page - Why?

This was the last page to come to me and, for me it was the most challenging topic. I find abstract subjects difficult to connect to. This page arrived while I still had some still to do. I resisted the urge to open the package and see the page so I would not distracted by it.

When I finally saw it and read the notes that accompanied it, I was quite moved. Everyone had clearly put a lot of thought into it. The creator of the page had asked us 'Why?' thinking particularly about the dreadful natural disasters that had recently affected Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries in that region. What I found most interested is that nearly everyone did not attempt to suggest 'Why' but instead offered comfort and support. Arlene’s troubled world was filled with love, hugs and cups of tea!


I added Fatima’s Hand to protect us all from the Evil Eye.


I had almost dreaded this page, thinking that I would not know what to contribute to it. In the end I felt inspired by the subject and the thoughts of those who had stitched before me.

Happy Stitching

Doodle Page - Music

I have always enjoyed music but it was never a great passion of mine. I looked at what others had stitched and read the notes they had sent with the page. It was obvious that the artist/songs they had chosen to embroider had had some influence on them. I didn’t think that any artist or song had affected me so deeply. I tried to think what of my earliest recollection of music. I remember that my Mum had a china ornament, a Crinoline Lady, with a wind up base that played Swan Lake. I would sometimes sneak into her bedroom to wind the base and listen to the tickling music. Today, I mostly listen to Classical Music. I wonder if this early experience influenced my taste in music more than I imagined.


My Swan is outlined in stem stitch using flat silk. Her tutu is a katayori made from white silk and couched in a meandering line around her skirt.


Happy Stitching