Judy Wilford: “A Walk on the Beach” 22-23 July

Dates: 22nd-23rd July 2017

Price: $220 (early bird price) $260 (late booking)

‘A Walk on the Beach’

When it is cold and everyone is rugged up for winter one can dream of  warm sand between the toes while walking on a beach – somewhere.

This workshop is based on sketches and photographs of sandy beaches and associated flora of the dunes.  It combines the layering of fabrics to form a background,  detailed surface stitchery of patterns left in the sand, the flora and the application of found objects such as small shells.

Notes:  The finished work will be 10 x 10 cms.

The workshop will suit all levels of experience but a knowledge of simple stitches would be helpful.

REQUIREMENTS LIST

EQUIPMENT:

** A Rigid Frame: Internal Dimensions Approx 25 x 30 cms.

Laced up tightly and READY TO WORK ON – see attached instruction sheet

** Two ‘G’ Clamps large enough to accommodate both frame and tables. Felt or leather scraps to protect tables

Scissors – Fabric, Paper and Embroidery – ALL SHARP

Needles – Assorted sizes and types to suit threads used; e.g. 9, 7 & 5 Crewel. A few pins.

2H & 2B Pencils, Fine Black Pen, Ruler and Rubber

A4 Piece of Tissue paper

A4 piece of Card or Cartridge Paper

Note book and pen.

FABRICS:

A Basic Fabric Kit and some small shells will be supplied. Cost Approx $25

A4 piece of Vliesofix or light weight paper backed fusible web

THREADS:

** Pale sewing cotton for tacking.

** DMC Stranded Cotton 746

PLUS the following SUGGESTED DMC Stranded Cottons.

Yellows – 746, 743, 742 and 3047

Greens – 3022, 3051, 524, 522, and 927

Oranges – 741 and 3776

Pinks and Mauves – 3041, 3042, 3609 and 3608

Blues and Purples – 340, 341, 3746, 327

Browns and Grays – 3024, 3787, 3032, 3790

Blanc

You may wish to bring some small shells of your own.

Over dyed Stranded Cottons, Silk Threads can be useful.

Please Note: Wool Threads cannot be used.

** These items are essential to the work.

***This work cannot be done on a hoop or roller frame. The Rigid Frame is essential.

THE RIGID EMBROIDERY FRAME

A flat, rectangular frame with fixed (Lap Jointed) corners. The frame must be level – it will lie completely flat on a flat surface.

Any strong frame such as one used for silk screen printing or an artist’s stretcher frame for oil painting etc.

The suggested size for this workshop is 30 x 40 cm – the minimum internal dimension.

SETTING UP THE FRAME

MATERIALS

One frame to the required size

2 C or G Clamps such as Fretsaw Clamps (bring these clamps to the workshop)

Fabric Scissors

Strong thread and a suitable sized needle

Unwashed Calico *****

Masking Tape

Pencil

TECHNIQUE

* Cut the unwashed Calico slightly larger than the outside of the frame.

* Dampen and steam iron the Calico dry. This may take several times to get it to feel like parchment. Lay the frame on the Calico and draw around the outside edge with the pencil and cut away the excess fabric.

* Fix the Calico to the frame with masking tape – tape the four corners first, then the long sides and then the short sides. Tension the Calico as you tape it into place.

*Clamp the frame to the table with one long edge protruding 9 -10 cm beyond the edge of the table; using the strong thread with a Blanket Stitch or Buttonhole Stitch lace the Calico to the frame.

* Begin by pulling the thread through the Calico at one corner and tie it tightly around the frame leaving a tail of 10 cm. Stitch to the other corner pulling the fabric tightly to the inner edge of the frame; finish with a stitch through the top of the last stitch which will fall at the corner. This stitch is like a half hitch knot and will lock the stitched line into place. Leaving a ‘tail’ of some 10 cms cut the thread.

* Unclamp, turn the frame, re-clamp and lace the opposite long side; this time place the stitch some 5-10 mm into the calico and pull it firmly to the edge of the frame. This will tension the calico; the tension must be maintained throughout stitching this side. Finish off as before with a half hitch knot. Stitch the two shorter sides in the same way.

* Tie the corner threads together and clip off close to the knot.

Note: The stitch should be approximately the same distance apart as the width of the frame. Stitched in this way you will need 4-5 times of thread to the length of the frame. It is impossible to maintain tension if the stitches are too close together. It is preferable not to join thread while stitching a side but if you need to

– finish and begin again as you do at the corners.