Goldwork and The WI AGM

Yesterday I was at the Liverpool Echo Arena for the WI AGM.

I had been asked to attend in case the press wanted to talk to someone about being in the WI. As it happened, it was pretty quiet, but I had a great time anyway.

Being sat up in the VIP boxes was spectacular - I could see the whole arena and all 4,500 fellow members. When we all stood up to sing Jerusalem it was absolutely incredible.

I won't bore you with all the details here, as I'll be putting something up on our WI blog soon, but I will share some pics of my finished goldwork that I took along.

The Picture Framer in Burley did a wonderful job framing it.



And here are each of the four sections close up ...









Now I just have to decide where to hang it!

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A day of stitching

Yesterday was dedicated to stitching, and very good it was too.

In the morning I got a bit more of my goldwork done from Denman College. It's very nearly finished! Hoping to get the last bits done while I watch the F1 today.

The main event was a trip to the Embroiderers Guild meeting in Headingley. Hayley came with me and we spent a lovely couple of hours chatting to the ladies and making a raggy brooch.

These are quite simple to do, but it does take a little more thought than Hayley and I put in. As a result, ours ended up rather more flat then they should have been. Still, they looked good anyway.







They're just made from strips of fabric, folded up and stitched on to a circle of felt. I added some little rose buds from wrapped strips to the middle of mine, which then made it flatter, but prettier!

In the evening I practiced some canvaswork stitches.



I love the texture this simple technique creates. I used Madeira Lana wool on some evenweave. It's not actually that color - white thread on camel fabric in real life!

To finish off the evening I ordered some hardanger supplies, so expect pics of yet another type of embroidery soon!

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Denman College - Day 5

I'm now back in Leeds after a fantastic week at Denman College. I was really sad to leave and say goodbye to everyone but as I was the last to go I could wave them all off!

I had another amazing night's sleep and a good brekkie then a final walk around the grounds.

Here are a few more pics - there wasn't a cloud in the sky!









There are lots of pretty flowers and the odd mushroom!



Big trees!



Christmas Cottage looks beautiful as always!





I sat down to do a few more stitches - this is the view from the Drawing Room.

Neil and Rob from WI Life called in to say hello and get a couple more pics of me and my work and then I was off to get the train.

It has been a wonderful week and I really hope I can go back soon. The college is open to everyone and there are loads of courses as well as day schools. You can even stay there as a B&B. Go take a look at the Denman College web page for details!

I still have busy times ahead - Stampin' Up! training tomorrow, West Yorkshire Federation of Women's Institutes AGM on Tuesday (I will be doing a presentation on Denman and helping to run a Buns & Roses craft school), Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue workshop on Thursday (let me know if you can come!), craft fair on Saturday ... the list goes on! Also got planned a drink or two with Sam, the Formula 1 is on, need to do some work. Oh, and finish my goldwork!

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Denman College - Day 4

First of all, I would like to say a big hello to the lovely ladies in the goldwork class and our wonderful tutor Hazel. I hope at least some of you are reading this (if only to check that I haven't said anything bad about you!).

Today was the last full day at Denman College and I will be very sad to leave tomorrow. It has been an amazing week. I have learnt a lot and had loads of laughs with my new friends. It really is a proper treat to be able to get away for a few days and dedicate some time solely to being crafty and having fun.

I have got a lot done today in between the giggles. Here are a few pics ...




Everyone working hard! It was a warm and sunny day again which made working in the Ferris Theatre such a pleasure.



Here I am concentrating!



This made us giggle like naughty schoolgirls! Hazel was showing us how to do scales for on a dragon, but when she had just done two it looked like boobies! Hehehe.



And this is what my piece now looks like. Not much left to do! I have achieved so much more than I thought I would. Can't wait to finish it off and get it framed!

Oh, also today the snapper from WI Life came to take my photo, and Margaret showed us the DVD of a sky dive she did aged 81 to raise money for the conservation project in Antarctica!

Final sleep in this lovely comfy bed in the toasty Westmorland room, then back to Leeds tomorrow.

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Denman College - Day 3

It's been another busy fun day at Denman College.

The sun has been shining brightly and the temperature must have got into the 20s, so I have made the most of that and walked around the grounds on breaks. It is so good to get some proper fresh air, as well as peace and quiet, and really take time out to relax.

I have been working hard on my embroidery as well though! We have around six hours of stitching time each day, which is broken up by meals and breaks. We don't just sit and work constantly though - tutor Hazel does some demos and there is lots of talking of course!

So, with myfive or six hours today, this is where I'm up to ...



One flower is finished! Hurrah! The second is underway and two are complete unknowns!

I've learnt some really fab techniques today and am feeling much more confident with the metallic threads and what you can do with them.

The girls were on realy good form again tonight. It'll be like the last day of term tomorrow!

But now, I must get some sleep - the WI Life snapper is taking photos of me tomorrow!

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Denman College - Day 2

I was told to expect hard work and lots of fun and I'm delighted to say today has been both.

Up at 7am for breakfast just before 8am - full English! Aces!

Then on to the first session. Having chosen my design and drawn it on to my silk the first task of the day was selecting some coloured embroidery threads for the flowers. For some unknown reason I found this near-on impossible! I do this all the time when cross stitching or doing random embroidery, but this morning my head just would not colour co-ordinate!

Anyway, tutor Hazel got me in gear and then she started by demoing our first type of stitches. Which didn't even need the dratted coloured threads!



This is the very first bit! I stitched down the pearl then did a ring around it with a metallic thread. And I used a different type of metallic thread to do some other curly bits.

As you can guess, I have given up trying to remember all the technical names! It's enough just to figure the stitches and decide how to put them all together!

The jist of it is, it was a long and awesome day. We get TWO tea breaks - morning and afternoon - as well as lunch and dinner. There are several teaching sessions throughout the day and one in the evening after we have eaten, so it is non-stop.

I did have time for a short tour of the college as well today. The house is incredible and as each bedroom is decorated by a different WI federation they are all unique.

All the ladies are great fun - very welcoming and quite mad! We have had a right giggle tonight over one stitch - the bullion knot. You have to go "windy, windy, windy" and then "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle" to do it!

And here is what I have done today.



Rather impressive I think, particularly as this morning I couldn't even choose a few colours! I have done a lot of work on this flower in different threads and techniques, and the border is half done all the way round (if you know what I mean).

And now I have to sleep!

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Denman College - Day 1

Wow, Denman College is absolutely amazing!

I have already made some lovely new friends and had lots of fun!

Arrived here around 4pm and checked in. Each room is decorated by one of the WI federations and are named after their county. I am in Westmorland (Cumbria) so there are some sheep ornaments in my room, pretty pictures, a map of the area and an awesome handmade sewing thing!



The first entry in the guest book for my room is from April 1970!

We had tea and cake (obviously) and I chatted with some more new people then took a little walk around. The grounds are so beautiful. It is incredibly relaxing.



The house (from the back).







The herb garden.





This is the classroom we are working in.



The lake!



Christmas Cottage.

Jane, the head of the college, welcomed us and told us in no uncertain terms that we were to support the college by drinking as much as we could in the bar! Fair enough!

After that we had dinner (food was amazing) and talked some more! I met a lovely group of women who have been here more than 40 times EACH! I certainly hope this will be my first of many visits.

We then had our first class. There are 12 in my group and everyone apart from me has studied goldwork before! Eeek! But I soon got into the swing of it and chose my design. I drew it on to a lovely natural silk and got it in the frame ready to start tomorrow. I can't wait to pick out lots of colours and sparkly threads!





Oh, and a photographer from the WI member magazine WI Life is coming down to see me (and my work) for a future article. Let's hope I'm good at it!

Sorry this is all a bit disjointed but I just wanted to do a running blog as I go. I'm tweeting along the way as well - search my name or #DenmanCollege. When I get back I will be writing up a proper article.

Now I have to sleep and dream about embroidery and a cooked breakfast!

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