22nd June Celebrating Stitch Day

Our venue at Mount Murray Golf Club was large and airily well-lit. The 14 ladies, who turned up were made most welcome and the club was very accommodating.
We were very pleased to see two newcomers and one returnee.

Ladies brought along an assortment of pieces to work on. Two were continuing on the portraits started on the Sue Stone workshop.

         PREVIEW for the JEAN O'NEILL CHARITY DAY on 27th JULY

As usual, Janet Williams will be producing a kit, this time for a "mille fiori" project. All proceeds from the day will go towards the island's St John Ambulance.

The kit comes in various colour-ways and gives you all you need to complete this delightful embroidery.

Advance Notice - National Stitch Day

Social Stitching at the House of Manannan 13th June 2019

HOM provided a lovely room for the stitchers. It was disappointingly attended considering that social stitching was what lots of members had asked for!

The select group was visited by a  couple of American ladies, who were very interested - but unlikely to become new members!

There was a variety of work in progress: cord making, cross stitching, UFO completion (SueStone's and Helen's workshops). There were also our 4" squares to look at.

Some discussion about the National Stitch Day on 22nd June took place. This will be held at Mount Murray Golf Club from 10.30 -12.30.

18th May. Bag construction Workshop and YE

A study in concentration!

Helen had prepared very clear guidelines on constructing a bag, using a previously embroidered piece (Maureen's workshop) on the flap. The creation of continuous bias binding from a square of fabric, was a particularly informative exercise.
Only Janet managed to finish but most of us had completed the lined and pocketed body of the bag with D rings ready to receive the eventual strap.

Unique bags - would cost a bomb in a designer boutique!!

Meanwhile the Young Embroiderers joined us after lunch. They made a good start on a cross-stitch cover for a needle case, which they will complete on another occasion.

Next Stage

Some completed pieces from Lis Binns' workshop. Well done, Helen - come on the rest of you!!

Stained glass window applique

Clearly a lot was achieved at the workshop. The pieces are stunning.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the first social stitching afternoon, mooted at our January meeting, took place at the Bowling Green cafe in Castletown. Eight members turned up, which is a good number. Some continued with their piece from the Origami Twist workshop and others made progress on work, which they had on the go. It was a very pleasant afternoon in a light and warm environment and we actually had time to chat over our stitching, unlike at workshops, where concentration on the task in hand is paramount!

12th - 14th April Talk and two workshops with Lis Binns

TALK

Lis Binns titled her chatty talk, “In at the Deep End” because, when she started quilting, she didn’t start with basic squares but with challenging, technical quilting techniques! 

 However, she had started stitching at the very young age of four with instruction from her mother. This was until she could read and she was then told she could teach herself!  Lis made clothes and dolls but also did lots of detailed cross stitch, worked on 18 count linen.

As an adult, after studying for a degree in electrical engineering, stitching was a way of relaxing.  The quilting started by accident when she and her mother needed to sit down in a shopping mall and the only place to do so was a quilting demonstration, which was free! 

 From then on Lis went on to study for a City and Guilds' course in Quilting and we were shown lots of quilts that she had made over the years, for herself, her family and friends, and for the City and Guilds course.  Only a year or so after taking up quilting, her entry into a competition at the NEC Quilt Show won third prize!  The competition was for 12 small quilts made one per month, so all were very different and reflected what was going on in her life during that month. 

 Lis gave us an illustrated talk with photos and followed up by showing us a selection of quilts and smaller quilted pieces which she had made – we were all in awe!

 

STAINED GLASS WINDOW APPLIQUÉ

 

Lis is a very thorough tutor. She explained the stages we would do, before we started cutting and stitching and she monitored us all as we went along.  After tracing the design on to our backing fabric and applying the bonded pattern pieces to it, we started the process of applying the bonded bias tape, although this turned out to be a particularly fiddly aspect of the workshop which most of us struggled with!

 

After lunch we continued bonding the bias outline and then got down to stitching.  This was also quite fiddly, requiring stitching on the inner edge first and then the outer.  Predictably, only Helen actually finished stitching completely – the rest of us have another UFO!

Apologies that photos of this project are not available. If you attended and finish the piece, please send a photo, so that it can be posted. (jeanmarg48@manx.net)

Lis demonstrating the origami twist technique

ORIGAMI TWIST

Lis’ second, half-day workshop, was attended by 10 members and, once again, she gave lots of tips and instruction to help us all make a variety of Origami twist samples.  Some are going to make a banner, others a cushion, and then others just a pincushion!  Janet actually finished her pin cushion – everybody else has work in progress! 

 

Again, it was a workshop with its challenges – how difficult can it be to fold fabric?!  Well - it can be quite fiddly and

is also made more difficult dependent on the fabric chosen.  Lis demonstrated how to make a basic origami square and then how to adapt it in a multitude of ways by additional folding.

 

All in all, I think everyone would agree that, while they were challenging workshops, they were also hugely enjoyable and we all got a lot out of them.

A selection of completed "twists"