Canadian Embroiderers' Guild, Guelph Open House

Fresno, a guide dog in training at the Open House

My CD Challenge Block, "Leaf" for the Ontario Network of Needleworkers
Woven rug canvas stitched, thread sandwich leaf, beaded

A mini landscape
stitched by Allison

Beautiful Embroidery

Embroidered Garden

A Brooch

Bayeau Embroidery

by Margaret

My Darned Landscape
This was very addictive to stitch.

Quilt by Ellen

Goddess by Cynthia

who trains guide dogs

These were just some of the marvelous artworks at our Open House last Tuesday. Many people dropped by to see the finished artworks from the year. This is a great teaching guild that offers two classes a year with extra workshops and afternoon programs. I had a wonderful time this year meeting new people and sharing stitching projects. Thanks to Ruth who taught the Mini Landscapes and Renata who taught the Knotted Gardens. My Autumn Trees is finished (see last post) and my Parterre Garden is still In Progress!

Stitchalong and Trees Entries

I have been enjoying doing the Stitchalong every evening. I am journalling my daily events in stitch. It has been a challenge every evening to reflect upon the day's events and interpret it in a single illustration. Somehow I have managed to focus on the positives. Above is a nesting square related to my stitchery guild's theme for our challenge.

A Spring crocus, Go Green with my personal symbol, a tree for my Trees entries, an Easter egg and bunny, a darned square for a project I am doing, Echinaceas, a favourite flower

A heart and a key, needle and thread for a day of stitching

Finally after 3 days of finishing stitching, I completed my postcard hanging for the Threadworks Juried Show. I made 10 Go Green Postcards each containing a message to the good earth. I mounted them on painted rug canvas that I wove strips of fabric around the edges and in some blank spots and machine stitched on top. I put hours of work into each postcard with embroidery and beading. The consistent fabric in each postcard is the painted one with the machine embroidered tree. I used a couple of new eco type fabrics but all the rest were scraps that were repurposed and reused. Some were skating costume scraps form my friend, Sandra. I had a great sense of accomplishment and of a job well done. I called it 'The Message'. The hardest part was deciding on a name!

This is my second entry called Autumn Trees. It is completely hand stitched with one strand of embroidery floss. It was started in class at my Embroidery Guild in Guelph. It was one of the most difficult projects I've ever undertaken, blending the fall colours in stitch. The large rock has coloured scrim under the stitches.

Today, I drove to Elora to pick up my entries because sadly they were not juried into the show. Yesterday, I was so disappointed! And I thought why do I do this to myself? But 12 hours later I had a plan of what to do with my entries. I believe when one door closes another door opens. When I arrived in Elora at the Museum, I saw 'The Message' on a table waiting to be hung! I still wasn't sure until I checked with one of the members. Yes!

I hadn't been sent an email of my results. I did get an apology and explanation. My faith in my hard work and creativity has been restored! Why do I need this affirmation? When I no longer feel disappointment when rejected that will be a time for celebration!

Auction Eco Tote, Good Earth!

I was lucky to be asked to make a Auction Tote Bag for a silent auction at the Milton Mall. The tote bags, with a season pass for the Halton Conservation parks, are displayed outside the New AM Gallery at the Milton Mall. I decided to use my eco recycled art designs for the front of the tote bag. My signature red and green leaf is on the right side of the bag. I was inspired by a tote on the front of the Stitch Magazine by Interweave Press.

Here is a close up with the words: recycle, reuse and repurpose. The bag was mostly made of scraps of fabric from a costume maker in Toronto. I did add some of my eco fabric, Green Planet by Debbie Mumm.

I machine embroidered my purple tree on some hand painted fabric, which really was the drop cloth fabric from a former project.

This is the back of the bag with my signature and personal symbol. I called the bag, 'good Earth'.

TA DA! Finished! I also appliqued a bird on one of the silk strips of fabric. This is another personal favourite symbol of mine! This bag was very hard to donate, but it is going to a very good cause, the Halton Learning Foundation. The final day will be April 24Th, come out to see our totes at the Milton Mall and bid, of course!