Hello Everyone

I will be releasing the first two black and white, Whitework kits next week, they are being packed as we speak and wanted to address some of the concerns you may have about satin stitch.  I dislike that word “concerns” because it conjurs up images of something to be “concerned” about!  In fact satin stitch does not deserve its reputation for being challenging, it is no more challenging than many other stitches, for instance I find buttonhole stitch and stem stitch challenging, you may laugh at this but I really do!   Once you have grasped the basics and have practiced it a bit it will become your new best friend.  Actually satin stitch is a great way to perfect your long & short stitch – I find that when I have been working with a lot of satin stitch my long and short appears more even and smooth.  So it really is worth the effort.

There are many ways to approach satin stitch, diagonal, straight etc,  this is the French technique or Plumetis and I am sure you will find it works well for most forms of embroidery.  Here are ten hints that will help you to improve your satin stitch:

1.  Use a Magnifying lamp.  The bright daylight and magnification enable you to see each little stitch and where to place it.  This can avoid hours of frustration and misplaced stitches resulting in lumpy/uneven satin stitch.

2.  Use the correct fabric.  If you want fine, smooth satin stitch you should use a fine, close weave fabric.  If the weave in the fabric is too loose there will not be enough placement for the needle and your satin stitches wont be able to slot in nicely next to each other.  Use either a high count (200 count)  cotton muslin /batiste or a min of 1400 HC linen.

3.  Outline the shape.  An outline will provide a nice firm edge for you to work your satin stitches over and define the edge.  The outline can be worked with split stitch but I prefer running stitch as the majority of thread is on the front and very little on the back as shown below.  Running stitch is like tacking stitch except you take very little of the fabric between stitches (about 2 threads) so that all the stitching is on the front and very little on the back. Bring the thread up at A and down at B. Continue working like this to the end of the line.

Running stitch

Double Running Stitch. This provides an even firmer, solid outline similar to split stitch. Work a line of running stitch with a second line of running stitch worked on top of this. (shown in contrasting colour for clarity).The second line of stitches is worked between the previous stitches as shown. Work a line of running stitch. Bring the thread up in the centre of the first stitch (A) and down into the centre of the second stitch (B). Continue working likethis till complete.

Double running stitch

4.  Work a layer of running stitches underneath your satin stitch.  This provides a nice foundation for your satin stitch and prevents the fabric from showing through if there are slight gaps between stitches.  You can start by adding one layer of running stitches (or if the shape is small you can work straight stitches next to each other).   The running stitches should always run along the length of a shape.  Once you are confident with one layer you can add more layers to achieve a 3 Dimensional effect but we will talk more about this in a future post.

5.   Stitch with the nap of your thread. All thread has a nap which is the direction the fibres are running in. There is some discrepency in the embroidery world as to how important this is but I have researched it over the years and although it is not important for you to decide which way the nap goes it does help if you use your thread in the same direction each time. So how can you know which is the same direction – it is simple here are some ideas:
a) work with a skein of thread and pull out a single ply, then cut it off and thread this end. Keep pulling out a length of thread from the skein each time and thread the same end into the needle.
b) mark one end with a blue fabric marker and thread this end each time into the needle. Cut off the end of the length with the mark on so it does not spoil your work.
c) Cut off a length of thread approx 50cm and tie a knot in one end. Pull out a single strand and thread the un-knotted end each time.

6.  Work your satin stitch in the same direction each time, and dont change direction in the middle. I cant tell you what the scientific reason is behind this but it works. I like to work from left to right across a shape. This way if I have to put my stitching down and come back to it I know which direction to continue in. If you are left handed it might help to stitch from right to left – it is not important which way you work as long as it is in the same direction.

7.   Establish the direction of your satin stitch before you start stitching.   Start slightly away from the edge and place a directional stitch. (you can go back and add a stitch or two on the left of this afterwards). This will helps to establish the direction of your stitches.

8.   Keep your stitches parallel and close together.  The stitches should be very close together but not on top of each other. If you work does not look smooth it is because the threads do not lie flat because they are scrunched up together too tight/too loose with gaps in between.

9.  Push your needle up and down over the outline.  Bring the needle up against your outline edge and down over the other edge, pushing closely against the outline so that each stitch is firm and secure.   Do not worry if your edges are not smooth I have a solution which is used in all the Whitework projects – stitch a fine split stitch outline around each shape and this defines it.

10.  Work the satin stitches at right angles to the shape.   The satin stitches should always be worked at right angles to the padding stitches and the shape.  Here are some examples:

Examples of satin stitch

In the next post I will list some hints on working satin stitch on a curve. In the meantime get yourself a piece of finely woven cotton such as a good quality quilting muslin and some DMC/Anchor stranded cotton and try out some satin stitch. You can use two strands for the outline and layer of padding and one strand for the satin stitch. If you have some floche or cotton a broder this is even better, use one strand. Here is a summary of how to do it.

1.  Outline the shape with runing stitches to provide a nice firm outline.

2.  Add a layer of padding inside of this shape with running/straight stitches.

3.  Work the satin stitches on top of this across the shape at right angles to the padding stitches.

Till next time, wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and many happy stitching hours.  Trish

Hello everyone

I am thrilled to announce that the first two black and white Whitework kits are here and available in the Etsy shop for sale.  You can find them here.

Supplies are limited whilst stocks last as the threads are imported from France so there could be some delay in re-stocking.  The first is the Charcoal Butterfly which is an entry level project designed to introduce you to the technique and is suitable for both beginners and more advanced stitchers alike.  The second Zentangle Bird is an intermediate level kit which will help you to progress with the technique.  I am working on the Moonlit Owl project at present and hope to be able to release this in the next two weeks so look out for it!

Traditionally whitework is stitched with a white thread on a white background fabric but I have added touches of grey, black and white to mimic the Zentangle/Zendoodle art that is rapidly gaining popularity today.  It is fresh, crisp and fun to stitch with many different aspects to each design.  Dont be overwhelmed by the seeming detail in each design it is worked step by step using basic stitches and the patterns are added in straight stitches afterwards.  It really quite simple and very addictive!

Charcoal Butterfly

Zentangle Bird

The kits include everything you need to complete the project:

• A piece of Irish Cambric Linen with pre-printed outline.
• Thread pack – DMC floche, broder and stranded cottons
• Needles
• 24 page instruction booklet with stitch diagram and step by step photos.

Meanwhile wherever you are in the world be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and many happy stitching hours.  Trish

Hello everyone
I will be away teaching at our Ighali South Africa convention next week so the shop will be closed as from Friday 22nd-30th August. When I get back I will be releasing the midnight owl kit so keep a lookout!
Untill next time wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and happy stitching. Trish

Hello Everyone

Last week I attended our South African Needlework convention Ighali, it was great fun and my lovely students almost completed the embroidery project in the class time which was wonderful!  I plan to share more of this experience with you in a later post.   At the end of this month I will be attending the Beating Around The Bush International Needlework Convention in Adelaide, Australia,  it is the most wonderful event, with students from all over the world attending and not to be missed – You can get full details of the event here.

I will be teaching three classes:

Sun 28th Sep – ONE DAY CLASS

Blue Tit & Apple Blossoms (this workshop is fully booked)

Blue tit and apple blossom One Day Class

Mon &Tues 29th – 30th Sep – TWO DAY CLASS

Blue Tit & WIld Roses (this workshop is fully booked)

Blue Tit & WIld Roses Two Day Class

Thur & Fri 2nd – 3rd Oct –  TWO DAY CLASS

There are still places available and you can choose from either:  Sweet Peas From My Garden OR Blue Tit & Wild Roses.

If you would like to join the Thur – Friday class you can book a place online here BATB BOOKING.  The class is listed as SWEET SOLITUDE but you will be given an option at the start of the class to do either the Sweet Peas/Blue Tit project.  The kit cost is the same for both.  Alternatively you can email Fiona Fagan at  fiona@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Meantime, wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and happy stitching.  Trish

Hello Everyone

Whitework Moonlit Owl

The Moonlit owl kit is in stock in my Etsy store at last – click on the image to go directly to the store.   The kit includes all materials including ample threads to complete the design, but as with all the whitework kits the floche and broder threads have to be imported from France so supplies of the kit are limited to current stock and it will take a few weeks to re-stock.  I do hope to make all the whitework kits available as digital downloads soon, once I have time to work out the substitutes into DMC stranded cotton.

Moonlit Owl

New Website/Blog

I have a new website or rather a blogsite which you can view by clicking on the image below.  The old site will be closing soon and the new combination of website and blog makes it easier to maintain one site and gives me more stitching time!  I hope you enjoy the new layout – some of the pages are still work in progress but South Africans will be pleased to hear that there is a page dedicated to South African Prices for all my products with instructions for ordering so purchasing should be a lot easier for you in the future.

Online Shops

The blogsite has a static front page with info and details of my work and on the right hand column you will see an option to subsribe by email and links to the shops, plus some free projects which I will add to as time allows.   You can now access the ETSY shop for physical items here and there is a separate link for digital items.  When I am away teaching the DIGITAL ITEMS SHOP will remain open for your convenience.  I am also selling digital items through CRAFTSY although am still in the process of listing these.

Compatible Wth Devices

The new site is compatible with all devices such as ipad, iphone and tablets and should be a lot easier to read and browse.  Storing your digital downloads on your Ipad/Tablet is wonderful as you can zoom into each picture and get a close up of the stitching as you follow the instructions. The PDF files can be stored in any PDF APP such as IBooks.

Site Browsing

The blog page lists the last 8 blog posts with an option to access older posts.  If you click on an individual  blog post it will open in a separate window and you can post comments at the bottom.  You can also use the search facility to find previous posts for example on fabric, threads etc.  There is a Portfolio page with a slide show of my work, both current and older,  a classes page with updated information on any current classes, info on the DVD & links to all the Books, plus a contact page.  I have tried to include everything that you may want to see and have taken your previous requests into consideration – if there is anything else you would like added please let me know.

Meantime wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a lovely week/weekend and happy stitching.  Trish

Hello students

If you are attending any of my classes at Beating Around The Bush Needlework Convention in Australia please make sure you bring a small magnifying lamp with you.  It is virtually impossible for you to see the tiny stitches in this work without one.  If you dont have one you can purchase one from the online Country Bumpkin Create N Stitch store as shown in the first example below.   If you are not able to do this they will have some in stock and you can purchase one at the event – it is a great investment for your embroidery and you will be pleased you did!

Here are some examples of the type of light you will need:

Magnifying lamp from Create N Stitch

Daylight magnifying lamp

PLEASE DON’T BRING ONE OF THESE LED CLIP ON LIGHTS – it wont provide enough light.  It should have a very bright light preferrably daylight.

What not to bring – clip on magnifier

If you have any questions please contact me – you can use the contact form or email address on the blog site.  Look forward to seeing you there!  Trish

Hello Everyone

I will be leaving for Australia on Monday to attend the Beating Around The Bush Needlework Convention in Adelaide and we will not chat again before I get back in October.  The shop will be closed on Sunday 21st Sep and will re-open on 6th October –  So sorry for any inconvenience this might cause but unfortunately I can’t be in two places at the same time!  I am leaving my husband to look after my 12 year old daughter Katie, and hoping he does not phone me in the middle of a class to ask where her maths test is as he is inclined to do.  It is very embarrassing when I have to ask my students to excuse me for a moment, go to the back of the classroom and whilst trying to talk in hushed tones, suggest possible places he might find it!

When I get back I am excited to share some news with you about my new book – it is available for pre-order on SEARCH PRESS at present so you can have a sneak peek.

Before I go I am delighted to let you know that the new whitework kits are now available as digital downloads.  You can find them in the download patterns section in the ETSY STORE.  Many of you have emailed requesting that these be made available as downloads so here they are.  Until then wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer, or autumn have a wonderful week and many happy stitching hours.  Trish

Moonlit Owl

Zentangle Bird

Charcoal Butterfly

Hello Everyone

I omitted to mention the thickness of the DMC Broder Special (coton a broder) thread for the whitework digital downloads.  A No 30 is used for each project but alternatively you could use a No 25.  This is now mentioned under the list of what you will need in the product description.

Trish

Hello Everyone

I am back from the convention in Australia, it was awesome and I plan to share every detail of it with you in a post very soon!  I am slowly coming back down to earth having travelled several time zones, but in the meantime  there is something I need to bring to your attention rather urgently.

On my return I was informed that we have been experiencing a postal strike throughout South Africa. I spoke to the post master this morning who informs me that some parcels have been shipped whereas others are still waiting to be sorted and unfortunately they are unable to establish which parcels left the facility before the strike started.  If you recently placed an order in the Etsy store, your order is possibly one of those.

I would like to extend our apologies and ask you for your patience. If you have not received your package within the normal 2 – 3 weeks overseas posting time there is a possibility that it has been held up by the postal strike, please advise me by email and I will send a replacement order as soon as the strike is over.  You can use the contact form here on my blog/site.

In the meantime I am left no choice but to temporarily close the shop until the strike is over. The Etsy digital pattern store will remain open with access to all designs as instant downloads for your convenience. (thank goodness for technology).  These patterns can be instantly downloaded to your computer/device where you can print them out or read from your device.  They include all the original step by step instructions, a list of materials and threads needed and a tracing outline so you can get going on your project right away.

I really do appreciate your patronage and rest assured that interruptions to our postal system are a rare occurrence and that any future orders you place can and will be honoured in a timely manner. My sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you, it is as frustrating for me as it is for you but sure you will understand it is totally out of my control!

I have emailed each customer who placed an order in the last 3 weeks individually – if you do not receive this email please contact me.  Until next time wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn, keep smiling and happy stitching.  Trish

Hello Everyone

It seems that postal services have resumed so I have re-opened the shop, hopefully in time for you to place your pre-Christmas orders.    I would like to thank you for your patience during this time and once again apologise for any inconvenience it may have caused.  Despite the strikes most of you have received your packages or will be receiving them soon, if you have not please email me and I will re-send.

In the next post I plan to tell you all about the Beating Around The Bush Convention in Adelaide, Australia which was held recently but as Christmas is fast approaching I wanted to give you an early Christmas present first, so that you have plenty of time to stitch it.  This little Whitework Christmas decoration comes with my compliments and to thank you for your love and support this year, without it I would not have the privilege of sharing my work with you!  This project is free for you to use in any way you choose.   It uses approx 7 shades of DMC thread in white, grey and black so hopefully you will have most of these colours in your stash, if not you will only have to purchase a few skeins.   I have mounted mine into a card and plan to give it to a member of my family for Christmas – they can either frame it or use it as a bookmark or something………….. Sure you will come up with some wonderful ideas for its use and hope you enjoy it?

Christmas decoration

You can access a PDF of this pattern here or alternatively it will be listed on the FREE PATTERN PAGE  on this site, which I have updated and added a few projects to.  If you have previously purchased one of the Whitework Illustrations Kits/Download you will find all the stitch instructions you need in your booklet, if not you can purchase a download of A Guide To Whitework Embroidery  in the Etsy shop which includes details on the stitches and techniques.

Meanwhile, wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and many happy stitching hours.  Trish

Hello everyone

Postal strikes over and at last I have some time to sit down and tell you about the Beating Around The Bush convention in Adelaide, Australia. BATB is a bi-annual convention hosted by Country Bumpkin, who are the publishers of Inspirations magazine, I attended the last one in 2012 (read about it here) and was privileged to be invited back to teach 5 days of workshops in October 2014.  There is always so much preparation involved prior to one of these events, my proposals went in a year before and then it was a full few months of booking aifares, applying for visas, ordering supplies, packing kits and sending them over before finally getting on the plane for the long flight to Australia – there we go!

up up and away.

My sister and family live in Perth, Australia and it is a wonderful opportunity to stop off and catch up with them before connecting to Adelaide.  This year I took my sister along for a few days to help me set up the classroom and spend a bit of quality time together and have a good catch up.  I thought she may be a bit overwhelmed with the immensity of needlework students and teachers, lots of chatter and very noisy but she fitted in well and was the perfect assistant – she even insisted on colour co-ordinating the chairs in my classroom at each table (so I gratefully stepped aside and let her do it!).

My sister, Belinda and me.

It was wonderful to meet up with old friends again, re-unite with students and teachers.   The tutors were accomodated in a lovely hotel overlooking the Glenelg marina in Adelaide and we were transported by bus every day to Immanuel College where the classes were held.  The bus would stop en route at different hotels to pick up students and whilst observing the constant chatter and excitement on the bus,  it occured to me that we are so fortunate to be part of such an event with so many like minded people – I dont think people who are not embroiderers could appreciate what a privilege it is!

View from hotel

The classes got underway there was much activity, (and sometimes silence while the students grappled with new techniques).  We were royally fed with tea, cakes, and lunches in the College dining room.  I believe there were in the region of 300 students and 30 teachers from all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Uk, USA, & Europe.  Below are some photos of my classes. THey were such lovely students, and I was so proud of them for almost completing their projects in the workshop time!

The team of Country Bumpkin staff were always on hand to help and deserve a big thank you for the amount of work and preparation that went on behind the scenes to make this event a happy, fun and productive time for everyone.  There were events organised almost every evening after class, including a quiz night, visit to the shop, exhibition and a lovely tutor dinner which gave us teachers a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas and chat at length about our work.  You can find more information on the Inspirations Blog Post.

On the last evening there was a superb gala dinner with Jenny AIden Christie as the guest speaker – once again she enthralled us with her stories of the Royal School Of Needlework, she is such an excellent speaker and I was in awe of the fact that she used no notes!   There is just too much to share with you so if you would like to hear more about it and see some examples of the prize winners have a look here on the Inspirations Blog Post.

Tutors at Gala dinner left to right: Hazel Blomkamp, Betsy Morgan, Julie Graue, Gary Clark, Trish, Margaret Light, Deborah Love.

Next time I hope to share some news about the new book.  Meantime wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful weekend and many happy stitching hours.  Trish

Hello everyone

Since the postal strikes I have integrated Express priority shipping as an option into the Etsy shop.  Priority courier normally takes a few days to reach the recipient and of course is trackable all the way – although it is normally vastly more expensive I have managed to negotiate special rates with a shipping company here, you will find the rates for each country (continent) at checkout.  For clarity sake for both South African and overseas customers here is how it works:

1.  Shipping Costs for your Country.

When you click on an item a new page will come up with the description and details of the product.  Below this you will see Item details, reviews and shipping policies.  If you click on shipping policies payment methods and a drop down box with each country is available.  FInd your country and click on it to get the airmail postage cost.

2.  Priority Courier Costs for your Country

When you have added an item to your basket and go to checkout you will see a drop down list of available shipping methods.  To calculate the cost of Priority courier to your country select from the drop down list.  The cost will then be added to the total at checkout.  Once I have received your order I will email you with a tracking number.

3.  Shipping for South Africa.

The South African prices for each item are listed at the top of the product description as shown below.  This is the US$ price converted at the ZAR price.  When you checkout with Paypal it will be listed in US$ but your bank will convert at the current exchange rate.  You can calculate the postage for South Africa by choosing South Africa in the drop down box.  Again when you go to checkout you will have an option to choose Speed services courier – which is an overnight express shipping that goes from counter to counter at the Post Office.  If you do not want to use Paypal you can email me for EFT banking details.

Hope this is all clear for you now, if you have any questions at all please dont hesitate to contact me, you can use the contact form on the site.  The last overseas shipping will be first week of December, thereafter the shop will be closed for the Christmas season until 1st January – with the exception of the digital store which will remain open throughout.

Meanwhile, wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and happy stitching!  Trish

Hello everyone

Just to let you know that 3 new items have been added to the Etsy shop – click on text to go directly to item in shop:

A complete lesson in miniature needle painting kit & digital

Vintage Robin & Pansy

Vintage Blue tit & apple blossom kit & digital

For the Love of wrens kit & digital

Wrens

The following kits are back in stock:

Orange Breasted Sunbird

Orange Breasted Sunbird R190

Whitework Zentangle Bird

Zentangle Bird

Till next time happy stitching!  Trish

Hello Everyone

Hope you have had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend?  To celebrate the upcoming festive season, for a limited time only there will be 50% off selected items in the Etsy shop (I have always wanted to say that!!). Go directly to the shop – SEASON SPECIALS.

Also thought we would have a bit of fun this year – on the 15th December we are going to have the equivalent of “Late Night Shopping” on a global scale.   Although the physical shop will be closed the digital download section will remain open throughout the Christmas period:  on the 15th December there will be a 25% discount on all Digital downloads for a period of 24 hours.  If you are like me we have relatives dotted all over the world and I normally send online vouchers or cash through paypal to avoid having to pay postage and worry that the gifts don’t get their in time – so this way you can send a friend or relative a Digital pattern – just forward the link that you receive by email with a Christmas message and they will receive it on their computer, ipad or iphone.

Enjoy your shopping and wherever you are happy stitching!  Trish

Hello Everyone

At last I am able to share with you some details about the new book Miniature Needle Painting Embroidery:  Vintage Portraits, Florals & Birds, published by Milner Craft, Australia. Despite the setbacks and delays the book has finally been published and I am waiting expectantly for my advanced copy to arrive in the post!  Today I had confirmation from the publishers that it will be released in Australia/New Zealand in December, UK In January and USA/Canada in February.  It is now available for pre-order at most good online bookshops including:

Amazon,  Search Press, Book Depository, Angus & Robertson,  Booktopia, Barnes & Noble.  If you do a google search you will find it available at many other book shops.

I will of course have copies for sale in the ETSY shop as soon as they are available – hopefully end of January/February 2015.  I will advise by blog as soon as they arrive from overseas.  You can read a synopsis of the book at any of the links above but there is nothing like a picture to show you what it is really all about, so here goes.

The book is a complete instruction on needle painting embroidery in miniature, based on Vintage designs – the same as normal needle painting but it shows you how to adjust your stitches to fit a smaller shape, and the use of colour to achieve the most realistic effect.   There is some background information on miniature art and of course the usual chapters on Materials, Preparation, Techniques & tips on how to get around those challenging areas in your embroidery.  At the back of the book I have included complete Anchor & DMC substitute charts to make life easier for you.  The publishers have succeeded in recreating the feel of the Victorian Era by inserting gorgeous little lacy borders, trims and Vintage images on each page and I just love this!

Included in the book are a total of 20 projects, two starter projects, 15 main projects and 3 mini projects.  The main projects are divided into 3 sections, Birds, Flowers & Portraits – hopefully something for everyone?  You can see a sampling of them below.

Each project is accompanied by a stitch diagram, thread list and of course detailed step by step instructions to guide you through each stage of the stitching.  They cater for all levels from beginner to advanced and the best thing about them is that they don’t take long to complete so you never have a chance to get bored!

I loved working on this book, the designs are fresh, pretty and inspiring and it is my hope that you enjoy them as much as I did.

In my previous post I mentioned that we would be having a 24 hour sale on Digital Downloads on the 15th December but I forgot that our family arrives for Christmas, and I will be away at a beach house over that period so unfortunately I will have to delay this till the following week.  The shop will close next week on the 10th December but the digital store will remain open throughout the Festive season.  I will pop back before Christmas to wish you all the best but in the meantime wherever you are, be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and many happy stitching hours.  Trish

Hello everyone

The new date for the Digital download sale is Thursday 18th December – it will be on for 24 hours starting 12pm Thursday – 12pm Friday.  There will be 25% off all digital download patterns.

The Etsy shop closes tomorrow the 10th December, till beginning of January 2015, but the digital store will remain open throughout the festive season.

Meantime wherever you are be it winter, spring, summer or autumn have a wonderful week and many happy stitching hours.  Trish

Hello everyone

The Digital download sale has been extended from 12pm 18th Dec – 12pm 20th Dec, so you have a full 48 hours to do your shopping!   As the sale is on ETSY USA this time is central time.  Some of you have requested time zone conversions (you are really putting me to the test now!!).  Below find some approximate conversions for your country/continent you can get actual times here:  World Time Buddy.

South Africa = 8.30pm

Sydney Australia = 5am

London UK = 6.30am

Hong Kong = 2am

The Sale should look like this – it will show the normal price and the discounted price.  When you checkout you will be paying the discounted price, i.e. the discount will already have been deducted.

Hope this is all clear have fun and happy shopping!  Trish

Hello everyone

Sure you are all rushing around doing your last minute Christmas shopping, wrapping gifts and preparing for the arrival of family and friends, so I won’t keep you long.  This is my last post before the end of the year and I can’t wait to share the ideas and projects I have in store for 2015!

Just a reminder that the Etsy Digital sale has begun and will end tomorrow – my Christmas prezzie to you is a 25% discount on all digital patterns see here:  ETSY SALE.

The WordPress.com stats helper prepared an annual report for my blog and thought it may be of interest to you my readers, friends and customers.  Thank you for your continued support in 2014 and wishing you all a very happy, and prosperous 2015!

Trish Burr

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 170,000 times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 7 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Hello Everyone

Happy New Year to you all, I hope 2015 brings health, happiness and peace to you and your loved ones.  With a new year come resolutions, renewal and new ideas, I have plenty so lets start by sharing some of the ideas and plans in store for 2015!

New Whitework Projects

As you know my “whitework” projects are named “Shades Of Whitework” to distinguish them from pure white on white embroidery as it is traditionally known.  The designs are stitched using touches of monochrome shades of grey and black to give them a fresh contemporary feel.  However, we can never be limited with colour choices and these could easily be substituted with other shades to achieve your own unique preference – I have been experimenting and will discuss this in more depth in a future post.

Despite the normal chaotic Christmas activities I did manage to sneak in a bit of stitching and have completed three new projects the first two of which will be added to the shop this month:  the first is “Katarina” The Cat – with thanks to Jill Buckley of The Quilt Rat who kindly gave me permission to use the outline of her charming & elegant cat doodle.  You can see more of her beautiful work here. 

Katarina

The second is “Chickadee”.  This is the third in a series of A Complete Lesson in Whitework Embroidery – the other two are complete lessons in Needlepainting and Miniature Needlepainting.

Chickadee

Lessons

The Complete lessons allow you to learn the technique in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace.  If you are a beginner it is a good place to start and if you have some experience but want to brush up on the technique then this is also for you.  If your new year’s resolution is to learn needlepainting there are two other starting points:  The DVD The Long & The Short of It, and the book Needlepainting Embroidery:  Fresh Ideas For Beginners.

Complete lesson in needlepainting

Each lesson kit is accompanied by information on materials, stitches, hints and step by step photos. The kit includes an instruction booklet, fabric with pre-printed outlines and needles.  The whitework kits also include all the threads as these are not always easy to obtain but the needlepainting kits do not include thread – there is a DMC/Anchor stranded thread list in the kit and as mentioned before it is more cost effective to purchase these at your local needlework store or online in your own Country.

Complete lesson in Miniature Needlepainting

UK Workshop

If your preference is to learn a skill by attending a workshop then you will be pleased to know that I will be running a workshop (or two) in London, UK, in July this year.  Details, dates and venue to be confirmed.  Many of you have emailed requesting the opportunity to attend a workshop in the UK, so if there is anything specific you would like to learn i.e. needlepainting, miniature or whitework let me know and I will do my best to make this possible.

New Book On Miniature Needlepainting

This is the long awaited new book which is due for release in Jan/Feb this year.  It is available for pre order – you can read all about it here.  Not long to go – I am still waiting for my advanced copy to be delivered in the post and getting very impatient!  I plan to offer packs of pre-printed fabric to go with the projects which will be added to the shop once the book has been released.

New Book on Miniature Needle Painting

New Fabric Packs

Embroidery fabric is now available in new pack sizes and has been given a fresh look with new packaging.  I gave this some thought and realized that when one cuts pieces out of a half metre you are left with small pieces that are of no use, so have re-calculated the sizes so that you can obtain a certain number of pieces out of each pack, without wastage.  I have spent the last few days exercising every muscle (and some I did not know I had!!) cutting pieces from bolts and packing them. They are now available for sale in the shop. 

Fabric Pack

The first is Irish Cambric linen which is now available as a piece 75 x 75cm (30 x 30 inches) which means you can cut 4 large pieces for needlepainting or whitework embroidery.  The second is Southern Belle 100% 200 count cotton which is available as a piece 60 x 110cm (23 x 43inches) – you can cut 8 small pieces for miniature embroidery.  Cotton satin an old favorite is currently available in pieces 30 x 35cm but if you are looking to order it by the metre you can find it at Mace & Nairn in the UK

Bird Book

There is another new book on the horizon, I am about to start work on it and hopefully it will be released late 2016 or early 2017.  Birds Of The World In Needlepainting.  You asked for it so now you shall receive!  If you have any special requests for bird projects please let me know and will do my best to include them.

My new saying for this year will be meantime, wherever you are in the world, remember “Embroidery forever, housework whenever!”  Keep smiling and happy stitching!  Trish