The Courage Of Ones Convictions

Last week I posted a link on the Cabinet of Curiosities social site that has created quite some comment. It has been a fabulous transitional journey for me and I have  received loads of positive and encouraging feedback as I make the transition from being defined only by my career choice to being defined by what I simply LOVE to do which is to create. After 30 odd years working on and off as an accountant I found myself 18 months ago in a position where I could take time off to be a full time Mum and 'Fibre and Textile Artist'. I finally have come to a point in my life where I will loud and proudly label myself by what defines ME.

 

The link I came across on one of my many blogging muses was over at the The Textile Blog and was entitled Why Would Anyone Pursue A Creative Path . This was a most enlightening article and opened my eyes to understanding myself as I had been struggling with the lack of interest and outright dismay displayed by many people when they ask 'what is it you do?' . Saying I was a needleworker and interested in 17th century embroidery just wasn't cutting it or getting across my passion for what I do which is not limited to needlework although that is foremost. Most  people just cannot grasp anything other than paint or sculpture as art  and the fibre and textile world has always been undervalued in respect to the skill and time involved in this art. My positivity in my craft needs to be let out!

 

Whatever project you choose to work on and regardless of whether or not you came up with the original idea  I still consider it art. Even if you are constructing something from a kit or embellishing something to make it your own you are still creating using your skills as an artist. Even the most famous painters copied what already existed in nature and the world around them. To work towards completely original ideas one needs to be grounded in ones craft and the skills cemented. I am still learning but working towards designing my own 17th century style casket and it is no small journey.

 

So from now on and with passion I will shout from the rooftops that I am an  ARTIST.

 

As to my achievements this week I think a 'Woe Is Me' might be more appropriate. My time seems to have been sucked up getting the kids sorted and the all the trivia of modern life. It takes a bit to catch up after a long stretch with the kids as your 'adult time' goes on the backburner and I am hoping next week will be more constructive.

 

Small steps were made on the Floral Glove but it is still languishing in bits on my desk...

 

 

The pastoral scene is completed on the Needleworker's Pocketbook and I am plugging away on  the eyelet and satin stitch border. Still heaps of eyelets on this project which sure do take a while. I will be happy to get through this one as I have so much else I want to do but I will jolly well get this done first. I will.

 

 

 

 

Waitangi Day

It's Waitangi day today. Waitangi Day is a nationwide public holiday here in New Zealand. It is supposed to be about celebrating 'one nation' and New Zealand. The Treaty of Waitangi was drawn up by the British Government around the mid 1800's and signed by the participating chiefs from the Maori tribes who were the indigenous peoples at the time.

 

To those of us who are several generations in  and not claiming any Maori descendancy, not that there are any full blooded Maoris left, it is just a yearly cycle of complaint and disruption at the official celebration at a place called Waitangi.

 

We have very liberal government policies here around settling crown land back to Maori tribes arising from the land wars back at the time of early colonisation. But, will it ever be enough.....the day should be about national pride !!!

 

Well the kids FINALLY returned to school yesterday after the 6 week summer holidays but now they are on holiday again today....man!!!....all's I got done was the grocery shop yesterday.

 

Not  a lot of stitching done this week and my crafty space looks like a bombsite.

 

It took me days just to couch the Elizabethan Twist along with the spangles to the edge of the ribbon for the floral glove. It does look pretty but the ribbon is only pinned onto the cuff. I never made my goal of finishing lesson #5 before #6 was issued but it's not too much to do and I think I will work on it tomorrow before the kids are home 'again' for the weekend.

 

 

My room, oh the state of my room. I need to tidy and stash but it takes away my stitching time. Maybe next week for cleanup when are kids are at school for 5 days straight. I suspect I may not be the only stitcher on the planet though with a room that looks like it's in need of attention.

 

I have been regularly stitching in the evenings on the Needleworker's Pocketbook and it's coming along. Just a tree and a deer to complete on the pastoral scene. It was slow going and parts of it were over one.

 

I signed up for Amy Mitten's Spring Casket Keepsakes even though I am barely moving on the Winter edition. The floral treats were just too pretty to pass up on and as one of the early orders I am getting the vintage threads. Woo Hoo.

 

I received my package of the tubular WireLace from Mimi'sGems this week. I ordered a bunch of colourways in the 3mm and 6mm after seeing the stuff used on stumpwork birds & insects by Michele Carragher who embroidered the costumes on the series Game of Thrones. Looking forward to having a play. You can stretch is out horizontally to around 3x it's width and if you pull it vertically it will go back to original size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Go Or Not To Go...

....that is the question. I am allowed to go as per the husbands permission but will I decide to go! Today the link came through from Thistle Threads East Coast Embroidered Casket Tour to those of us outside of the USA/Canada to enable us to book for this tour.

 

The tour involves four days of activities:

 

Day 1 - A visit to the Met Museum & shopping in NYC

Day 2 - A visit to the Cooper Hewitt Museum & travel to Boston

Day 3 - A visit to the MFA in Boston & shopping in downtown Boston

Day 4 - A visit to the Lexington Historical Society and a casket finishing course with Tricia from Thistle Threads followed by a reception at Tricia's house

 

All activities sound VERY appealing and the chance to get to view all that 17th century embroidery with expert knowledge supplied by the museum staff and Tricia would be awesome not to mention meeting the extremely talented Tricia and all the other lovely class members.....but

 

....for me living here in little old New Zealand in reality it means....

 

...40 hours plus of flying time with return flights, that's an entire working week spent in the air not to mention the time waiting at airports and all on my own

 

...I would be exhausted when I got there and so would need to arrive early just to sleep and all the travel time far outweighs the time allotted for the tour.

 

...and the big deciding factor for me is that for the cost of the tour/airfares & extra hotel stays not to mention spending while over there and adding to stash I would be able to purchase a double casket form along with the associated customs costs as well as get the new iMac I want and have enough left over to purchase a flattop double casket so....as much as I would like to join the tour it just doesn't stack up!

 

....so any USA ladies reading this blog who want to join the tour and are afraid of missing out due to numbers...there is a slot not taken...by me at least

 

Took me while to let it go though...that feeling of missing out but I will just have to celebrate my 50th with my goodies instead!

 

So ... enough mulling over that and onto the here and now

 

 

Time for a bit of chit chat about what's gone on this week

 

 

The Grow Your Blog party continues and I have spent a bit of time looking at some lovely blogs with many still to go on the list and thank you to all those lovely ladies who have posted your encouraging comments on my blog and become followers of my musings.

 

I still have my kids home on school holidays until 5th February and so have not achieved milestones but here are the results of my plugging away...

 

I have stitched the wings of the butterfly onto the background of the Essamplaire Casket

 

I have couched the old gold lace onto the outine of the Thistle Threads Floral Glove. Need to get a hurry on as The last lesson #6 comes out 1st February and I want to be up to date.

 

My main focus this week has been plugging away in the evenings on the Needleworker's Pocketbook and the pastoral scene is taking shape.

 

I have succeeded in catching up with the latest lesson #5 for the Thistle Threads May Your Hands and am waiting for #6 on 1st February. I can't believe I have done this as I was so late starting this and the saw tooth borders took me what seemed forever.

 

In the piccie from left to right and excluding the painted thread holders (painted by Betsy Krieg Salm) are the finished Thimble Nest, Scissor Keep, Pin Pad and Wax Holder.

 

The final lesson will contain the instructions to complete the other more involved pieces so a bit of work ahead of me. Oh, I also made up the strawberry emery but it is just out of the picture on the left. I will photo it again when the set is complete so you can see then.

 

Have a fun week fellow bloggers and look forward to meeting more GYB participants.

 

WIP It Good!

I started to WIP the May Your Hands project into a finished article this week. I started in order of instruction with the pin pad. I am happy thus far and the gathering around the sides looks nice by man does that satin fray something shocking. That's what all those threads are!!!

 

I picked up a rather forgotten WIP this week and it was WIPPING GOOD. The Needleworker's Pocket book is progressing again. Back to counted work for a while in the evenings I have decided. I want to finish this one and have confidently stitched 2014 into the completion date.

I also managed to WIP up the wings for the butterfly on the Essamplaire casket. They've been pinned on for a few days now...need to get to stitching them on but they do look oh so pretty with their little venetian picot wing tips. I did get much better at that stitch by the time I finished the 6th one...yes

 

 

Tricia from Thistle Threads in conjunction with Susan Albury has announced an East Coast Embroidered Casket Tour in October this year. How super exciting. It is a 21 to 30 hour journey time (one way) depending on flights and connections from here in NZ so a big excursion but I have talked to my hubby and hubby says yes I can go and he will look after the kids. What a wonderful 50th birthday present. Just need to control myself waiting for the 28th booking slot now. Woo Hoo.

Grow Your Blog

I'm joining the party. Thank you 2 bags full for the opportunity to meet other like minded crafters who have like minded blogs and want the number of followers to grow.

 

My name is Rae, I am turning the big 5 0 this year and finally have the time to do what I adore doing which is embroidery particularly and also to quilt. Historical embroidery has become my passion since discovering 17th century caskets and the Thistle Threads - Cabinet of Curiosities course and not to mention all those reproduction samplers out there from the likes of The Essamplaire and Scarlet Letter.

 

I started to blog when I found myself getting so darned excited about discovering the amazing resources and needlework networks there are online that I wanted to share my achievements. Even if no one was discovering my blog I find it a great tool to motivate me week to week and to see that you really do make progress on your projects even though it might not feel like it. It has become an online diary of sorts for me and rather than random musings of my life I do tend to focus on the craft.

 

I hope you enjoy my blog as I will reading others and thank you for the opportunity too join this network.

 

I am of course a relative newbie to blogging as only stated May 2013 and am still learning a lot.

 

 

Farewell and Moving On

A gentle kind soul was farewelled by those who loved him this week after illness took him. He is no longer suffering and for that we are grateful. He lived life with a generosity of spirit.

 

Leslie David Howan was my Father In Law, he was 85 years old and leaves behind a family who cared greatly for him.

 

Husband, Father, Father In Law, Grandfather and Great Grandfather.....we will remember

 

 

The flower my daughter is named after 'Tiger Lily', a granddaughter

 

 

But the living must go on and to that end the memories will endure.

 

 

I have made some progress on the Essamplaire casket. I am currently working on the butterfly wings. They are detached buttonhole with venetian picot on the wing tips. Edging closer to finishing this bit.

 

 

 

 

I have  completed the surface embroidery for the May Your Hands set and we are ready for construction. My goal is to construct all the smaller pieces and complete Lesson #5 before 1st February when the last lesson is posted for the final finishing. Can't believe I have caught up to this point as I was way late starting and finishing all of that sawtooth border...Yipee!!!

 

Apologies for the not so clear last  photo. I am trying to figure out how to resize in blogger and it's real random hit and miss for sizing the same within a post. aaarrrggghhh

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