Work With Your Courage High

Ned Pratt Photo

This dress was created for Wild, Pure Aesthetic Wonder, an exhibition to be held in conjunction with Fibrearts NL. It is on display, til the end of the week at the Craft Council Gallery I created this child sized entirely from found objects (mostly beach combed) including: floursacks, rope, beach glass and pottery, shot gun shells, moose antler, bone, caribou hair and willow. It was challenging to stitch small lace eyelets with the strands of the rough polyester rope. As created the tiny holes, I kept hearing the voice of my mentor, Bunty Severs in my head as I stitched. 'Builds character' she would always retort when I grumbled about a stitch or technique. I now use that line on my students, to varying degrees of eye rolling.
The lace edging is also knit from the stranded rope, but the knitting was not near as challenging. I thoroughly enjoyed the process or this creation and was sad when it was completed.
Below is my artist statement about the piece. Even though the statement pertains to those who live inside the park, I feel the work is an tribute to all Newfoundland and Labrador women past and present who, like myself and Bunty Severs, chose to make a living following their passion with fibre.

‘Work With Your Courage High’  As a child and adult I have spent time in the park; camping hiking and exploring. All wonderful experiences, but my most valued trips are ones I have made to teach, work and meet with the women who work in the craft industry and live inside the park. These women are carrying out a long held tradition in Newfoundland and Labrador. Although this is not unique, I think that these women embody the spirit of the contemporary rural craftsperson: retaining the traditional resourcefulness and passion for creating, while embracing business savvy, intuition and opportunity to face an international market that seasonally appears on their doorstep.

All Kinds of Love - A Valentine Challenge

I've made Valentines all my life. As a child, I loved making paper valentines with paper doilies, red paper and sparkles. Heart shaped cakes, with shiny red sprinkles on pink icing, make me happy at a time of year when the darkness becomes unbearable. 

I was excited when the Craft Council Gallery presented the All Kinds of Love, Valentine Challenge. Playing with vintage fabrics and antique lace and hunting through my collection of buttons and beads was just what
I needed on a January snow day.

My mobile is inspired by the tradition of Indian prosperity hens; given to bring abundance and prosperity to the home. I actually enjoyed myself so much, I made 3, one for the gallery, one for myself and one for my daughter.
All Kinds of Love opens at the Craft Council Gallery, February 7 and runs until February 28th. It is a the perfect place to pick up a Valentine treat for yourself or a loved one. 

Hand Embroidery Certificate Program

Have you thought about bringing your embroidery skills to the next level? On Wednesday, February 4th, Part 1 of the new Hand Embroidery Certificate Program will start at the Anna Templeton Centre. Check out Anna Templeton Centre for Craft art and Design for more information and to register for the course.

Visit us at the Anna Templeton Centre, Christmas Tea and Sale

We are working on embroideries, baskets, silk ornaments and other finery to deck your halls this holiday season. Come visit us and see our new one of a kind product line at the Anna Templeton Centre, Christmas Tea and Sale, December 12-14.

For the past few months we have been working on a new logo for our business. We liked the old one, but it was a stock logo, and we wanted something original that was designed especially for us. We hope you like our new logo as much as we do!

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A Cupids Landscape

Experience the textile techniques of Natural Dye and Needle Felting

July 5th and 6th, 1-4 pm

Cupids Community Centre

On Saturday, join Susan Furneaux, of Black Hen Studio, to unlock the mystery of creating stunning colour with local natural dyes on wool and silk. On Sunday, Anne Lucas, of Foggy Rock Fibres, will guide you in creating a one-of-a-kind needle felted landscape, inspired by the historic Town of Cupids. You may take one or both workshops. Cost per workshop/day: $30 which includes materials. Pre-registration is required. To register for workshops or for more information please email blackhenstudio@gmail.com 

or call 709-690-8732.

My Chickadee

Loved working on the piece as it was a commission for a friend. She found the chickadee skull in her garden and wanted a piece to honour the small bird. I really like the caribou hair and the natural dyes; they compliment each other quite well. What to work on next? Foxes maybe???

Embroidery for the Spring Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador Nesting Exhibition

April 8 

Eric Walsh Photo

Here's Mystique; all complete. I am quite happy with her and especially fond of her expression. You can visit her at the Craft Council Gallery until April 26th. I am going to get more detail shots done when she comes home. As with everything, there are a few choices I would have made differently if I had the time, but that is the creative process!

March 10

Well Mystique is off to the framers. I tried to get a photo of the finished piece but it was late and the light wasn't cooperating. I will post a picture when the photographer shoots it. I did change a few things, including the colour of the flowers, I made them closer to the heritage honeysuckle colour; pale and soft. I am happy with the finished piece, now it is up to Nesting jury whether they feel she is worthy.

March 8

Thread painting is one of my favourite techniques. I just lose myself in an image and stitch until it looks finished. Lots of coffee and good television. I use DMC floss for all my thread paintings with a #10 crewel needle. DMC offers a large selection of colours, it is locally available and cheap. Mystique (the hen) is approximately 4 inches high and the 'slip' is stitched on cotton organza, it will be cut out and applied to the background doily.  It was a lot fun to immortalize my girl in stitches. 

March 5

I was right about the weather, I didn't really feel the need to be out and about it -20 weather. Other than feeding and watering chickens and collecting eggs, it was a lazy few days of stitching. The honeysuckles are complete. I used vintage linen and silk thread. The stems were completed with just an inch of thread to spare! I am happy with them, I decided not to use any gold but I may change my mind. I feel it is a little naked without it. Although my embroidery is very traditional, in both technique and design, I use the computer quite frequently in my design process. My tools are quite simple: a variety of scissors, embroidery hoops and needles, my blue washout pen and my computer and printer.

March 1

After some thought about what to do, I am finally getting started with my piece for Nesting for the Craft Council's Gallery. My Grandmother's barbecue chicken recipe transferred to a vintage napkin dyed with Labrador Tea. Pleased with the results so far! Hope to use the Reading Break to get it complete. One good thing about the cold weather is that I won't be so tempted to spend the days outside.  One of my favourite parts of the whole process is preparing the base material on to the frame. Sometimes I spend months with the design in my head. Once I have the material stretched in the frame, I know I will be soon stitching. That's the fun part!