pleats......

I have been working a little more on my ''fiddly sampler''. Pleated silk has been added to the mirror section and is in the process of being bound with needle weaving....I love it! At the moment I am half way done with this process but I am going to have to put it away for a while...slacking on class work I'm afraid and must catch up....No hardship though, it will just mean more white, a different kind of white but equally as wonderful to work on....

pins.....

This morning I have been playing with pins. Pins have been added to my ''fiddly sampler''. The mirror section is now pinned to the lower section with a bit of embroidered scrim sandwiched in between. My pocket has been pinned....do you remember my pocket? It now has the back pinned to it. I am hoping to stitch these later today and will show pictures of the ''whole'' of both when that's done.

Also, as well as being the first day of the rest of my life.....it is the first day of embroider, embellish, create 2012!!! It is so exciting...another bunch of wonderful people who think I can teach them something about embroidery...it's not too late either if you want to join in....just go here to read more and register, or go to my special page to read more just for the heck of it!!

mirrors....

Mirrors, mirrors on silk with web stitches and French knots, the next stage of my ''fiddly'' sampler. Don't ask me how big this will be when it's finished, haven't a clue. For now I'm just having fun!

If you have been reading this rambling of mine for a while you will know that my main focus, my obsession is ''traditional'' and ''English'' embroidery. So where do mirrors fit into that.....well, (and it is a tenuous link) BUT in  Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century England a mineral called ''mica'' was used regularly as an embellishment in opulent needlework. In the Indian Subcontinent, prior to the arrival of mirrors from Europe, ''mica'' was used in traditional mirror work. Does that do it?? Are you convinced? Aside form that I have just been browsing a beautiful book , 'World Textiles' and in there is a glorious Whitework robe from Afghanistan with....mirrors.......that's good enough for me....

to register for ''embroider, embellish, create'' 2012 click here.