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Mary Corbet

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I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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More Goldwork on a Crazy Quilt Square… and the P.O.M.

 

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In anticipation of an article that I wrote for an issue of CQMag online, I thought I’d give you another peek at my crazy quilt square embellished with goldwork…

Goldwork on a Crazy Quilt Square

Ever since I finished this square, I’ve started paying closer attention to pictures of seam treatments and so forth. And I have learned something! On the square I embellished, very few of the seams actually have the embroidery crossing the seams. Whoops. My embellishment mostly floats on top of the seams. But it seems, in most of the pictures I’ve persued, that the majority of seam embellishments in crazy quilting actually cross over the seams.

Well, live and learn. And, of course, as a salve for my ignorance, I reminded myself of The Rule of crazy quilting: that there are no rules.

(Still, one does like to look as if one knows what one is doing….!)

If you want to see the rest of this project, you can read my article on CQMag Online, titled Goldwork and Crazy Quilting.

The P.O.M. – do you know what this stands for? It stands for “The Plan of the Month.” When I was growing up, we would always hear in our household, “What’s the P.O.D.?” (Plan of the Day) I suppose that must’ve come from my dad, who was a Navy pilot. We learned lots of stuff like that from him, but the two things I remember most clearly are “P.O.D.” and the call letters Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, and so forth.

Anyway, that is irrelevant. Back to the P.O.M.

One of the reasons I don’t have something ready at my fingertips to write about this morning is because I do not have one project underway. Shocking, isn’t it!!??? You cannot be more shocked than I am! I am fairly aghast at the situation! So this afternoon, I shall remedy it.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of writing on goldwork. For those of you who are not goldwork fans, please bear with me! There is a little more goldwork in the near future, but you’ll be happy to know that the Next Project I’m starting (this very afternoon) is whitework. The down-side is that whitework is so difficult to photograph well!

My plan for the rest of the month is to explore some whitework techniques. I had discusssed this idea with Yvette Stanton a few weeks ago: a whitework sampler – rather random – that incorporates different techniques of whitework in it. So, Schwalm, Hardanger, Mountmellick, drawn thread, pulled thread, cutwork, needle lace, blackwork, (did I just say blackwork? on whitework? I’m so confused – but yes, I have a plan regarding that)… all kinds of techniques. And regular surface embroidery in white. Just random and exploratory and fun.

At first, I thought it might be a silly idea; then, I saw this whitework sampler by Jocelyn! It’s AMAZING. It made me realize the idea isn’t so silly, after all, and I solidified my determination to do it.

I’ve been a little hesitant about starting the whitework, though, for a couple reasons: whitework is hard to photograph, and of course, I’d like to blog the techniques, instructions, tips, etc.; “random” can sometimes be troublesome… and “too random” can be downright frustrating, once you get into it – it seems to me that working with some kind of plan is better; I was a bit stitched out, and really bogged under with real work (school work!) the last week or so.

But today, I’m ACHING to start something again; and finally, I’m waiting for a fabric order from Nordic Needle in which I have some natural-colored (oatmeal-ish) linen in a higher count – I thought the natural linen might solve the photography probs. But I’m not waiting anymore!

Therefore, the P.O.M. begins with setting up this project this afternoon.

Further ahead, in the details of the P.O.M., you will find exciting things like editing stitch videos, filming more videos, setting up a Very Big and Exciting Project that I’ll tell you about as it progresses (it’s one of those “this is going to take a long time – like, months” sort of projects), and the development of other little ideas that are brewing. You might wonder how all this is to come about, given the fact that January is half way over and I work full time. Well, the fact is, I have a five day weekend coming up, and I’m determined to plan it thoroughly, so I can make the most of it!

So that’s what I’m up to. What are YOU up to? Anyone have a project going on that they’re blogging about? Leave a link below! If you don’t have a blog, drop me a line so you can send me some photos!

 
 

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(5) Comments

  1. Thanks so much for the corner photo, I’ve gotten some supplies to try gold work, but have challenges that are keeping me busy at the moment. Your photo just inspired me to get moving on these existing projects…so I can play with goldwork!! Love your site!

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  2. Hi there Mary,
    I am currently trying to finish the unfinished projects. I am working on the dresser scarves for my two daughters. One of them is almost done but the monogram,which I am currently taking out because of the terrible choice of color. I have found the more I embroider the more I think I can see what colors go well together and those that do not. I think I’ll try the palestrina stitch with the seed stitch as my filler. Your crazy quilt is very pretty. Something like this would be sort of fun to do with my girls.
    Maria in Kansas

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  3. I love your goldwork, but I am really excited about you doing whitework! I read you every morning with my coffee…you are an inspiration!

    I have a blog, http://samplerstitcher.blogspot.com/

    It is nowhere near the scale of your projects, but I am altering a sampler and blogging about some of the stitches. I would love to have your comments!

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  4. Hi-Mary, I was gonna kinda mention the CQ embroidery-about it’s not touching the joining piece and all…so I’m glad you said it first! The stitching is very beautiful to look at even though even if it doesn’t quite fulfill the attachment criteria-as they say “there are no rules!”
    Whitework is considered the ‘creme de la creme’ of embroidery. I say go for it, lady! And keep us posted!

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  5. Your posts make it very tempting to try a new (to me) kind of needle work. I’ve had a bit of cross stitch and crochet start-itis but will look out for reasonably priced kits. Thanks for all your inspirational posts.

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