Although I’ve not done any stitching this week, I have thought about stitching. I even had Colin do a minor repair with glue to a floor stand a few days ago in preparation but still not had the concentration or energy to do any yet.
I have looked at and read about stitching. Even signing up for the TextileArtist.org Community Stitch Challenge 2020. I’ve watched the videos with Sue Stone and Cas Holmes, and looked at the wonderful responses from total beginners to very accomplished stitchers. Some really poignant pieces too. A new tutor each week setting the challenge, something to look forward to. I have had some ideas for both challenges possibly using the Walnut Pack from Alex to do my own left handed challenge.
A really basic hurdle to get over will be threading my needles! I did see on Pinterest a possible solution – laying a thread across a toothbrush and then pushing your needle down into the bristles over the thread. I’ve yet to try it. If that fails I also saw a piece of work with half a dozen or so ready threaded needles at the side of the work. I’ll resort to that if necessary by getting someone to thread them for me.
I have over the last few months worked on some UFO’s and even finished a few. Although I think Anne Brooke of HanneMADE PHD’s (Projects Half Done) sounds much more positive. I was lucky enough to do a 2 day workshop with her last August along with the Grasby Embroiders group that I belong too. Lovely experimental play time, which generated lots of ideas. Not that I ‘m usually short of ideas just time to execute them, which is what’s so frustrating of the limitations of a broken dominant arm!
Another group I go to normally is a once a month session with recently published Alison Larkin with a couple of friends. We even had the privilege of testing some of the projects. See above, not the best photos I’ve ever taken but even that is tricky one handed. The book is beautiful, of interest to stitchers, Jane Austen and history fans. A good read and wonderfully illustrated.
Alison classes really challenge me, mainly very fine work. Traditional stitches and techniques most of which I’d not done before including pulled and drawn thread pieces. Long on-going pieces that required lots of patience, good light and +3.5 glasses my Best Buy of the year a couple of years ago £1 from the pound shop. I could only see the work with them on up very close and they made me dizzy if I tried to look any further away! I did check with the optician that it wouldn’t harm my eyes. Very pleased with the results when I eventually finished them. I’ll photograph them another time.
I have also started watched Secrets of the Museum a series that I’m catching up on iPlayer about behind the scenes at the V&A. Fascinating. But having the usual problem of telly watching – I very quickly fall asleep. But at least I can keep rewinding, so it’s taking a while. But hopefully no hurry.
As you can see from what I’ve written above my head is all over the place. Nothing new there, flitting from one thing to another. Pain and lack of sleep don’t help, but the pain is reducing and in the main the sleep increasing. So hopefully I’ll actually manage to start some left handed stitching this week.
Keep well. And happy stitching, reading, whatever is your thing.
debbidipity 