My love of embroidery keeps growing and it has really stood me in good stead over the last month, providing a useful relaxation at the end of a long day at work. The simple act of pushing the needle and thread through the material in a fairly regular fashion really helps my mind empty of other things and to create something pretty, or if I am lucky beautiful, as a result is an added bonus. I blogged a few weeks ago about the cross stitch my sons gave me for Christmas which I have really been enjoying and which is coming along nicely. However, I follow a number of embroiders on Facebook and Twitter and a week or so ago one of them posted about Pandora’s Box , an on-line sew along which she had just started.
A few questions were asked and links followed and I found myself on the Blackwork Journey website downloading the first set of instructions.
The project is essentially a sew along in nine parts which a new part being released each month. I think it started in November so you can see I am somewhat behind but then so is Chris and others are joining all the time. It doesn’t matter. The project allows you to explore some new embroidery techniques which you might not have tried before, in this case Assisi, Blackwork and Pulled Thread Work. I haven’t tried any of these before so was immediately interested but what really drew me in was the owl motif in the first row.
Sorry the photo is a little blurry.
I was quite nervous at first due about the framework which you can see in the top picture is a series of blocks and squares worked in four-sided stitch. This stitch creates a sort of ladder effect and you are meant to pull the threads tight to create the small holes at the corner of each square – I suspect I could be a little more robust.
I have got one more square to complete on the first block and then I have two more rows (or blocks) to do before I am up to date. Saying that the fourth block comes out in February so I will be behind again. However, all I have to do is go onto the Facebook group and see what others are up to and realize that lots of people are at the same stage as me and as I said it doesn’t matter.
I am completely loving Pandora’s Box. The framework stitch is far easier than I expected and so satisfying and I love each little square, they are like little masterpieces in their own right. In the next block I get to do a butterfly with a spider instead of the owl, which I am sure will be fun.
