I started working a couple of days ago on an interpretation by Beth Russell of the Orange Frieze by William Morris. The colours really drew me into the project and since William Morris also is the artist of the Arts and Crafts Movement in England (a period in the decorative arts movement that I am particularly interested in) at the turn of the 20th century, it was normal that I would want to work this.

The original design was by John Henry Dearle (1860 -1932) for a firescreen. Beth Russell, British, a contemporary designer of needlepoint, through her brilliant adaptations, provided a cartoon for a bell pull. She intended the project to be executed in wools on a 12 point canvas. I am not partial to working with wool so I have taken the same cartoon and have translated the design on a 28 count antique white linen with DMC floss, using just one strand. The colour selections are beautiful and I am drawn excitedly to work this all through the day. I do not tire of the design, this much due to the selection of colours, a testimony to the taste and talent of Beth Russell.

I have been having difficulty getting into serious projects, but when this happens, I fall on my tried and true ideas and this one has been on my list of 'things to embroider' for a long long while.

It is part of a magnificent collection of historical 'cartoons' dating back to 1932. It is called 'Frise Africaine'.

It is restful to do a monochromatic cross stitch; no need to think of colour, just the need to follow a pattern already calculated and put all my attention into the precision of the technique and the effect of the thread on the linen. I worked this project on a 32 count linen with a dark grey (DMC 3799) thread of cotton floss. The final piece measures no more than 12 cms x 4 cms.

It creates refreshing point of non-colour on my studio wall - a little like ink letters on a fresh page of white paper. Hopefully this therapy, this restful period, will generate the energy I seem to be in need of to return to my more complicated project 'Arabesque'.

Stay tuned and patient!

Arabesque - in progress

I have been lax about this project. Life sometimes, if not often, gets in the way of some projects. Since this one is quite difficult, I need to be completely focussed. Understandably, the focus has been elsewhere, i.e. Christmas plans, projects, gifts, etc.

But, as promised, I am posting the little progress I have made since committing it to linen. Not that inspiring yet, but I am optimistic that once other colours start to appear on the fabric, the interest level will increase and the final 'feeling' will begin to make its appearance.

So be patient... my plan is to try to do a little over the holidays..... stay tuned.

'Believe' - Christmas Box

This cross stitch project was just the beginning of my idea to start the studio of L'Art de l'Aiguille. As often is the case, we embroiderers start a project with great zeal and enthusiasm and then life takes over and it is left in the UFO basket. Such was the case with this embroidery, but one quiet Christmas, it seemed appropriate to finish it completely.. here is the final piece and for the last decade has found its place under our Christmas tree.

So once again, I wish you happy holidays and enough quiet moments to go back into your basket of unfinished objects and make a stab at finishing at least one of them.

Each year I prepare the photography for our Christmas card wishes. Usually I try to capture a moment when the garden is under a thick blanket of snow, the first serious snowfall of the year. This year, I wanted to do something different and began embroidering some Christmas themed banners with ancient lettering.

I plan to deck a natural, snow clad pine tree in the garden with this message and hopefully create an embroidered seasonal wish to send to our friends.

The pattern for these letters come from the Sajou albums of the 19th century. I have cross stitched them on natural linen, over 2 threads, with 2 threads of DMC floss #309.

Happy Christmas to all my readers.

Wild pansies

I had finished this small tablecloth in late August. And then, just last night, finished the fourth of a series of small doilies in the same colour of pinks on caramel and écru linen. The ensemble makes for such a fresh splash of light on the dark wood of the dining room table. Summer colours for an autumnal day. Another way to bring the light into the house when autumnal light sends off a more wintry message.

Mary Victor Sampler of 1764

I haven't written all summer for family reasons, but I haven't been idle. Here is the piece that I had started in 2000 and had left in a drawer at our weekend house so that even if I had not put a project in my weekend luggage, I was assured that I had something to work on if the time presented itself through the weekend.

We now live in this weekend house fulltime and I am trying to tidy up and finish projects which have been sitting in baskets or drawers waiting for the right moment to work on and complete.

It is a Williamsburg sampler stitched by Mary Victor at the age of 10. It is dated 1764. I found the mechanical process of following the pattern very restful. Unable to dig down and do something innately creative, cross stitch can be a wonderful friend since the creative aspect is taken care of and one can revel in the colour and the form which ends up on the canvas.

I finished the piece last week and made it into a table carpet which now sits on our dining room table under a bevelled piece of glass. I can admire it, set things on it, enjoy its colours without any fear that it will become damaged. It is also very accessible as a table carpet rather than in a frame since I can take the glass off and hold the finished piece in my hands.

I love its naiveté and simplicity. I appreciate its historical significance, a reflection of the lifestyle of a past era, how we have progressed, as women, from that point, but how there is still a place in our society for these quiet activities which allow the embroiderer to return to her centre, find herself and, if only momentarily, a perspective on the day and life.