Added sparkle!

Posted on March 5, 2024 by wybrow1966

After finally handing in my RSN certificate goldwork piece, I can now move on to the Diploma and I have opted to start with…..goldwork! Of course I have, I just love this technique. I prepared my slate frame before my first lesson and mounted up a piece of dark blue, cotton velvet as I wanted to try a new background fabric. Needless to say it picked up lots of fluff before I even had the chance to get started. My design is based on the William de Morgan ‘Heron and Fish’ tile – however the large fish has been turned around and the Heron is now standing out of the water.

The next step was to get my design pricked and pounced before painting the outline. This was then left to dry and any pounce remaining was brushed off. Here is where I am up to now…..

Homework will be to stab stitch down the silk and start get the different layers of padding prepared – and boy there are a lot of layers to sort out! Wish me luck!

Happy stitching everyone.

Posted in goldwork, RSN Diploma goldwork, rsn goldwork | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

SAL 110: So near and yet so far…..

Posted on January 18, 2026 by wybrow1966

I do hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas break and that 2026 brings only good things to you all. Most of my Christmas was spent travelling around and visiting different relatives, catching up, sharing food and dropping off handmade gifts, meaning little time to do any sewing – but I did make some progress on my little penguin and am now very close to a finish. Here is what he looked like last time you saw him…

I have completed all the chipping around the neck and stomach sections and now all I need to do is, firstly find the instructions which seem to have disappeared, then cover the bottom of the beak area and finish the penguins toes (do penguins have toes?). Here is what he looks like now…

Hopefully the next time you pop by he should be finished, and I think I already know what my next project will be!

Thanks for popping by.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.


Avis, Claire, Kathy, Margaret,  

Sunny, Megan, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, 

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Happy stitching!

Posted in Current projects. | 2 Comments

SAL 109: Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree….

Posted on November 16, 2025 by wybrow1966

Hi all, well it has been a rather busy three weeks. I have spent most of my spare time looking after our little monster dog and what is left, I have spent on sewing some Christmas gifts – so no more progress on my little 3D penguin I am afraid. But for those of you who might be interested, here are two presents that I have managed to finish – although I have been sewing these for the last 6 months!

My two little heirloom Christmas trees are nearly complete. Just one more star 🌟 topper to stitch. It has taken me quite a while to get them this far as there is a lot of work that goes into all the decorative layers. The design is by Jenny Stephenson of @stitchincity and her little book is full of pictures and simple to follow instructions. The first step was to surface stitch a number of stars and snowflakes onto a dark green silk background. Further decorations were then made separately using a variety of different silk backgrounds, sequins, metallic thread and beads. These were then attached to the green background. I have chosen to display them in a little glass dome – which hopefully will keep them dust free too!

Thanks for popping by.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Happy stitching!

Avis, Claire, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,  

Sunny, Megan, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, 

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in goldwork, SAL, Sew What | Tagged , , | 23 Comments

SAL 108: Heads up!

Posted on October 5, 2025 by wybrow1966

Hi all, no progress here on my little penguin as I have been busy knitting Christmas hats. Can’t get the embroidery out as our little puppy loves to shred everything! So here is a picture of the hats instead!

Thanks for popping by.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Happy stitching!

Avis, Claire, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,  

Sunny, Megan, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, 

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | 14 Comments

SAL 107: Getting closer to the finish line!

Posted on September 14, 2025 by wybrow1966

Despite having a new puppy around the house, I have managed to get a little bit of stitching done on my penguin. Last time you saw him I had attached and filled his stomach area and started to add some chippings around his neck, and he was looking like this….

I have now outlined the stomach area in silver pearl purl and started to fill in the areas around the stomach with chippings to cover the felt background. Adding the chippings is a rather fiddly job as there are very few spaces now to bring up the needle without damaging the metal threads. So, now he looks like this….

I feel that I am quite close to a finish… but this little pest is stopping any sewing going on at the moment!

Happy stitching.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Thanks for popping in, happy stitching!

Avis, Claire, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,  

Sunny, Megan, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie, 

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | 14 Comments

SAL 106: Finally a little progress!

Posted on August 24, 2025 by wybrow1966

Hi all, finally making a little more progress on my penguin designed by Georgina Bellamy. The pattern and instructions can be found in ‘Passion for Needlework’ published by @inspirationsstudios . I have been having some problems completing the stomach area, but have now managed to sew all around the white velvet and stuff it. The white velvet is very thin and slippery – it also marks very easily. I am now working on the neck area – applying both smooth and bright check. Here is what it looked like 3 weeks ago….

Now he looks like this….. all I need to do now is fill in gaps with chipping and add a felt backing to the beak and feet areas.

Happy stitching.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,

Sunny, Megan, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie,

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | 14 Comments

SAL 105: Oh Dear!

Posted on July 13, 2025 by wybrow1966

Sorry everyone, still no progress to show you this time around, but I hope to get a week to myself soon – so maybe then?

Happy stitching.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,

Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie,

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | 3 Comments

Sal 104: No progress to report!

Posted on June 22, 2025 by wybrow1966

Sorry everyone, but once again life has taken over at the moment as I have a rather poorly relative to look after, so I have no progress to show you this time around and my penguin still looks like this…

Happy stitching.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,

Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie,

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | 12 Comments

SAL 103: Tummy troubles….

Posted on May 11, 2025 by wybrow1966

Hi all, here I am again with the goldwork penguin designed by Georgina Bellamy, he is a really fiddly fellow. The pattern and instructions can be found in ‘Passion for Needlework’ published by @inspirationsstudios . I have now finished the chipping around the head and started working on his stomach area which is worked in white velvet – I have to confess I haven’t got very far. Here is what it looked like 3 weeks ago….

The white velvet is a nightmare to work with – not only does it mark very easily but it is also very thin and frays around the edges. It is also difficult to apply as there is little space for the needle to come up in without disrupting the purls – and for this reason, I have not got very far. Here is where I am up to now….

With a bit of luck I will be able to get the stomach stitched on in the next three weeks – but I am struggling with this part.

Thanks for popping by. Happy stitching.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Avis, Claire, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,

Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie,

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

SAL 102: Head Start

Posted on March 30, 2025 by wybrow1966

Hi all, well it has been a rather busy three weeks. I have spent most of my spare time learning how to knit socks at a local yarn shop. It was a combination of good fun and exasperation and I only got to complete 1 sock! I managed to get a little work done on my penguin designed by Georgina Bellamy – but not as much as I had hoped. Here is what he looked like three weeks ago….

I have been working on the top of the head by adding chippings of black bright check above the smooth pearl that was laid over the eyes. Here is what he looks like now..

I will be unable to post next time as I am on a sewing course! So I look forward to posting again in 6 weeks. Who knows I might be able to avoid distractions and get this fellow finished 🙂

Thanks for popping by. Happy stitching.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Avis, Claire, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,

Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie,

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | 13 Comments

SAL 101: Face on….

Posted on March 9, 2025 by wybrow1966

Hello everyone, where did the last three weeks go? I am working my way through some of my WIPS and have started a couple of new projects and as the days warm up the garden also beckons – but I have managed to make some progress on my SAL piece. The goldwork penguin is designed by Georgina Bellamy. The pattern and instructions can be found in ‘Passion for Needlework’ published by @inspirationsstudios . This little fellow is really testing my patience, but I hope that I can continue to make progress (however small). Here is what it looked like 3 weeks ago…..

Now I have been working on the facial area – applying a deep blue smooth purl along the cheeks and above the eyes and a black bright check below the eyes. So here is what he looks like now…

I now have to cover the rest of the head in chippings before moving on to his stomach.

Thanks for popping by. Happy stitching.

We are a small group of crafters using a variety of different techniques. Please check out the fabulous stitching by all the other members of the SAL. If you are interested in joining us you can contact Avis for details.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,

Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie,

Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen

Posted in Current projects. | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments