Three charm challenges by Margaret Hill:

I am taking an online class with Lorna Crane (from Australia)….through Fibre Art Take Two….Here is our first assignment, to make our own brushes and to use them with India Ink to make marks on paper and fabric. Then we will be making books from the papers and fabrics and stitching back into them……..what fun.

Featuring works by: Anni Hunt; Kaija Rautiainen; Michelle Sirois-Silver; Catherine Nicholls

The Shifting Landscapes exhibition runs from August 22 – October 25 2020 at Fibreworks Gallery on the Sunshine Coast Highway

The exhibition features four internationally known, award winning artists who work in a wide variety of media and styles. Inspired by nature and their West Coast surroundings they have created works which pay homage to textile traditions while each establishing their own unique, contemporary style.

“Art is art, nature is nature, you cannot improve upon it.” Emily Carr

This is a very long list of embroiderers from around the world – in case you sometimes want to look around online at what other people you haven‘t heard of are doing.
To see the Society’s Member List: click

Courtesy of Catherine R.

I have been doing lots of online learning which I think suits me just fine. I get to pause when I want to slow down and take more notes and go at my own pace – something I can’t do when I’m in the heat of the workshop. I repeated two workshops with people I had previously done ‘live’ workshops with, and got far more out of it this time and PDF notes in the process! I’m scared to admit to you all how many I have registered for but here are a few and next month I will send a few more. That way it doesn’t seem as bad.

1. The Pale Rook (https://thepalerook.com/blog-2/) A six week course on making artful dolls. Works still in progress.

2. Sophie Munns – A four week intro course on “Homage to the Seed” (https://sophiemunns.weebly.com/). It was challenging since we are in Springtime and most of the participants were in Australia in their Fall, but I did manage to find seeds. I chose the lowly Thistle in the end, doing most of my research online. Templates/Stamps/Rubbings. Again slow works in progress.

3. I have been making Salmon Skin Leather with Earthand Gleaners. It is a lot of work just to make one skin! But my collection is growing slowly. I want to make a large canvas with the skins sewn together and then to use it as a base to stitch a piece about Haida Gwaii. And here are some trials for the real thing:

4. And finally with my eco-printing and felt making with Nicola Brown from Ireland I have been turning some of the pieces into items. The first is to be a bag. And I am not too sure what to do with the other two pieces. They are both 14” x 10”

Samples of work – created by our members in recent weeks:

Ann K. – Sampler

Bettie Mae – wedding

Inga – Bee Contained

Inga – Inspirations

In response to the following challenge, samples of work by our members:

Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court Palace, England launched a postcard from home idea to be done by anyone. It is open to everyone from around the world, and will make us feel connected through the precious RSN bond and our universal love of hand embroidery!  And, while we know the RSN is recognised for technical excellence, this project is not about that, but rather about everyone sharing in the project regardless of your technical level of stitch.

‘Home Sweet Home’
The RSN encourages us to create a piece of hand embroidered art in the form of a ‘Postcard’, to mark this globally impactful event.  They want the ‘RSN Postcard from Home’ project to go viral worldwide, so please share with everyone you know, and let’s get trending and keep connected with the hashtag #rsnpostcardfromhome.

The best part of the project is that everyone can take part, whether you are an experienced hand embroiderer or have never picked up a needle and thread in your life. It is the perfect project to get your creativity flowing and to allow your mind to focus whilst stitching a piece of historical art.

Many of us are now based at home where we have had time to reflect on what is the true meaning of ‘home’ and the energy it gives us, and we will have happy memories of fun and crazy times with family and friends at home.

Ideas to get started: Click
Courtesy Jill Taylor

Some pieces based on Lorna Moffatt’s Workshop:

By Anni H.

by Anni H.

By Cheryl M

By Helen M.

By Jean P,

From the Textile Artist Weekly Newsletter:
In the face of social distancing and self-isolation, it’s a sad fact that spending time in-person with others who share your passion for textiles has become an impossibility.
Maybe you’ve been looking forward to a stitch workshop that’s been cancelled? Or perhaps your local embroidery group is no longer able to meet?
And we know how disappointing that can be.

And without regular connections with your stitch sisters, it can be easy to become demotivated and lose your creative spark.
But we’ve been truly inspired by many stitchers like you and your determination to stay positive.

And that’s why we’re teaming up with some amazing embroidery artists to bring you the TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge. Every Monday for the next five weeks a different textile artist will deliver a burst of inspiration especially for you in the form of a short video workshop and a hand stitch challenge that you can do at home over the following few days.