my next project is someone elses. A UFO of a lovely inspirational lady, Joan is someone I have known practically my whole life, her husband used to take me to kindy, & they gave me one of my first jobs as a teenager. Joan is kind & patient & I don't recall her ever being cross with me. She has always encouraged my own craftiness & I have several treasured things which she made for me & my daughter.
So to return some kindness, I offered to complete a piece of goldwork for her. Something she hasn't worked on for at least 5 years, due to several moves, reducing eyesight & as she says "impatience with the fine work required".
Here is what she has started:
& a close up.
Then I got given the box of supplies... oh wow!
Yikes! no pattern, no set rules... deep breath, challenge accepted! this is pretty exciting, kits make doing a particular technique easier. With rules, step by step instructions, you normally get a pic to show what it 'should' look like at the end... with this it's more up to me. pushing me outside my comfort zone with this technique.
Firstly, I organise...
one thing I like about this 'Egyptian Head' is that the part which is finer goldwork, is the hair, or as I like to think of it, the Brain. As the brain is segmented into areas, this is lending itself to applying different techniques.
Oh and I have a new tool - proper goldwork scissors, which Mum ordered through the class we took together:
One of the blades(?) is serrated which should make the cutting of gold thread easier with neater ends.
Oh, and lastly - tip of the week (from Mum) - we are spraying out flutterby & dragonfly with hairspray, to keep them from tarnishing & help them stay nice for longer.
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Monday, 25 February 2013
New Tools
With the start of learning Gold-Work came the acquisition of 2 new tools.
Firstly the lap frame (or 'fanny-frame' as my mother likes to call it) proving to be brilliant as it gives me two hands to stitch with.
the base part simply slides under your leg, giving you support & the frame can be raised, tilted & swung around.
Second tool was a Mellor:
I got this at my Ladybug class, this one is made from stainless steel, here in NZ. otherwise hard to find, when I went googling anyway. It's great for pushing the metal threads into place & for stuffing small areas.
and an update on my letter:
Silver work all done.
and here you can see I have satin stitched the top corner motifs over felt which gave padding. Then I realised I needed another one - for the bottom left...
Firstly the lap frame (or 'fanny-frame' as my mother likes to call it) proving to be brilliant as it gives me two hands to stitch with.
the base part simply slides under your leg, giving you support & the frame can be raised, tilted & swung around.
Second tool was a Mellor:
and an update on my letter:
Silver work all done.
and here you can see I have satin stitched the top corner motifs over felt which gave padding. Then I realised I needed another one - for the bottom left...
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