Historic Needlework: Samplers

Happy New Year - may 2008 bring you lots of stitching joy!

I've decided that as part of this column I should highlight some fun and interesting websites that deal with historic needlework. This is the first of this series (and yes I will tag them).

This Sampler website highlights a collection and tour of Scottish Samplers. There is information on the samplers themselves, on samplers in general, and a fun interactive/design your own "game". The commentator on the website is Naomi Tarrant who has several books out on samplers.

Samplers have never been my "thing". However after seeing the collection as the Burrell and seeing a number of them in their natural surroundings in a couple of Elizabethan country manor houses in England and Scotland, I admit to becoming fascinated. Enjoy!

Tired - Wet - Wonderful 12th Night

Just posted my 12th Night recap over on LJ

Whew!

Year End

My nose has been to the grind stone this past couple weeks. I have been trying to clear the desk and do all those last minute year end things. Included in the list was writing the annual holiday letter and getting it posted to our website. The other big thing was reworking my arts and sciences portion of our website. It has been 3 years since it had an overhaul. Since I've taught a lot in that intervening time, there was lots to post. There are some pieces still in pdfs and the pleating/smocking section still needs to be done. Have I mentioned that I really dislike working on web pages. It is very difficult for me to pay attention to the level of detail necessary to make all the pages have the same formatting, etc. Any way we can now count it DONE! -- well there is always more to do, but at least I don't feel the same level of burden.

The spouse worked ALL weekend. He has had 4 days off in the last 6 weeks. He is taking off 12th Night but he may have to work part of Friday and Sunday - we shall see. Poor guy! At least we are going out to celebrate tonight. Off to our local restaurant, Cafe Gibraltar. It is fabulous food and they do a special menu for New Year's Eve. We will drive even though it is about a mile from the house. Then home to cuddle up on the couch and watch all the NYE hoopla.

Need to buckle down this week and finish my outfit for 12th Night. Don't think I'll get the 2nd one done for Friday, but will bring garb for Friday night.

Hope 2008 is a wonderful year for each of you - filled with good health, happiness and personal fulfillment!

Bicornu

I've been wanting to try this format for awhile. Since it is traditional to thank the members of the Board (and a few other special people) at our Guild holiday meeting and officer change over, I decided to make bicornus as thank-yous for some of them. This is my first attempt. Figured I wanted to be comfortable with the sewing up process before embroidering something special.

FYI I had purchased a stack of 5x5" awhile ago. I had only wanted a small piece of one of them. This made the perfect way of using some of this type of stash. If you are looking for a tutorial - check out Rissa's. Enjoy!

Creativity - High Note

I have been waiting to blog on this until the package arrived at Sharon B's door. While Linn was here we went to Kooza - the new show from Cirque du Soleil. Talk about Creativity!!! The link by the way is to their intro page about Kooza and talks about the creation of the show. There is also a mini movie on the show!

So after the goldwork class, we took ourselves off to Kooza. It was all the things a circus should be - fun, thrilling, amazing, and all without animals. They even have the requisite clowns between acts. At one point they point a big canon at the audience and shoot out streamers. One hit Will and I immediately claimed it. I reeled it in and rewound the part that had unwound, and wound, and wound, and wound. Linn and I also took one look at each other and thought ATC materials - so pounced on more stuff.

For those that don't follow Sharon's blog, her daughter, Eve, is with a circus. She does fire walking and the high stilts. She also just expressed and interest in quilting. Linn had planned on sending the program to them. But we couldn't just let the envelop go empty could we? We were high on the energy from Kooza for the next couple days. Linn created an ATC and I created a tri-fold piece. We also wrote on the streamers and pulled bits from our fabric stashes. What fun to create something and then share it! I really think that is the best part of doing any art form.

Here for your pleasure are pics of the trifold: