The Guild made another foray to north Jersey yesterday for our second goldwork class. And watch this space: there may be a return visit in the fall, just now being arranged.
Meanwhile, here we are at work yesterday
And some of our work in progress
Then there's the work of our teacher and other experts
We came home with many ideas and the materials to execute them, including real gold thread and gold kid, items very difficult for us to find usually. Carol is a wonderful teacher, encouraging, very skilled, willing to demo any technique and is altogether great company. Can't wait to go back in the fall.
Readers, if you want to join us for adventures like this, and for regular quiet meetings, too, be in touch at the email address shown in our header. Our general first Sunday of the month general meetings resume in September, but our weekly Wednesday evening stitch ins continue throughout the summer, and you're welcome to come and join us.
Yesterday was the first of two classes taught by master stitcher Carol Homer, at the convent in north Jersey we visited a while back, where the stitching workshop has been in continuous operation with both nuns and laypeople, since the 1850s.
Goldwork and other forms of ecclesiastical, that's church related, stitching, are a tradition there, and Carol is currently teaching there and at her home. She not only introduced us to goldwork, most of us having no experience of it before, but supplied a trove of materials, great gold and silver threads, and many silks, and linen pieces to learn on.
She had us set up a simple shape or two, drawn directly onto the stretched linen, to get some learning on couching, the main theme of ecclesiastical work, and here we are in learning mode. Carol demonstrated every step, and we embarked on a great adventure. Next week is our second session, and we can hardly wait.
