Love Blossoms Tree now in Full Bloom!

If you have been following the progress of our member's lovely cross stitch Love Blossoms Tree available from Bothy Threads; you will be pleased to know that it is complete, framed and on its way to the newly married couple. Such a lovely gift with a lot of love stitched into it. 
Jean kindly brought it into the last meeting so that I could photograph it and show it off to you all.
Here is a pic of the finished tree and some close ups for your viewing pleasure.

 This is a large piece measuring 34 cm x 26 cm and is very detailed as you can see below (the trunk is all one colour, the darker grey is due to the shadow of the lighting).

 Lace flowers and gold beads add to the details and there a little surprises dotted throughout like hearts and butterflies and wording in back stitch - sooo much back stitch.

 A sweet heart on the tree branch above, and a butterfly, beads and lacy flowers below.

 There are flowers 'growing' on each side of the tree trunk as you can see in the following 2 photos.

Another butterfly and sequin flowers adding more detail. 
This stitchery is a real labour of love and it was exciting to see it grow over the past few months ( see posts here, here and here). Thank you very much Jean for sharing your stitching journey with us.

Stitching a Tree with our Sewing Machines

Lytham St Annes Embroiderers Guild members put down their hand sewing needles recently to stitch with a different kind of needle. The one on our sewing machines! :-)
If you have read the last two posts you will know that we have been learning to 'draw' with our sewing machines. For a quick idea of how to go about this, click the links here and here. 
There are also some good videos out there on You Tube (too many to start putting links here though...) but the best way to learn is to come along to one of our classes with Sue Bennet (see the side bar on the right for contact info).
We did have 9 different features of Landscape to learn but we only got so far as the third which were Trees.
Here are a couple of ways to sew them as created by Sue.
Firstly, use coloured pencils with a soft lead to sketch in some trunks to use as a guide a you sew.
Tip.
Using colouring pencil or crayon to make a background really helps with keeping to your design - this is such an engrossing technique that you actually 'lose track' whilst you sew; so having some kind of guide line really helps you keep to that shape. Of course, don't worry if you go outside the colour its just a rough guide. It doesn't need to be exact and actually looks more realistic if there are a few wobbly bits.

Go over this with horizontal strokes in yellow and green to help you place the leaves.

 Work trunks first in straight stitch following the direction of the trunk and branches. Decide which side will be in the shade and sew this in darker threads.

Trunks in the distance are not as wide. Work in zig-zag altering the width to a narrower setting as you sew towards the top of each trunk or branch. 

 A close up with more stitching (leaves) added - above. Sew leaves using a small width zig-zag in a circular motion. Sue gave us advice on the actual widths to try out.

 Practise makes Perfect! The more you try out different designs and grow in confidence the better able you will feel to add more detail such as some grass and pretty flowers around the tree trunks (this example was Sue's by the way).

 A lovely example by one of our members above. It could be a Cedar ( to my untutored eyes, anyway!). Lovely and green.

 Great detailing on the many branches, in this one. Here our machinist is just starting to add in the darker colours. Leaves are not all one kind of green, ya know! :-) If you did some circles in brown toward the top of the tree it would look like bird nests.

 The trunks above are in two colours of brown. Lighter brown denotes the part that gets the sunlight. Make wispy trunks to denote distance and put these behind the other larger trees in the foreground - if you want a realistic picture that is. 
This kind of sewing lends itself to 'naive' folksy type subjects too.
You could 'draw' tree trunks in black and add a little red or brown to denote a forest that has been devastated by fire.

Really love this little tree above. It has a kind of naive charm with its straight trunk and two coloured foliage. This would look charming in a picture for a child's bedroom or fabric book.
Aren't all these samples lovely? Each one is individual and has its own style and look even though we were all copying the same illustration/sewn sample.
We do hope that this will encourage you to try out this lovely technique if you haven't already, and do feel free to pop in to one of our meetings and say Hello. 

Make Mountains with Your Sewing Machine

As promised in the previous post on Free Machine Embroidery here are a few snaps of the lesson on 'drawing' mountains and hills with your sewing machine.

Feed dogs down, attach the Darning (aka Hopper) foot, place your fabric backed with Iron-on-Vilene under the foot, foot down and away we go! 

 Here is our Tutor, Sue Bennet's Sample Mountain above. Firstly, colour a background with Watercolour or soft leaded pencils or crayons in greys, greens and browns; then using Straight Stitch start to 'shade' in the slopes with the darkest colour first and adding the lighter coloured threads after to form Snow or Glaciers.

Remember to tilt your work in the direction of the slopes!

 Dark looming mountains awaiting their snowy sides, above. Equally you could use this technique to form lava flowing down a volcano. Love the verdant greens of the hills in the foreground.

Tip - when covering your fabric with dense stitching it is a good idea to bring your bottom/bobbin thread; up to the top of your work. To do this simply lower your needle into the work and bring it back up again, catching the bobbin thread with a pair of tweezers. (computerised sewing machines have a needle up/down facility. Simply press the button once to take the needle down and again to raise it. It will bring the bobbin thread up with it). 
Hold onto both threads and sew a few stitches in the same place to secure them. Snip off. 
This is a good practise as it prevents the threads from tangling and snarling at the back of your work. 
Quilters often do this when quilting on a home sewing machine and will use an open eyed/self-threading needle to take the thread to the back of the work once finished, where they will knot the threads the take them into the wadding to hide them. (needle is brought out again onto back and thread pulled taught before snipping. Pulling it taught allows the thread ends to bounce back into the wadding layer and are therefore hidden). This makes for much neater work that is also more secure - no unravelling thread with this method.

 Just starting to stitch the darker parts of the slopes here. Browns can also be used not just greys (N.B. Black is a little too harsh for peaks that are in the distance).

 Another sample from Sue, above. Lovely green hills. Remember to make your hills or mountains different shapes as they would be in Nature.
Below are some more hills of Sue's in various shades of grey thread. One also has some green added - this could depict the moss on rocks, for example.

Well, that is just a little taster of what you can do with a little imagination, a Darning Foot and dropping your Feed Dogs. Not forgetting a really great Teacher! Thank you Sue.

Next up - free machined Trees.

Free Machine Embroidery

Two days ago 15 or so members of the Lytham St Annes Embroiderers Guild got together for a 6th Lesson in Free Machine Embroidery (aka free motion embroidery) where an ordinary sewing machine is used to create embroidery designs.
We met up at a local church which is a very pleasant and inspirational place to work in, not just because of the light streaming in through the windows but also due to the many colourful 'banners' or quilted posters hung all around the walls. 

Here are a couple of pics showing us at work - you don't usually get to see us as we are a little camera shy and this blog is to showcase our work and activities but these came out very well, so here goes.

Sewing makes us happy :-)

There have been several groups since that first one back in 2013; who have benefited from the knowledge and expertise of our talented long time member, Sue Bennet who devised 5 Lessons on Free Machine Embroidery. Now due to popular demand she has created a 6th Lesson to teach us how to 'draw' grass, trees, mountains and other features of a landscape; using an ordinary domestic sewing machine.
Dropping the Feed Dogs (the teeth that hold onto the fabric and help push it through the machine) and adding a Darning Foot (aka a 'hopper' foot - so called due to the hopping up and down motion it makes as you sew) allows you to move the fabric freely where you wish - hence the term 'free motion' or 'free machine'. This is also the technique used for Quilting by domestic machine.
Dividing a 12 inch square of light/plain fabric backed by Iron on Vilene to strengthen it; into 9 individual 3 1/2 inch squares
 ( separated by a 1/4 inch gap) allowed us to practise free machining different elements of a landscape to give us the confidence to create a whole picture at a future time.
Here is a quick peek at Lesson 6.

 This is our Tutor, Sue Bennet's example, above. There was quite a lot to learn and some of us got really involved trying to finish our mini landscapes which were quite labour intensive, especially the mountains (middle, top row) so most of us only did the first 3 parts. This means that poor Sue will have to set up another lesson for us! but we are looking forward to it - thank you Sue! :-) 
In order to keep each post to a decent length, this one will only feature the first mini-lesson where we learnt how to sew grass and corn.
First we added colour to the fabric using watercolour pencils. These are softer than ordinary colouring pencils and have more pigment in them. There is also the option of laying down a little colour onto paper or a palette/plate or saucer and adding water to it for a more subtle colour ( or if using Inktense Pencils adding water will enhance the colour. So beware if you have these type of pencils or blocks as the colour is really very bright and Intense (hence the name).
Grass needs to be coloured horizontally and corn is vertical to follow the natural growth pattern.

This is the example Sue sewed for us as we watched and then tried to copy.
Though the description here may describe what to do, its actually seeing the motion you need to make whilst moving your fabric under the needle and advice on the stitches to use and their length that is invaluable; so if you are having trouble and/or fancy learning this useful skill, do get in touch with us (details of our meetings etc on the right side bar) and book some lessons with Sue. She is also currently teaching the Preston Embroiderers Guild Group.
Below are a few of our efforts.

 The effect depends on how much you pull the fabric whilst sewing. In this sample above, the zig zagged grass is stretched out but in the one below it is closer together. The machinist has also changed the length of the zig zag  to give different heights of grasses.

 You can use different stitch widths and lengths to alter the appearance and try using several colours of thread. Colouring the background in several greens also added to the effect.

Corn comes in several shades too, so change the top thread now and again! Also remember nature does not grow straight up but bends and sways with the wind and grows at different rates.Here we used Straight Stitch for the corn stems and Zig Zag for the corn ears.
Look at images from magazines or books for inspiration but nothing beats having your own images, so don't forget to use the camera on your phone when you are out and about. You will find that you never look at fields in quite the same way again :-)
One last thing to bear in mind is the type of fabric you use and the vilene. You may have noticed some puckering in one or two examples shown above - this is due to the build up of stitches on the ordinary cotton fabric which is not quite up to the job. You will need to back your fabric with Medium Weight Iron-on-Vilene in every case but if you are going to cover the whole piece and work intensely on it Calico is a better option. Some also swear by Cotton Sateen which unlike calico is white and has a lovely sheen and feel to it (FYI the sheen is not too noticeable so won't interfere with the effects you are trying to make).
That's all for this post - look out for the next one showing how to stitch mountains.
Many thanks to Sue B for all her hard work, patience and enthusiasm, not just in this workshop but behind the scenes with all the lessons she has invented, planned and executed over the last 4 years. You are amazing Sue and we are so very grateful and glad to have you in our group! 

More from H-anne-MADE

As promised here are more lovelies created by Anne Brooke (see last post) of H-anne-MADE to look at. 

 Above is the entire (almost!) Blue wall hanging that you got a peek of in the last post with that giant bobbin holding it all up.

  Really beautiful sketchbook pages - Anne teaches classes at her studio in Brighouse and at Creative Thread in Garstang; to help people get started on their own sketchbooks and also has printed 2 very helpful booklets on the subject, available in her shop.

 Paper collaged Bird House with buttons, above and below are Coffee Cups (or maybe its tea - can you spot the tea bag tab?) and a colourful collaged Owl.

 Workshops by Anne teaching her Paper Stitched Collage technique are also available in her studio and at Garstang if you fancy having a go at this enjoyable medium; stitching by hand or machine.

Lastly a Floral piece also in paper stitched collage.

 You can see Anne at Art in the Pen, Skipton on 13 and 14 August 2016 and also at Yarndale on 24 and 25 September 2016 held at the same location.
Thank you Anne, for visiting us at Lytham St Annes Embroiderers Guild Group. We loved seeing your work and were inspired by all the  colourful and happy pieces on display. It just goes to show that stitches and embroidery can adorn many surfaces not only fabric. 
If you feel inspired by these few photos (there were far too many items to photograph them all!) why not book Anne to come to speak to your group or join on of her workshops.

A - Z with Anne Brooke

The speaker for our June meeting at the Lytham St Annes Embroiderers Guild was the talented, friendly and very bubbly; Anne Brooke of H-anne-MADE.
Some of you may remember her from the 2014 NW Regional Day at Rochdale. While her talk had the same title and she still has her popular signature 'seed heads' in some pieces; her work has developed into other exciting and inspirational avenues.  Take a look at some of the many she brought with her for us to view/touch etc.

 A wonderful Dandelion in a beige, brown and cream colour scheme.

Paper, maps and simple hand embroidery stitches combine to create a floral piece in calming colourways.

Meet Tallulah :-) below

Love her red hair and purple outfit.

These fascinating wooden blocks have been coloured with Koh-i-noor dyes, collaged, painted and had holes drilled into them to allow for stitching. 

 A fluffy fibrous piece inspired by nature and bursting with texture.

 The vessel above was what Anne called her 'triangular tower' and the green was more vibrant in real life but the colour got bleached out by the over head lighting. Still very lovely to look at even in this photo.

Here is a little peek of a wall hanging in a blue colourway. Have you spotted the large bobbin that is holding it up?

To see more of Anne's work 'stay tuned' for the next post :-) or if you cannot wait click here onto Anne's website or Facebook for all her latest doings (there is even a mention of the Halifax Embroiderer Guild).

It Started with a Circle

Last Saturday a group of members from the Lytham St Annes Embroiderers Guild attended our Annual Regional Day held this year at Haigh Hall in Wigan. 

The first display of work to feast our eyes upon were these colourful Mandalas that had been started on an afternoon activity of the previous Regional AGM in Garstang held in October 2015.

Hand dyed pieces of fabric were used for the backgrounds of stitching on a theme called 'It Started with a Circle'.

Here are the Mandalas en masse.

And a little closer up.

 Sunny yellow, purple and blue - above. The Spiderwebs give it extra texture.

 Using rings and Blanket stitch to great effect on a green marbled background.

 Hand-stitching edged by a machine stitched border.

A project this size can use very simple stitches to make a stunning piece and be completed in a relatively short space of time so its a great idea to try if you are stuck for time.
You may also remember this Mandala from a previous post of our Sewing Day in February this year.
Perhaps these few Mandalas have given you some inspiration to design and sew (or even Doodle) one of your own.

Postcards from Our Edge

Regional Day comes but once a year.... and we are set a 'challenge' by our Regional Chairman. For 2016 a page for The North West Regional Travelling Book was required featuring Stitched Postcards picturing scenes or landmarks of our area.
Here is a map showing our location on the 'edge' of the Ribble Estuary.

Here is our Postcard Page, below.

First Postcard, top left corner, is the famous Windmill on Lytham Green with the old Life Boat House in front of it. 
If you come to visit you can see the wooden life boat that men used to row out to sea in to rescue poor unfortunate crew members. It looks very large in the boat house but out on sea...thank goodness for engine powered boats, and of course, the brave men/women who volunteer their time to man them.
Our windmill is also open in the summer on select Thursdays and Saturdays (see the Heritage Centre on Henry Street in Lytham for details of open hours). 
Come and climb up to the very top!

Detail of Life Boat House and Windmill Postcard

The White Church, Fairhaven. This featured in an episode of Coronation Street some years back (the one where Bet Lynch decided not to get married to Alec Gilroy. I think they did in the end though but not at the White Church ).

The model Spitfire by Fairhaven Lake. I have been told that it is to scale! but it seems so tiny... oh the bravey of those who flew them.

 One of the Pagodas on the Square in St Annes.

 A Sandhill at St Annes. It  really does look like sand and I love the texture of the grasses.

The 'real' sandhills run from Fairhaven Lake to the Beach Cafe just before the Ornamental Gardens and then again after the Pier. You can easily get sunburnt on a sunny day so take some sunblock.

 The Pier at St Annes.

 Lythams very own golf course. Again another lovely textured piece.

 Above is a detail from the structure around the gate at the newest park in Lytham; Park4View on Station Road. 

Whilst Lowther Park was laid out in Victorian times and is a traditional; Park4View started with an idea of a local mum who got together with some friends, raised funds to build the modern park, a Cafe with a Herb Garden, Nature Trail, Seaside Themed Playground, a good Adventure Playground, Skate Park and a BMX Track. 
Plenty to amuse children and teenagers and a place to grab a coffee and a bite to eat.

A lovely Beach Hut. The stitching seems to depict a lovely fine day but a little windy too. Just like our weather here.

Well, that is all the 9 postcards from us here at the edge of the River Ribble by the Sea. I think that you will agree that the ladies who stitched them did a sterling job and they really do make you want to come and see the sights for yourself. 

If you do, and it happens to be the 3rd Wednesday of the month, please drop in at our meeting and say "Hi". You will be warmly welcome. See address on sidebar.