Persian Flower Challenge - 2

At first I thought that I would embroider the petals in bright jewel colours but when I was selecting threads as usual I went for the safe option. I am always hesitant with colours and rarely take risks with them.


These are the blue silks that I used for The Blue Eyed Boy and I chose them because I like their similarity to the denim. I have other things planned that I hope will lift the design but I still think that I should have taken a bolder approach.


Happy Stitching

Persian Flower Challenge

My Nan had a birthday book, much like a diary but not specific to any year. For each day there was personality description. I always thought the description on the day I was born fitted me perfectly. Among other things, it said that I would make elaborate plans that I would not carry through. So true! It is not that I am unreliable, if I make a commitment to someone else, I will honour it. It is more because I make far too many plans, and too elaborate plans to fit them all in. Something’s gotta give.

I keep old clothes and fabric remnants that I am going to do something with. I collect patterns and instructions for projects I am going to make and I see challenge after challenge that I want to join in with. There simply is not time for all of it.

Some time ago I kept an old denim skirt that cried out to be made into something else. Many months ago I saw a pattern for a handbag that I simply had to make and several weeks ago the Hand Embroidery Group began a new design challenge that featured a Persian Flower design that I really wanted to join in with. Suddenly I had an aha moment. I could embroidery the Persian Flower onto the flap of the handbag that I could make from the denim skirt.

The design is traced onto tissue paper and transferred to the denim by back stitching along the key lines with fine pale thread. As the first layer of stitching will cover each petal there is no point transferring the details at this stage.

I wanted the centre of the flower to look raised so have padded it with three layers of padding cotton and one layer of white silk. As the silk will be covered with the final stitching, this may seem extravagant, but the silk will smooth out the cotton padding and will look better than the cotton if there is any show through (which there will be).


This is not a raised as I would have liked but I’m not going to redo it. I thought that it needed jazzing up a bit and also thought that the long stitches would benefit from some couching so that they would not get caught so easily.


Again, this is not as regular as I would have liked but it was not easy stitching through I layer of calico, 1 layer of denim, 3 layers of cotton padding, 1 layer of silk and a layer of imitation silver metallic thread.

Happy Stitching

Old Samplers and New Embroideries

I first met Sue on a Japanese Embroidery course and since then we have kept in touch by email/text as well as meeting up each year on the course. This weekend Sue came to visit and we went to see an exhibition. Every year by Witney Antiques and host a themed exhibition of their extensive collection of Samplers and Historic Embroideries. According to their catalogue they hold the largest stock of high quality antique needlework samplers in the UK along with an important collection of 17th and 18th century raised and silk work embroideries. Certainly the examples in the exhibition are extremely high quality and I could only marvel at the workmanship, especially when you consider that the embroiderers had none of today's advantages like prescription glasses or daylight bulbs. Many of these samplers were worked by very young girls and their workmanship is to be marvelled at. Sadly I cannot share any pictures with you, as they are copyright of Witney Antiques but you can get a taste of what they have on show here.

I've done hardly any stitching this week, my evenings have been spent spring cleaning the guest bedroom in preparation for Sue's visit. The room used to a be guest room but for the past year it was re-occupied by number one step-son and his girlfriend. Naturally, they wanted their own pictures on the walls but now that they have moved elsewhere and the room is cleaned, my embroidery can come out of storage and go back on the wall. For the first time my Phase I and Phase II Japanese Embroidery hang side by side on view.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

On a side wall is a small embroidery called Tempus Fugit, my attempt at design. It was inspired by a sampler shown in the Embroiderer's Guild magazine, Stitch, Issue 5. Their sampler was stitched by Aethelwynn, a young girl in one of the Wessex convents in AD1000. I began mine as a millennium project but put it aside for a couple of years before before finally getting around to completing it.

Happy Stitching

New Beginnings

I don’t know how old I was when I started to stitch. I don’t know who taught me. As far as I know, I was born with a needle in my hand. It is simply something that I have always done. I don't do it exceptionally well but I love doing it. I’ve made clothes, I’ve knitted jumpers (very badly) and I’ve crocheted cushion covers. I have done many things that involve needles and thread but most of all, I’ve embroidered.

To me, anything that makes a decorative stitch is embroidery. Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at many techniques and I haven’t found one yet that I haven’t enjoyed. I learned by following the instructions in kits, or designs printed in magazines. I do tend to flit from one thing to another, which makes me a Jack of many trades and Master of none. Sewing is my hobby; I do it because I like it and I find it relaxing.

In 2000, I joined a local branch of the Embroiderer’s Guild. Among other branch members and speakers I’ve met many talented and creative needlewomen. From them, and at workshops I’ve attended, I have learned a great deal and have been inspired to explore textile art. I am a wannabe textile artist.

Nearly everything I have done in the past, I have given away and I have not kept any record of it. This blog is primarily a place for me to record what I am working on and perhaps thoughts and ideas for future projects. It is also a place for me to share my work with those who, like me, enjoy seeing what other embroiderers are working on. I am a very slow worker, and don’t get to stitch every day, so I won’t be posting on a daily basis. If I manage to post weekly, I will surprise myself.

Happy stitching, Carol-Anne