Embroidery progress

My first embroidery class of 2017 started at Nancy's Stitch Studio two weeks ago.  (I'm a student, not the teacher.)

It's called Textured Floral Extravaganza and we are going to cover a lot of different techniques.

Just part of the class sample designed and stitched by our tutor, Ann Marie Moorehead

I chose my feature thread first (the hand dyed Stef Francis verigated thread) and then dyed my fabric green to match it.  Although the class sample is beautiful and subtle, I couldn't imagine stitching beige on beige myself.

In the first lesson we started to stitch the stem of the flowers with raised stem stitch.

We also learned how to basket weave some leaves with coton a broder. This leaf will be finished off with whipped chain stitch around the outside.

same fabric - different lighing

When I left my class I saw some wild lilies growing on a bank, and was pleased to find my colour scheme replicated in nature - always a good sign that colours work together.

I've also been plugging away on my peacock tapestry cushion. It's very nearly finished.  I'm going to take it away next weekend when we go to Tauranga for a work social weekend.  I remember working on it in Rotorua at last year's social weekend, so it would be fitting to finish it at the 2017 social weekend.

And I'm also trying to do a bit each month on A Treasured Time by Dimensions Gold.  I would really like to have it framed for Christmas 2017.

My embroidery priorities for 2017

I've just chosen my embroidery classes for 2017, so I can now write my list of things I'd like to make this year. Once again, I'm going to keep it simple and list my top priorities only.  I'm tired of listing the same things year after year and never doing them! Maybe one year I'll suprise everyone and just quietly make one of them when no one is looking.

1. Holey Moley

photo from Nancy's Stitch Studio

This will be six classes at Nancy's Stitch Studio spread out over the year. I haven't done this type of Jacobean embroidery so it will be very interesting.

2. Textured Floral Extravaganza

Photo from Nancy's Stitch Studio

This will be another set of six classes spread out over the year, with homework in between the lessons! Once again, I see new techniques that I haven't tried previously.

3. A Treasured Time

I started this Dimensions Gold kit in October 2016 and would really like to have it finished and framed before Christmas. I love this scene, especially as we have Christmas in summer in New Zealand.

Here's where I'm up to:

4. Peacock at Sunset

I'm more than 50 % done on the Ehrman tapestry, so I plan to finish it in 2017.

5. Twelve Days Ornaments

This is a gorgeous range of wool felt Christmas ornaments designed by Larissa Holland.

I stumbled across them on Instagram (@mmmcrafts) but you can also see them on Larissa's blog here. I've already made a tiny start, just to try out the method and test my Sulky Solvi.  Now I need to decide what colour felt I'm going to use. I can see this taking up a lot of time as I keep adding extra touches.

So that's it! Five main things to work on this year.  Plus my quilts of course (which you can see here).