Complete clauses 5 clauses which provide a personal challenge to you
The five clauses though not large projects have all been new techniques for me. I didn't feel I had the time to complete such a project in a reasonable timescale, my last large project took around 18 months to complete. I also did not think it wise to tackle anything larger than a card when trying a new technique.
Clause 5 Embroider a sampler, card, picture or similar using blackwork embroidery.
Have stitched a blackwork card this was a project from a magazine I purchased along time ago. This actually did not take very long to do, and I quite enjoyed doing making it. I may do a larger project I have seen in a magazine and use it for BOGUK gets crafty.
Clause 7 Embroider a sampler, card, picture or similar that incorporates beadwork.
Have stitched a free kit from my cross stitch magazine which had a bead border. I however felt that this was cheating a bit so I purchased a Winnie the Pooh pin cushion, this was the only kit I could find with bead work incorporated. Stitching was simple enough though the beading was very time consuming and the beading needle extremely sharp.
Clause 8 Embroider a sampler, card, picture or similar that incorporates ribbon embroidery.
Couldn't find any kits incorporating ribbon embroidery so I bought a book and have designed a 40th wedding anniversary card for my parents which has a dozen red roses on it. Did the wording for the card using the stitchcraft computer package. May try and do something similar for my in-laws golden wedding anniversary next year, again using it for BOGUK gets crafty. However I don't think I'm going to be making a living out of making silk ribbon roses, very fiddley and don't always work out. The first one I made took over three hours to get right.
Clause 10 Complete a large or complicated embroidery project, which extends your skills
Have uploaded some pictures of projects that I have completed in the last couple of years.
Clause 11 Learn to use a computer package to design your own embroidery pattern
Have finally got round to putting my wedding sampler onto the pc using Stitch Craft software. The pattern is entirely my own design made up from a number of small motifs, some I found in books others I made myself. Each motif depicts a hobby/interest of my husband and I. Each motif has the name of a place that David and I visited before we were married. Originally I had mapped the design out on millimetre square graph paper, but over the years the glue had become unstuck so something needed to be done before the pattern was lost. Stitchcraft was easy to use though it does not have a text to stitch tool so each word had to be drawn out by hand. Having said that I used 28 count even weave stitching over one thread, I stitched over two threads for the motifs
Clause 12 Use embroidery to decorate another article
Have used waste canvas to decorate an old polo shirt. Used Winnie the Pooh and Tigger from designcraft, these were the only kits I could find with waste canvas and I couldn't find waste canvass in any of my local craft shops to make my own design (should have looked on the internet, have found an excellent site for cross stitch). Started with pooh, stitching was easy enough, though I'm not sure I went down the correct hole each time. The worse bit was removing the waste canvass, though once I got the hang of it, it was easy enough. Decided that I should have another go hence Tigger
