Sake Boxes - Finished

When I began Japanese embroidery, I had only one frame and only one piece in progress at any one time. And, initially, I worked only on Phase pieces. I began them in class in February or March and worked on them throughout the year, often working hard in January to complete them and free up the frame for the next piece.

While still working on Phase III, I had the opportunity to attend a special class, Embroidery Bridge Between East and West. Unable to complete Phase III before that class, I purchased my second embroidery frame. Over the years various ‘special’ classes have come up and, not wanting to miss the opportunity, I have had to add a few more frames to my collection.

However, I stuck to my mission to concentrate on each Phase piece in turn with the aim of completing one per year. Until, that is when I got to Phase VIII, Queen of Flowers. Although I began this piece on schedule at my Spring class, I had also started my Phase V beading, Pouchette, a few months earlier and was keen to progress with that. And then both my Japanese embroidery and Japanese Bead embroidery went on hold while I worked on a sampler for the online Goldwork Masterclass I was doing. I did get back to Queen of Flowers but had not finished it by the time my next class came around. For the first time, I began one phase piece before I had completed the previous phase.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

That was in March 2014. In the years that followed, I did not spend as much time doing Japanese embroidery as previously. There were several contributing factors; a growing obsession with early English embroidery being one but long periods when my mojo went AWOL was the biggest factor. I continued to go to my Japanese embroidery courses, each time making a little more progress on Sake Boxes and hoping that would rekindle my mojo, only for my embroidery to languish again until the next class.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

In 2017, I attended an advanced class with Arata-sensei. The piece we worked on had many challenging pieces and the class was excellent, I finally felt in control of some techniques that had struggled with. This time my mojo really was ignited and in the following months, I stitched regularly making slow but steady progress with the design.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

A year later, I went to Japan with a group of friends and we took a 5-day class with Kusano-sensei. Again, I learnt a great deal and certain things seemed to click into place. I felt I had reached a new height in my stitching.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Following that trip, I was really fired up to stitch. I reluctantly put away the piece I had begun in 2017 and the piece begun in Japan and turned my attention to Sake Boxes. Once I had completed the Wisteria vine on the ladle, the rest was plain sailing and I thoroughly enjoyed stitched what remained.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

Finishing Sake Boxes was quite a victorious achievement for me but it was not quite the triumphant moment that it should have been. In order to move on to Phase X, phases I-IX must be completed … and Phase VIII was hibernating in a cupboard waiting to be finished.

That said, I am extremely proud of myself for finishing Sake Boxes. Not only because I am proud that I stitched such a large and complex piece but, more so, because I overcame my personal struggle with this piece.

Happy stitching