Linen Project, Heron Corn Mill, Beetham

 Last year Heron Corn Mill, Beetham provided  seeds for people to grow flax  as part of a heritage project exploring the flax industry  in Cumbria from the Middle Ages.

When grown the flax was  harvested and the fibres woven into a narrow linen material which you can see on the embroidery frame below. 

You can also see some of the threads coloured with the plant based dyes.

 

 The mill asked for volunteers to embroider some of the dye plants that had been used to colour the threads.

Sandra volunteered and chose madder  as her dye plant.

She designed her Madder plant set within a loose frame, with a Medieval dyer at work.

Part of the frame was a range of sample colours obtained from madder varying from pale colours to pinky reds. 

The root is the important part of madder used for dyeing and so that was given prominence.

The Medieval dyer is using madder to dye threads and cloth.

The bottom edge was decorated with Medieval beasts using a range of plant dyed linen threads.

The title madder was embroidered

The finished panel is below.

 

Tomten Janet Tabarandak November Meeting 2020

Happy Christmas Tomte 

Mary has now made the flag for her Tomte to wish her granddaughter and fiance a Happy Christmas. What a lovely idea and I am sure they will both enjoy it.

Thanks Mary.
 

 

Bejewelled Tomten

 

Anne has made two Tomten with very bejewelled and sparkly hats. I like the idea of the tassell hanging on the girl's hat.

Thank you Anne and they will provide colour and sparkle in your house at Christmas.

A Bobbly Tomte 

 Joanna has made a very Christmassy Tomte with a very bobbly hat.

He is sure to brighten up  her house at Christmas. 

Than you Joanna, he looks super and I love all those bobbles.
 

The Head Gardener Tomte

Janet has turned her Tomte into a Head gardener and sometime in the future he will have a fork and spade. I love his whiskers and his wonderfully decorated hat.

Thank you Janet for sharing him with us.
 

Blue and Red Tomte 

Sandra has just finished her girl Tomte for her great niece. She has double sewed and glued and sewed again so that little fingers can't pull bits off!!!!!

Here are the two Tomten together.

 

Sandra says she will send them to the children soon so they can decorate their bedrooms with them. She hopes they like them.

Thank you Sandra.

Dark Green Tomte 

This Tomte with a dark green hat is going to be used to carry a Christmas card for a member of Mary's family. She modified the pattern so that he had arms to hold the card. There is some delicate 

 silver embroidery on his hat.

Thank you Mary and I am sure anyone will be pleased to receive him at Christmas.

 Green Tomte

Maureen has just finished making her Tomte and he looks very smart in green with a snow white beard.. There is some very pretty embroidery on his hat.

Thank you Maureen and he will look very pretty as part of your Christmas decorations.

 Red and Green Tomte

Sandra has finished making her first Tomte which is for her great nephew. She said it was great fun and has already cut out her second one for her great niece.

 

The second Tomte will be a girl with plaits and a slightly different hat.

Thank you Janet for introducing us to Tomten and the fun of making them.

Instructions for Tomten

 

Requirements list for Tomten 

Robin

 Denise has sent us a delightful photograph of a robin on her allotment. She had placed a worm on a post and then the robin took it to eat in secret, under the sage bush, away from another robin.

 Robins seem to get extra cheeky at this time of the year as they follow us around the garden hoping we will dig up something good for them to eat.

Thanks Denise for a lovely photograph.

 

Temari Balls Mary Seaman October Meeting 2020

Temari Ball 

 Mary has made another Temari ball with a zig-zag pattern around the equator to add to her bowl of embroidered balls.

Thank you Mary it is a beauty!
 

Patchwork Tote Bag

 Fran has just finished making a very pretty patchwork tote bag. I love the way you have varied the size of the patchwork.

The bag is very eye catching and Fran is using it as a storage bag hanging neatly on a hook.

Thanks Fran and I am sure you will be able to find the bag and its contents easily.
 

 Temari Balls

Sandra has just finished making her Temari ball with a square pattern. She started off by making a ball of tights covered in baby wool and finally a pink cotton. This was the mari on which the surface pattern would be made.

Using Mary's instructions she divided the basic mari by using a paper strip and glass headed pin and then put in thread markers.

After choosing her threads she started to embroider the first square by using a form of herringbone, changing colours as the square got bigger.

She then made five more squares that abutted against each other covering the surface.

When the sixth square was finished she embroidered "Y" shapes into the triangles and finished off with some pink straight stitches.

Sandra is pleased she has finished without getting in a muddle and although not perfect she is pleased with the result.

Thank you Sandra and Mary for the instructions.
 
 

Anne has finished making her Temari Ball and because she has made them before she has used a more complicated pattern from one of her books. She had forgotten how addictive they were and you can see another two mari ready to be stitched!

I love the chequered pattern on the ball.
Anne has also sent us a photo of ones she has made before and the range of patterns and colours are beautiful.

Thank you Anne. I am still plodding on with mine but hope to finish in the next couple of days and you are right they are addictive.

Lower Holker Village Hall decided not to reopen in October and so Mary produced a requirement list and instructions for making the temari ball and decorating them with patterns at home.

 If you haven't started yours yet you might like to look at some of Mary's Temari balls and the beautiful colourful geometric patterns. Hopefully you will be tempted to have a go!

 I have just started mine and I was pleasantly surprised that the patterns were not as complicated as I had feared. I have embroidered my first square in several different colours so watch this space to see how it progresses!