Cards, kits and a bit of stitching

You know how sometimes you run out of lots of things simultaneously? It was rather like that with the Figworthy stash collection. Not so much the personal stash, but the bits and pieces needed for our kits. And so lots of parcels have been making their way to our door, some useful but not particularly exciting (like stacks of foldable postal boxes) and some rather more colourful – like these aperture cards, some for as yet non-existent kits!

Cards for No Place Like Home and Wildflower kits Cards for Butterfly Wreath, Quatrefoil and Goldwork kits Cards for Christmas Wreath and new Owl kits

And then there was a new venture; as we’re changing ever more of our kits over from plastic grip seal bags to sturdy, recycleable cardboard boxes, they are no longer easily identifiable from the outside. Enter these rather pretty labels! I was very pleased with them, but less so with the supplier’s packaging – 650 smallish stickers do not need to be sent in 12 separate boxes. I’ve contacted them about this and hope to make them see that adding unnecessarily to their products’ carbon footprint won’t endear them to customers trying not to put too great a burden on the environment.

Stick-on labels for the new kit boxes More kits now come in sturdy, recyclable boxes

In between getting our stock of kits back up I’ve also been putting together kits for the 6-week silverwork course that starts in Rugby this week. It’s surprising what a lot of bits you need for one not overly large umbrella! There’s the silk dupion, ironed and with the design transferred onto it (1) plus backing fabric, then felt for padding (2) and appliqué fabric ready-backed with Bondaweb (3), tracing paper for templates and a square of silk plus backing for doodling (4), sewing thread in several colours and a piece of beeswax (5), needles and a small velvet board (6), kid leather, pearl purl, milliary, check thread and spangles (7), smooth purl, bright check and wire check (8), Jap and smooth passing no. 4 and no. 6 (9) and some sadi metals for practising with (10). By the way, the sewing thread in the colour of the fabric is for oversewing plunged ends on the back of the work – that way, if you inadvertently sew through both layers it is much less likely to be visible than if you use the grey or yellow couching thread!

Materials for the Umbrella silverwork course Materials and instructions ready for boxing The kits boxed up

One lady asked whether she could possibly do the project in gold. I pointed out that it would still be the umbrella as I couldn’t teach two different designs, but she didn’t mind that so I rummaged in my cardboard tube of silk dupion and found a lovely burgundy piece. Unlike the turquoise silk it is handwoven (with some slubs) rather than powerwoven (smoother), which will make a very nice teaching point as the class can compare the two types of fabric side by side. The bit of turquoise in the picture is her doodle cloth which is the same as the others’.

The umbrella kit in red and gold

And finally: I did some stitching! At embroidery group last Monday and this morning in the waiting room of the eye clinic where I was due for a check-up. It’s only a few autumnal swirls, but it’s as much as I did in the previous three months. Oh, and the doctor was pleased with the state of my eyes and signed me off – unless there are new symptoms, I don’t need to come back. Good news all round smiley.

A bit of stitching

2 comments on “Cards, kits and a bit of stitching

  1. Great news about your eyes and also that you have more energy. I hope you have a grand time teaching the class and that Mr Mabel has your supper ready when you return!

    The boxes are a great idea (and good for to house stash later, too, of course). Twelve boxes for twelve labels! Suppose it’ll help to keep everything sorted out on the Figworthy shelves…

  2. As a matter of fact Mr Mabel will be out that evening! But I’m sure he’ll make me a cup of tea when I get home.
    The labels have now found a home in one (!) of the boxes, with bits of paper sticking up to show which ones are where. Not very hi-tech but it works…

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