A Bit of News + What Level Are You?

Hello to you!

Work on my book is high priority at the moment, so I haven't written a new article this week. I'm almost at the end of the creation and embroidery part of the book and I'll be able to move onto the chart creation and writing the texts soon. It's a lot of work but i think the result will be well worth it!

I would like to welcome all the new stitchers who have registered to receive the newsletter since last week, and all of you who are on this blog for the first time!

I invite you to follow this link to an article where I introduce myself and I tell you how I got to be a cross stitch and blackwork designer and also colourist at the same time!

https://bit.ly/2NKdXzK

I also want to thank all the stitchers who participated in my survey last week. Your answers have helped me a great deal and will help me design the best thread subscription club possible ... I'll be launching very soon!

If you didn't participate in the survey you still can here: https://bit.ly/EngBoxSurvey

and if you are interested in being informed first with the subscription information, leave your email in the comments or send me an email here: tometlily@hotmail.com

This week I republished for you, a mini-series of articles on embroiderers. I had fun defining what it was exactly a Embroiderer to try to understand them a little better! I hope you recognise yourself!

In the Beginning

As the title suggests everyone has to start somewhere, and this is true in all areas of life, not just for embroidery!

Personally I started to embroider at a very young age with my maternal grandmother (if you haven't read my story yet it's here: https://bit.ly/2NKdXzK), not cross stitch though but canvas. I still have the stitched piece somewhere ... pink roses on black aida canvas ... a little kitsch nowadays but there was only that on offer at the time. She showed me how to stitch a half-stitch and I was away .. I loved it!

Example of my first canvas!

• When did you start, where and how?

• Who showed/taught you? At school maybe or with a family member?

• How did you live that experience?

• What feelings are evoked when you think about it?

After that I didn't stitch for a while, but the gestures were learnt and the day I took it back up it was like riding a bike..you just don't forget ...


The Importance of the Beginning

There is nothing more special, or rewarding than making someone want to take up embroidery. I'm proud when a young woman or teenager asks me "Is embroidery easy" or "Can you show me how?"
In my 15 years of doing shows I've met many embroiderers of all levels, and I think that initiating a beginner to embroidery fills me with the most happiness.

It's something we, seasoned embroiderers, should teach, bequeath, pass on to the next generations. Even more now, that there are no more embroidery classes at school. There are not enough young girls or boys who embroider. Just show them, accompany them a little and the seed is planted!

Have you already shown/initiated the young people of your family, in the art of embroidering?

• How did they react?

• How did you feel?

• Have you given them your embroidery virus?

• Do they still embroider today?

Definition of an Embroidery Beginner

I found these definitions on the internet about embroiderers:

"Woman realising patterns on a fabric with thread and needle, embroidery."
"Worker, stitcher doing embroidery work."

La Brodeuse, painting by Franz Xaver Simm.

For me, a beginner in embroidery is someone creative and interested and she's rather brave! It's a long embroidery journey with quite distinct stages of evolution, which I'll share with you all along this series of articles.

She is someone who is eager to learn and use her hands to create art with a needle.
She's someone who is lucky to be able to access the soothing and meditative virtues of embroidery.

We must encourage our children and grand children to stitch!

See you soon for more, and the next step!

I would love to receive your answers to my questions in the article, or any comments or questions that you might have in the comments below or via messenger or mail: tometlily@hotmail.com

I hope you have a great week full of cross stitches, colour and light!

Happy Stitching!
Melanie

xxxxxx