Here is one restored part of the tablecloth edge. The coloured dots are my work. If you imagine this is just one of 22 nibbled areas you will get an idea of the amount of work involved. Every other row had to be hand unpicked until all the damage was excluded. Of course it also meant a lot of threads to be darned in (2 for every row) But the happy dance has been done!!!!

A fun workshop

I spent 8 wonderful days in workshops with the incredible free motion embroidery teacher Ken Smith. Some of the comments people make about this talented teacher/artist are wonderful.
"he has magic hands" "He can make embroidery look like creating the natural world all over again". His sense of humour and fun are a delight. I know I sound like an addict, and I guess I am. If you get the chance... crawl, walk, swim, fly and attend one or more of his workshops. I have never enjoyed a teacher, or an activity more. The pieces pictured here are my interpretation of a piece of bark, using Ken's methods and techniques. But with all his workshops the emphasis is on enjoying the process.
After 4 wonderful days my piece of bark looks more realistic. Magnify to see the intensive work that has been done! Now for the decorations!

Landscape workshop Ken Smith

On day 4 the intensive workshop finished and my picture was declared excellent by teacher and students. The photo does not really do it justice, but I willbring it to Sandie's at Easter. This was one of the most wonderful workshops I have ever attended!
To interpret the picture : There are three eucalypts the direction of the embroidery shows the prevalent wind direction. At the bottom of the picture are bushes with purple flower buds, and some water. I am very proud of the final result.

The landscape workshop I attended with Ken Smith as the talented tutor was sheer delight. After day one I had this fabulous framework for my landscape. I did not work from a photo instead I worked from an image in my mind.

restoration

restoration

silkparadise
Girls this is a picture of a tablecloth edge. It had been attacked by hungry or cold mice ????
I have had to unpick around the damage and then restore, the original work was in a thin very highly twisted cotton the thread was no longer available so the "restoration thread" is thinner. You can imagine the work involved unpicking very tight tension crochet at least 70 years old and bites here and there. Whenever I get an area nicely unpicked and I start to crochet it might start to unravel further along. There were over 20 damaged pieces. The picture shows what was probably the worst piece. Anmyway there is less than 10 places to restore.! I will definitely do a happy dance when it is finished.