In a Minute Ago

It is not the largest embroidery in the world but it is large. The sampler that the Emboiderers guild organized beats all records as they the worlds longest embroidery at 605.55 meters or 1,986.77 feet. However this looks to have been an interesting project and I must admit I am very worried about that bottle of glue.

The description on You Tube reads:
“Alexandra Drenth and Ellen van Putten, Dutch artists, are making “the largest embroidery” for a big art-event in Woerden, the Netherlands. This work should be an homage to all grandmothers, mothers and daughters of the whole world spending their time as “Quality Time”. This art-event is called Woerdstock and will take place from 27th June until 7th July 2007.
“The largest embroidery” contains embroideries from the beginning of the 20th Century up till now and these works has been made by a lot of people all over the Netherlands. We were receiving embroidery by post and found lots and lots of works at the front door. The press has paid many attention to this project which we called “Experience Quality Time”.”

The associated web site is here

The extraordinary pencil is a blog that features some extraordinary drawing skills from the hand of Marsha Robinett don’t miss checking it out as this blog is a gem!

Meggiecat is back blogging and has posted this vintage felt bunny pattern and highlighted hoop love a flickr group that shares vintage embroidery patterns

Marg of Maggies Textiles dropped me an email to point me to the resources found on Embroidery and Embroider There is quite a bit on this site and its worth checking out.

Elizabeth of Quieter Moments is exploring Sorbello stitch

Susan Lenz of Art In Stitches is curating an interesting textiles exhibit next year and she has invited me to participate in the Cyber Fyber Exhibition Susan is using a blog to track the development and process of curating the exhibit.

This is a gem …

My post yesterday provoked a question via email as to why I had said you could use canvas stitches (needlepoint) on linen and did I have any online resources.

The ANG has a very good definition of canvas work or contemporary needlepoint as “any counted or free stitchery worked by hand with a threaded needle on a readily countable ground.”

The Needlepoint Now site has an online classroom which introduces the basics and tells you how to read canvas work stitch diagrams.

Stitchopedia is a comprehensive collection of directions on how to work canvas stitches.

Once you have explored a few stitches take a look at the the American Needlepoint Guild’s stitch of the month. Carole Lake of CHL Design has also published a stitch of the month series, with each stitch illustrated and stitched using contemporary techniques. I swear these two sites will keep you busy as I am sure you will see why I find the canvas work stitches so interesting as just like any of the “free style” embroidery stitches once you start exploring them you realise just how versatile they can be.

For inspiration Stitchamaze is a great online gallery site. Make a cuppa as this site will keep you busy for hours!

Last Thursday I posted a guessing game asking how long and why did I piece together my band sampler. No doubt people are wondering what the answer is.

Well the sampler measures 33 ft 2 inches or 11.05 yards in metric that is 1010.92 centimeters or 10.109 meters. If you missed reading about this sampler you will find the story here. Just over 33 feet is a long sampler and the end is open so I can add more!

No one got the exact measurement of but these folks guessed 2 inches either side. So the winners for guessing how long the sampler is, are Debbie Quirion who stated 33 feet, so did Ruth Lane, and Romilly. Quiltgranny guessed 400 inches, Anna guessed 396 inches which is 2 inches the other side so she too won a bundle of my hand threads

I said there was a very practical and logical reason for stitching my samplers together and asked people to guess the reason. Some very good suggestions were made but I did it for security. I like to hand out samples to students in workshops and lectures so that they can see and feel what a stitch is like. People learn by touching, but unfortunately in the past a couple of samplers were handed out but never came back. I figure if they are all stitched together no one can stuff it in their hand bag!

The people who came closest to this explanation are Doreen with “if they are all stitched together they can’t get lost or heaven forbid stolen” and Karen was so close to the reason with “so that you don’t lose a piece when you take them to and from classes” that I thought it was just too mean not to award her something. Sue B also guessed it was for security with “when you take them to classes there’s a lot less danger in having any of them go missing for one reason or another.”

And I just have to award a prize to Colleen for the most creative/amusing reason given who said “U were eating sushi and decided the colors would look delicious if rolled …. u had a crick in ur neck and needed a neckroll …. walked a lot that day and needed a foot rest … being a practical gal decided to Scotchguard it [water repellant spray] and use it as a water hose for the garden, heard the mother-in-law was planning a visit and needed a restraining device [yes, i know .. shame on me], ur tired of looking at the plain white/yellow stripe down the center of the street and the Mayor refuses to pop for new paint, Jerry’s finally gone one step too far and your placing a dividing line right down the middle of the house [hehe .. sorry Jerry].”

As a prize I will send winners some of my hand dyed threads as the guessing game was for the fun of it but I hope they enjoy their little prize.

Some people saw the samplers as series of UFOs which they are not. Often each sampler is a self contained design, created to illustrate a design point or an exploration of some aspect of stitchery. As for aiming for some sort of record I think the sampler that the Emboiderers guild organized beats all records but then 7000 people did participate in creating the worlds longest embroidery at 605.55 meters or 1,986.77 feet. I don’t think any single person could ever beat that!

However as I said at the start of this the end is open so it can grow. In fact I plan to simply add more samplers as they are made. This is the next sampler I am working on.

The border on this is quite wide as I am using this area to experiment with canvas stitches on linen. These stitches are otherwise known as needlepoint stitches and there is no reason why they have to be worked on a harsh canvas. They can be worked on any even weave fabric and can be very effective done this way. I like working canvas stitches on linen so that is what I am doing! I will report in more as I work it.

On another note:

For those who are posting their finishes of the take it Further challenge remember to write them in the comments of this post here and don’t forget to leave your web address so people can click visit you!

 CQMagOnline is Out

The latest issue of CQMagOnline is out so make a cuppa settle back and enjoy it. Every crazy quilter is always on the look out for new ideas that can be applied as embellishments in crazy quilting. In the last issue of CQMagOnline Barbara Blankenship threw out an Ideas and Inspiration Challenge . This challenge will last all year and in this issue the first of a number of techniques have been submitted by readers. Some of the staff have also written articles on their favourite embellishment techniques too so there are some great ideas in this issue!

There is a number of articles about the Houston International Quilt Market and Festival which I am sure the American readers will enjoy. It’s a bit cruel for those of us on the other side of the pond as we can only wish … The issue also contains an Artist Profile of Valerie Hearder and enough reading to keep even the speediest of us busy for at least a few hours!

Look who has started a sampler …

Annie of Annies Crazy World has started a 4 inch wide sampler and after me showing her how to start stitches without knots by using a waste knot has shared how to do it and illustrated it with photos. While on her site do check out the tutorial on how to make thumb pin cushions these are the handiest little items so do check out the tutorial.

Anyone else started a band sampler? Just curious …

The guess the length of the sampler and why it was made game I posted about yesterday is causing great amusement and joy in this household.  I will let everyone know the answers on Monday morning  so keep them coming …

I Love the Post

Look at what I received in the post earlier this week from Liz Knopf. The buttons are just delicious. They are vintage, they are varied, they are in all different sizes shapes and colours, they are interesting, and as you can possibly tell they delighted me when I opened the parcel. So a big thanks goes out to Liz for increasing my stash weight by 233 grams!

Let’s play a guessing game but first let me fill you in on the back story.

Over the last couple of days you may have noticed an increased interest in samplers. For years I have made and kept samplers as a personal reference and teaching aid. I love them. I always make them 15 cm (6 inches) wide and long like a band sampler. Length changes depending on the fabric I have to hand but never the width. They are kept either rolled up or pinned to my wall like in this photo taken in 2006

For a long time I have thought about stitching them together in chronological order so they become one long sampler. Yesterday I finished doing just that!

This is what they ended up looking like. In order to turn the sampler on the table I have folded the corners to a point. Join me in a guessing game. How long is it? The first correct answer left as a comment will win a batch of hand dyed threads from me.

There are some good reasons for stitching these samplers together. There is the practical aspect of being able to travel with a pile of teaching samples as this way they are lighter and more compact - think about how heavy they would be if this amount of teaching samples were housed in plastic slip files in folders. This is what it looks like when wound up.

I have placed them in chronological order as then I can see various developments in both skill and style over the years. It make a nice personal history. They are worked on a number of different fabrics. Linen, aida and cotton are all represented on a number of different counts from 25 count linen to 38 count. I plan to just keep adding to the roll so this sampler will be forever a work in progress.

Annie from Annies Crazy World get together every week to stitch. Yesterday as we had fun taking photos of this sampler we dreamed up this guessing game.

I do have another reason to stitch them together like this. It is a very logical and practical reason. Can you guess why? The first correct answer left as a comment will win a batch of hand dyed threads from me.

As a hint the table is a large table built by Jerry and not a standard size. So it can be deceptive if you try and judge the size using the table as a guage. This is what it looks like spread on the floor to see it.

So there are two questions guess either one correctly and you have won a prize. What is the prize? Nothing too great but I thought the readers who win might like a batch of my hand dyed threads.

Can you guess how long is this sampler?

Can you guess why I stitched them together like this?

If you guess the answer to either or both questions leave your answer as a comment.

Monday morning my time here in Australia I will tell you the answers so you have till then to join in. . .

On another note just as a reminder my online class Sumptuous Surfaces is commencing later on today. If you enjoyed this sampler you may enjoy this class. There is further information about the class on this page and you can book this class here at joggles.com

Yesterday Deb of Just Enough Time left a comment “Can you recommend any other good sites for samplers, antique and otherwise?” I thought I would pull together a list of resources that relate to samplers. So make a cuppa, settle back and I hope everyone enjoys them.

I have a A Brief History of Embroidery Samplers on my site. I wrote the article a good few years ago and it gives an overarching history of samplers.

Linn of the Embroideress hosts a number of articles on her site Skinner Sisters in her stitch online series. There is an issue devoted to samplers but don’t forget to explore the rest of the site as there is all sorts of stitching advice to be had.

On Needlework Samplers published by Dozy Rozy you will find an article on the history of samplers plus a list of sampler motifs and their meanings. The site houses lots of information about samplers and it is worth taking some time to explore it well. Theresa Venette of Shakespeare’s Peddler also has an article on the meaning behind various sampler motifs. In fact there are many articles on her site as well

There is also this article on history of samplers . The Caron site has a very good article on Samplers Through the Ages by Rita Vainius. Dutch Samplers by Lucy Lyons Willis introduces readers to the tradition of Dutch needlework samplers.

Southern Decorative Needlework by Heather Palmer looks at the role needlework played in the lives of Nineteenth-century women in the southern states of America

There are a couple of sites that cover mourning or memorial samplers. Here is a brief definition from Whiteworks and the Stitchers Studio provides a longer article on them.

The Victorian and Albert Museum has a huge collection of samplers in its textile collection. Other examples of samplers held in collections are at Powerhouse and more at the National Heritage Museum. A search of the Cleveland Museum of Art textiles collection revealed this 17th century English Band sampler and another beautiful example from the same period. In fact there are many wonderful samplers on this site.

The online database of the Old Sturbridge Village site (in the Collections section found via the side bar) you will discover that they have listed 70 items in their Sampler and needlework collection. There are some great samplers. Each illustration is accompanied by a good description with thread count of the fabric noted, the stitches used to create them are listed and fiber composition stated.

There is a collection of charming samplers all embroidered by Elizabeth E. Jacobs held in the English Embroidery Collection (C.1879-82) at victoriana.com

Patterns of Childhood: Samplers 1640-1900 is an exhibition of forty samplers selected from Glasgow Museums’ collections. The site presents information about the exhibit and a slide show online.

Antique sampler dealers Stephen and Carol Huber have a collection of samplers and stumpwork on their site

Of course you can work samplers in a modern manner and many contemporary embroiderers do. For instance take a look at the images from Constance Howard’s Study Collection.

For those that are interested in contemporary samplers you may enjoy a body of work I created in 1997 about samplers and sampling. Images from the exhibition are online and as a side note those long sampler strips are 1.25 meters long ie about 50 inches and I made 7 of them for that exhibition!

I figure if you have read this far you are interested in stitching! So just a reminder that online class Sumptuous Surfaces is commencing in a couple of days. If you enjoyed this sampler you may enjoy this class. There is further information about the class on this page and you can book this class here at joggles.com

After all that the image below is a little eye candy as it is a section from one of my samplers

I discovered a site devoted to Antique samplers which I had not encountered before. In order to see the material on the site you have to sign up and become a member. When I first discovered the site a few months back I was just too darned busy to investigate further but fortunately I bookmarked it. Recently during a bookmark tidy up I stumbled across it again. I nearly hit the the delete button immediately because I hate forced sign ups as usually you jump through hoops only to find it was totally unnecessary.

I did sign up and once you have passed that barrier it is a good site. It describes itself as
“This website is intended to foster the study of, and education about antique samplers in their historic as well as needlework context. The pieces displayed are held privately. Membership to view any pictures is required.”
There are some interesting antique samplers there but I can’t point you to any particular sampler because of their sign up process. See my annoyance? Rather than fostering an interest and promoting discussion about samplers and their interesting history, the sign up / members only policy actually stifles conversation between enthusiasts

With that off my chest don’t let the site design put you off as there is great content on the site. Samplers range from pre 1700 to 1850. The samplers are well described and clearly photographed. If you click on the samplers you can view larger images and they are large enough to admire the technique and identify stitches. The site also houses a bibliography and a glossary.

Once a member you can favourite samplers and if you want to download larger versions of the sampler’s images you need a Gold Level Membership. I don’t want to do either of these things. I just enjoy reading about and seeing the samplers which I could do happily!

Hi all waving to all those who are participating in the Take it Further challenge. I have some news Debra Spincic has set up a webring for the challenge and like last year another blog that can act as a hub for the challenge. I am not running this ring or second blog so if you have enquiries please contact Debra about it.

I hope this does not confuse people who are new to blog challenges. The Take it Further challenge main page is still here and this second blog run by Debra does not replace what goes on here - it is another place to make contact with other people in the challenge if you choose.

As you complete your challenge piece please swing by and leave a comment here. I will be posting the February challenge as normal here. Also don’t forget there is a flickr group too

For those new readers we have a tradition that on the 18th of January every year I take some photos of my garden. This was first started a year to the day after the Canberra Firestorm. We were very lucky as we just lost our garden in the fires whereas others in our street lost their homes. We did not evacuate but stayed to fight the fires.The experience put many things in perspective for me I realise how lives can be changed radically simply because of chance.For readers who don’t know the story there was no warning on the day of the fires. We were going about daily lives in the morning, washing grocery shopping etc and fighting one of Australias worst fires in the afternoon. The emergency services were over run and people simply did not see any help at all. The fire became a fire storm with winds that cut through everything. There are some eyewitness accounts of that day to be found here.Nearly 500 homes were lost and over 2500 gardens were burnt. Ours of course was one of them so every year we remember how lucky we were with taking a photograph and usually celebrating/remembering with our neighbours. For those who are interested I have some photos taken at the time housed on my site here and Jerry has published his view of the same event too.So here are the shots. First our garden just after the fire stripped back to bare earthToday the same view - with much less smoke in the air as well!The front path area …Today the same view. Of course we have been in drought with water restrictions ever since the fires so establishing a garden from bare earth has turned me into a bucket lady as we recycle gray water from the washing machine to water the garden. Some things we have lost along the way but generally I feel happy with the progress.Probably one of the incidents that scared me most was that our gas meter exploded off the wall during the fire as usually that meant the house was gone with in minutes.Well thats it for today a bit of personal history and I thought I would let people see the small quilt I made in response to the fires. I titled it “Safe as Houses” you can find the full story of why it is designed as it is here. If you scroll down there are links to close up details of the work.