Last Saturday was the first Spring Gathering of YHEG (Yorkshire and Humberside Embroidery Group) at the Regan Centre at Riccall. The venue is used for the Summer Gathering, what used to be Regional Day of the Embroiderers’ Guild, there were workshops morning and afternoon, and the usual lovely lunch.
I chose to do Liz Almond’s blackwork sessions, one in the morning and continuing for the afternoon session. Most of the other workshops were just for two hours, so you could choose two different ones.
I’ve not done much blackwork and not particularly successfully – the usual counting problems! But I really want to finish my blackwork castle from “In the stitch zone” last summer. I’ve only done the outline so far, and thought this would be the push to pick it up again.
Liz had got a pack for each of us, with fabric, needles and enough patterns to keep us going for six months (she said!). More like six years, I thought! We could stitch on Aida in the kit, or swap it for a piece of 28 count Jobelin if we wanted to. I thought it was an ideal opportuntity to try it. But there was no white or cream, just a pinky peach, which I wasn’t sure about at first. But after a rummage through Liz’s bag of floss I came up with a pinky chestnut that I found was kinder on my eyes. (The last photo is the nearest in colour.) Blackwork doesn’t have to be done in black.
The pattern that I chose to follow was intended as a bookmark, with the motif repeated several times. This is just a tiny part of it.
I started off ok, with backstitches following the pattern……
…..until I got to the top of the second set of steps and turned left. I soon realised I’d miscounted and done one step too many, which meant the pattern was too far out from the centre motif. Fortunately it was soon unpicked and corrected. This is where I’d got to at the end of the sessions.
There were also sales tables from many of the individual stitch groups, always good for a bargain. Not that I needed anything, but who can resist?
I have got back to it during the week ……
…… and finished off the first block, apart from x-stitches or beads in the middle of the two central motifs and the centre square. I’m not going to do the bookmark as the pattern, but work outwards from here.
Liz had a huge amount of samples and finished pieces of work, and told us about her website with lots of information, freebies and patterns. I spent several hours browsing on Monday evening and I’m planning on going back soon http://www.blackworkjourney.co.uk
debbidipity 
Lovely colour combination which is even nicer in real life. Hopefully it will inspire you to finish the castle!
Thank you, I’m pleased with the colours, the photos in the changing light doesn’t do it justice. I’m going to use it as a sampler to test stitches for my castle.
It’s the pesky counting that does for me, too. But it looks enchanting when done, I’ll agree – and your pinky chestnut version does have a lovely atmosphere to it!
It does me good to challenge myself in various ways and not always stick to stitching in my comfort zone. How hard can the counting be? It rarely gets in to double figures.
A great way to kick start you again.
Yes, it was. I learnt so much.
[…] more on my blackwork sample piece that’s not black, which I started with Liz Almond at the Spring Gathering a couple of weeks ago. The central motif was relatively simple to be able to spot mistakes before […]