Crazy Patchwork Stella Adams- Schofield January meeting 2018

This month we welcomed Stella Adams-Schofield to lead a workshop on crazy patchwork. Stella started the workshop with an interesting power point presentation on the history of crazy patchwork. 
She explained that we were going to build up a pattern of textile pieces in a random manner and then work embroidery on the surface.
She brought two very different pieces with her which you can see below and a piece in progress on which she demonstrated some of the processes.

We started by cutting some shapes and building up a pattern from the centre out. We stabilised the pieces by hemming to the base material. You can see from the pictures below how we all developed a different colour scheme and textures. There was silence in the room as we all concentrated on where we were going to position our pieces!

Stella then suggested a variety of ways of embroidering the piece. We could embroider along the seam, over the seam,across braids positioned on the seam and in the middle of the pieces. As to the stitches the world was our oyster and we could use any combination of stitches we liked. She also suggested stand alone stitches like bullion roses, spider web wheels and picots to give texture and also to cover any "lumpy joins".

Most members finished the piecing and a few started the embroidery which they then took home to finish and hopefully bring to the next meeting.
It was a very enjoyable meeting and a few of the members had acquired a totally new process from scratch. 
Thank you to Stella for informing us of the history of the process, inspiring us to have a go and supporting us as we worked.