I am filled to the brim! I spent the last four days studying Japanese embroidery. Look at the great teaching aids we had--detailed photo presentations that could be scrolled through over and over.
Here is our teacher, Karyn L. Plater, getting ready to give the Morning Talk. We had this lovely sunny apartment for our classroom. Each day began with a "Morning Talk" about a topic of interest. Since the new project was a design featuring Koi, one morning she talked about the history and meanings of these special fish. Other topics have related to things Japanese, embroidery or the spiritual development of the embroiderer. Generally they were accompanied by beautiful pictures displayed on that huge screen.
This is the new Koi design,
designed by our teacher, Karyn L. Plater. I'm not stitching this one but it was interesting to watch the others who are doing it work on it. All of the Japanese embroidery classes I've been in have had students at different levels doing different pieces. As the new students are taught, the older students hear the review, even if they are working on their own projects. I love (and need) this constant reinforcement.
Here the teacher is conferring with Ruth, who is instrumental in getting our Chicago classes going and organizing our "First Thursday" Japanese embroidery stitching sessions at the Hyde Park Art Center. Ruth is working on Phases III and IV. (Japanese embroidery is taught with ten "phase" pieces. I'm doing Phase I.)
Below is my piece showing each day's progress. You can tell the weather by the varying light (the pictures were all taken with the natural light from the east--the apartment overlooked Lake Michigan). Monday was rainy, Wednesday sunny, etc.
So, the above is my starting point. On Monday I stitched the long leaf in the middle.
On Tuesday I worked on the "pink" or carnation--the orange flower in the center. I did two petals. I also worked on the orange striped cord near the bottom. I had stitched some of this years ago in my first class and ripped it out because I didn't like it at all. I'm much happier with my stitching this time.
Below is my final picture. I added more stitching on the blue flower.
On Thursday morning, I practiced making twisted threads properly for the blue flower--the threads I had made on my own a couple of months ago were not tightly enough twisted. I learned to compensate for that in stitching on the blue flower, but I wanted to try twisting the threads again and make sure I had a properly twisted thread for comparison purposes for the next few months. I also made a twisted thread to make knots and I worked on making consistent Japanese knots, on the side edge of my piece, since I don't have anything needing knots at the moment. Again, it was a chance to practice with supervision.
After that, I began on a "new" piece, Three Happiness. Ms Plater had taught it last summer (it's designed by Mr. Tamura of the
Japanese Embroidery Center in Atlanta (apologies for not giving proper credit initially)) and I bought it then but was wary of beginning it on my own. The fabric is metallic gold so it's hard to photograph--that's why it looks so dark. I did some pine branches (in the center), some pine needles and a couple of plum-blossom petals. The pine needles and branches were new to me. The other techniques I have learned in my Phase I piece. This little piece is a pre-phase piece for beginners.
All in all a very satisfying week. Now back to reality.
The first thing I did last weekend (once I found the missing cut fabric squares, mentioned here) was begin the kits for the crewel chatelaine project I'm teaching in July. This represents between 8 and 10 hours of work. I didn't stop for much all day. The needles are snuggled into felt pieces, the design fabric cut, finishing fabrics cut, and all of the Appleton crewel wools measured out and allocated. I still have to print the design onto the fabric (the part I'm most anxious about turning out right) and finalize and print the instructions.
On Sunday I worked on the edging for this pillowcase--it came to me with the embroidery complete. I'm working on the second of the pair.
Early Monday morning I completed step two of the altar cloth--adding a slightly less raised line down the center of each arm. It's been passed back to the church.
On Sunday and Monday I worked on this scissors case. The Watercolors are what makes it work--it's pretty mindless. It's all lined and has scissors tucked inside.
And quickly Monday night I finished up some bookmarks for the EGA's literacy outreach and Hammond Reads (more here).
