The Paisley Peacock Challenge

For the past few years at the Embroiderers Guild North West Regional AGM after morning business is concluded, we have had a relaxing stitching activity in the afternoon.
You may remember the Circles and Four Lines previously posted? Now created for us by the same talented and very creative lady, Sandra Kendall from the North Lonsdale Branch; we have Paisley :-) Wow! Just where does she get her ideas? and how wonderfully generous she is in preparing for us 40 individual (probably more! as there were several left over) hand dyed, hand printed, appliqued, backed with vilene and ready to sew pieces of 'paisley' for our activity.
Here are some of the samples Sandra stitched ready to give us some inspiration. You will have to read on further to find out why there is a safety pin in each one. Meantime enjoy the lovely, brightly coloured threads and stitches on each paisley piece.

 Pretty turquoise with a shisha mirror and beads, above; and below, lines of feather stitches frame the beads in centre.

 These two paisley examples have an appliqued piece in their centres, the one above has a printed flower that has been embroidered.

 Whipped or Ribbed Spider Webs aka Wheels in the centres of these two above and below. The lilac paisley has variations of Button Hole stitch and the blue below uses a variegated pink thread to good effect to make Chain Stitches.

And what are all these Paisley beauties for you may wonder? Well, ponder no more! Here he is waiting for the rest of his tail feathers to be stitched by our members. This lovely Peacock will make a sumptuous wall hanging once he is complete. 
You really need to see it in person to imagine the scale - as true to form Sandra has come up with another very Big Idea. 

We can't wait to see the end result next year. Meantime we are busy stitching and embellishing our individual Paisley Feathers to send off to be added to the Peacock Tail.
Here is one in progress stitched by a member of the Lytham St Annes Branch.

The Button Hole Wheels will have silver beads in each centre and the flower still needs to be Satin Stitched. We are all really enjoying this challenge and would like to thank Sandra for all her hard work in preparing such an lovely activity for us.