We’ve gathered our materials and are ready to start stiching on Luan Callery’s Stumpwork Butterfly! Check out Luan’s Designers Across America profile in the September issue of Needle Arts and find out how you can get a copy of this project, too.

Butter”scotch” by Sharlotte A. DeVere of Leechburg, PA; needlepoint (Scottish and alternating Scottish-stitch variation on 40-count silk gauze and beads). This brooch was awarded the grand prize of $500 from The National NeedleArts Association.

Cameo by Gina Maria Kleinmartin of Buffalo, NY. This needlepainted brooch is stunningly detailed.

Rabbit and Cabbage by Jill Walker of West Sacramento, CA won first place in the needlework category. It’s made up of hundreds of French knots and was adapted from designs by Elizabeth Black and Marni Cardin.

Anne Davies of San Diego created Peacock Brooch using bead and silk ribbon embroidery.

Abstract Landscape by Dina Buckey of Brandenburg, KY won first place in the quilting category.

Needelworker’s Brooch by Kim Beamish of Severn Bridge, Ontario is reminiscent of  a pincushion.

Currently on Display in the galleries at EGA’s Embroidery Museum & Resource Center in Louisville is a juried exhibit featuring work from the group Louisville Fiber and Textile Artists, also known as  LAFTA.

LAFTA is a group of about 100 artists working in all types of fiber media. This exhibit features a wide variety of styles and techniques, including embroidery, quilting, beading, collage, dyeing, paper cuts, knitting, wearables, and felting. The show was juried by embroidery artist and EGA member, Ayelet Lindenstrauss Larsen. About 45 works by 25 artists are on display now until August 22nd.

Fault Lines 1 (detail) by Kathleen Loomis; pieced cotton quilted by machine. One of Loomis’ quilts was awarded the Quilts Japan Prize at Quilt National 2009.

Monochromatic Chaos by Judy Goodwin. This piece consists of a rock which has been felted over then covered with thousands of beads.

This is one of three dolls by Laura Christensen that can be seen in the show. She used various scraps of fabric and found objects to give them a lot of personality.

This is a detail of Quench My Thirst by Joanne Weis. It features hand-printed and dyed fabric with surface stitchery. In addition to serving as chair of LAFTA, Joanne is also an EGA member.

Big Lace – Dayflower is a knitted piece created by Debbie Levine using broomsticks as knitting needles and mop cotton as yarn. This is a detail, the whole  piece is over four feet long.

Alyce McDonald created Lady Labella from clothing labels, sewing patterns, and notions. If you look closely in the mouth, you can see one of the labels Alyce’s mother sewed into her clothes when she went off to college.

For information about LAFTA or this exhibit leave a comment or email bcape@egausa.org.

The program consists of classroom education, practical experience, individual research, and a final examination.

The next appraisal class will be held June 11th through the 14th at EGA’s Embroidery Museum and Resource Center in Louisville, Kentucky. There are still a few spots available in the class. If you’d like information on the program and the class just email me at bcape@egausa.org.

I was lucky enough to attend the pilot class last September and it was extremely educational and also really fun. One of the great things about this program is that once you have your certification you can use your skills to generate income as a professional appraiser. It’s also really helpful for developing research skills.

From left to right: WCMFA Director Rebecca Massie Lane, EGA member Elizabeth Graff, EGA President Carol Dam, and Hagerstown Chapter President Sally Poole.  Elizabeth Graff demonstrates some basic embroidery and beading techniques. Molas are part of the Resistance portion of the exhibit.  Many of EGA’s historic samplers are on display as part of the exhibit.

Smaller handerchiefs, table mats, and doilies were mounted on jewel-toned fabrics to emphasize the negative spaces in the pieces and add visual interest to the display.

Several articles of clothing, most from the Traveling Collection Study Box, are on display. The shirring on this dressing gown is gorgeous. It’s accented with machine-made lace on the collar and cuffs. This was the handkerchief from which the image on the postcard and exhibit poster was selected. 

In the picture above you can see three small caps hanging over a pedestal. These caps are displayed on balls wrapped with colored yarn to accentuate the delicate work.

Winter Whites is on display until February 28.

 This past Sunday we had the pleasure of hosting the Greater Louisville Chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America here at the Embroidery Museum and Resource Center.  About 40 of the group’s 75 members came to learn about Regency embroidery, tour the galleries, and do a small project. 

We shared a few pieces from the collection including the late 18th century French court coat and several of our historic samplers. 

As part of the program, we showed the group how to make a Love Token Bag.  This is a small pouch a young lady would have made for her beau to pin inside his jacket and hold a small memento to remind him of his love.  Our version of the love token bag was made from interfaced satin with a backstitched initial on the front and whip stitches to bind the edges.  Here are a couple of shots of the group working intently and enjoying some tea:

And here are two lovely ladies modeling their finished bags:

They don’t show up well in the photo, but the pink one features the letter “J” and the green one has a little cat instead of an initial.

This is my teaching sample in its half-completed state. We used adhesive pinbacks so they’re easy to put on and take off. I think they would be cute little gifts for children or grandchildren.

Many times I know the answer but many times I do not.  I’m going to start posting some of these difficult cases here on the blog.  If you have any ideas please post them in the comments. 

This piece was brought in by a local man who bought it at an auction.  He doesn’t have any information about who made it or where it came from.  It’s red silk velvet with a wide border of couched gold thread in paisley designs.  It measures 68 inches across at its widest point and is about 50 inches long. 

A piece of muslin has been basted onto the back but this seems to have been done after the piece was made.  The fabric is clean and the embroidery is in great shape.  This surprises me because the stithing is so heavy in relation to the velvet.  Above is a detail of the couched band and below is the turned-under edge.

So there you have it, stitching sleuths.  Please comment with questions or hypotheses; I’m looking forward to hearing from you.  

Some of you may be familiar with blogs but for those who aren’t, here is an introduction:

The word “blog” is short for web log, which is like a diary or bulletin board viewed on a website.  Individuals, businesses, institutions, and organizations use blogs to share news and information with visitors to their websites.  In addition to text; illustrations, photographs, and video can be shared.  Entries are displayed in reverse chronological order (newest at the top) and are labeled with one or more categories so that a viewer may easily find all the entries on a particular subject.  Readers may leave their comments or questions after each entry.

We’ll be posting breaking news here as well as information on exhibits, classes, and events so check back often!