Floral Glove Scissor Case

A few months ago, I signed up to an on-line course. When I first heard about The Floral Glove course I resisted signing up but when some places became available for late sign up, the temptation proved too great.

The silk and gold embroidery is based on the beautiful and elaborate gloves of the Stuart era. My main interest in the course is to learn the gold work techniques. I also hope to improve my long and short stitch. Another aspect of the course is the history lessons. They take a detailed look at some of the professionally worked gloves that inspired this project, with close up pictures and information of the materials and techniques used. I have found this totally fascinating.

The supplies for the project are gorgeous: Au Ver a Soie silks, seven different types of metal threads, spangles, double-faced silk satin ribbon and gold lace. It was extremely difficult to resist the urge to drop everything else and start stitching this immediately but resist I did. Then my mojo did his disappearing act!

I thought that this project might draw him out of his hiding place, so I framed it up and left it in plain view. Sure enough it was this project that he first picked up when he visited the other evening.

© Thistle Threads/Carol-Anne Conway

© Thistle Threads/Carol-Anne Conway

As much as my mojo loves embroidery, he prefers to watch me stitching to doing it himself. Last night he reverse stitched what he had done, handed me the frame, and asked if I would mind doing a little stitching for him! Mind! I was more than happy to oblige. Happiness is stitch away with my mojo on my shoulder purring contentedly.

© Thistle Threads/Carol-Anne Conway

Happy Stitching

Tread Softly

Ssshhh! Come quietly! I’ve spotted my mojo and I don’t want to scare him away.

I’ve felt his presence for a little while now, a slight tingling in my fingers, and occasionally I’ve caught a glimpse of him in the corner of my eye. I’ve sat very still, patiently waiting for him to feel comfortable around me again. I’ve started to leave out a few nice things to tempt him.

A couple of evenings ago he crept out of his hiding place and played quietly with a nice silk and gold project I had framed up for him. He didn’t stay long but I was a delight to have him around, even for a short time. When he was ready to leave, I didn’t make a fuss or cajole him to stay longer and this morning I was rewarded with another visit. He sat straight down at the Poppy Pouch that I had left out and started to stitch. He enjoyed himself so much that I didn’t want to remind him when it was time for me to leave for work. I could see how reluctant he was to put the beads away but I reassured him that he is always welcome.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Happy Stitching

Have you Seen my Mojo?

July has been a very strange month for me; I have barely lifted a needle. I’m not ill, I’m not injured. My stitching mojo has simply deserted me – temporarily I hope. I have read on many blogs of this happening to others, so I know that it is a fairly common phenomenon and I am trying not to let frustration get the better of me but I WANT MY MOJO BACK!

I completed one quick and easy beading project very early in the month. While in Amsterdam, I visited my favourite bead shop and made a necklace and earrings (with a great deal of help from the assistant).



I selected the Venetian glass beads to go with a new skirt.


I have been dabbling with another small project but progress has been very slow and patchy.


Nearly half way through August and I am still in the stitching dull drums. If you happen to see my mojo, tell him I miss him and please come home.

Happy Stitching

A Stitcher’s Trousseau

Immediately after my wedding last August, a very good stitching friend said that she would like to send me something to mark the occasion. Susan warned me that it may be a while before I received it but, according to wedding etiquette, one year is an acceptable time frame for sending a gift.

In March, I went to Bournemouth for my Japanese Embroidery course. I took a laptop with me and kept up with emails but for over a week I did not visit the blogs that I follow. When I did catch up with missed posts one, on Plays With Needles, was titled A Stitcher’s Trousseau. At a glance, my eyes took in the first line and photograph. I very strongly suspected that this was about my gift and read no more. Days past, then weeks, but no parcel arrived. I wondered if I had jumped to the wrong conclusion but if it was my parcel I was concerned about its whereabouts. Eventually, some correspondence with Susan confirmed that it was my parcel, it had been sent and it was taking longer to arrive than expected. More time passed and still there was no sign of the parcel. Two parcels that I have sent overseas have never arrived at their destination and I was beginning to fear that I would never receive my longed for gift.

Then in June I received an email from Susan
"Guess what landed in my door stoop today??? YOUR wedding present!
It says it was "Not called for" and was there from 4/22/10 ??? ..."

Well, I didn’t call for it because I hadn’t know that it was waiting somewhere for me but, joy of joys, it was not lost and had safely made its way back to Susan. Then in July Susan emailed again to say that she had resent the parcel and told me the tracking information. Every couple of days I logged into USPS to track its progress and 'virtually' watched my parcel travel across the pond until finally I received a Royal Mail card saying that I could collect my parcel from them. The waiting was not quite over as I could not get to the depot until that weekend.

I collected my parcel first thing on Saturday and could hardly wait to get home to open it.







Susan had put together a Stitcher's Trousseau (I knew that much from my accidental peek at the blog entry). Anything from Susan would have been a treasure, but I should have known that it would have been assembled with such creative thought and care. Everything, from the beautiful box and purple heart koma to the gorgeous fabrics and findings, was chosen to reflect a bridal theme or my interest in all things Japanese. It contains so many treasures. I haven't included pictures of them all here, Susan has done that far better than I could on her blog.

It is a very generous, thoughtful and fabulous gift and I very lucky to have it. Thank you, Susan, for the wonderful gift, the lovely things you said in the enclosed card and you friendship. I will treasure them all.

Happy Stitching