Sunday 16 August 2015

A new Best Friend

Sunday night and after an extremely busy weekend I feel exhausted to start the week.   Not good as the young woman with whom I shared the work load at the office has been seconded to a job at the Prison for six months and I will be bearing the load alone.   Hopefully all will go well.

Yesterday was Embroiderers' Guild monthly meeting and there were workshops to attend.   A choice from two -  a small fabric notebook or an introduction to Portugese Whitework.  Three guesses which one I chose?
I think I am likely to become very good friends with this wonderfully precise technique.  Wrapped bars, bullions and buttonhole eyelets in abundance.  But I love being able to precisely control the thread and to know that the final product is correct.  Counting is very important in this work.   Corners are multiples of 4 and bars are multiples of 6 and unlike Hardanger you cut and draw the thread as you work around the foundation.  It's fun learning something new.
The sample is on a rather coarse aida fabric and stitched with #8 perle thread but I am looking forward to beginning a project on a finer fabric and thread.   I'm thinking a biscornu to begin with but there is a wonderful runner in Yvette Stanton's book which would look wonderful on the top of my Chinese carved chest.   Don't get carried away Margaret - finish the current projects first!

My list for the weekend is all crossed off.   I stitched up a small cardigan for the HD3QBEM to give to great grand-daughter #1, cooked the meals for the coming week, wrote three letters for tomorrow's post, had my hair cut, did the cleaning, wrote the menu, did the grocery shopping, finished my book and emptied my washing basket.  
What a pity that most of those items will be on next weekend's list too!

6 comments:

Ann at Beadlework. said...

So much industry Margaret, I envy your discipline. You choose the most interesting needlework to tackle, I tend to take the easy route so that I can sit and watch television without thinking:-) I hope work isn't too over the top - this sounds exactly what is happening in my work place to with lots of people who have to pick up so many extra duties when someone leaves or is seconded.

Gillie said...

Sounds like a perfect project for you, Margaret, will look forward to seeing progress. We have UK visitors and my daughter and family staying this weekend so no stitching, sadly but in the quiet of next week will get back to it! Well done on the recurring list!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

What a logout new technique to learn. I am looking forward to seeing some beautiful delicate work soon.
One thing is dislike about chores is the regularity that they reappear as soon as you complete them!

Karen said...

Hopefully the week goes by quickly and the extra workload is manageable. I'm very intrigued by this Portugese Whitework. Can't wait to see more of it!

Anna van Schurman said...

Very interested to see your Portuguese Whitework. I do wish I had your sticktoitiveness. Then maybe the garden would be weeded!

Sheryl said...

Beautiful Portuguese whitework, I love this type of embroidery. interested to see your progress.