One important delivery made ...

For the past six months I have been working on the restoration of a beautiful Victorian altar frontal and super frontal for St Cyriac's Church in the National Trust village of Lacock.

The silk shaded motifs had to be removed from the old silk and reapplied to new silk damask. The fringes were replaced and the whole thing was reupholstered on to the wooden frame on which it hangs.

The ornate altar frontal is to be used on high days and feast days in the church, for the first time in years. I managed to complete the restoration to deliver it in time to be used on Christmas Eve.

The completion of this job allowed me to start my maternity leave. The baby is due on January 10th ... so watch this space for news!

Wishing you all a very happy new year.

Poppy Silk Shading

The poppy class on October 23 went well, and the poppy is now available as a kit (see picture). It is in silk shading and is worked on a silk dupion background. The kit is priced £14.50.

This weekend's Mountmellic class is full. It has proven to be very popular, so I will run it again at some point next year.

I won't be confirming next year's class dates until after Baby Clensy has arrived in January, and we have settled into a routine. But I'm hoping to get them going again after Easter. Watch this space.

Vine Embroidery "10 Years On" Exhibition

My exhibition, Vine Embroidery "10 Years On", opened at Bradford on Avon library on Friday, and I've already welcomed lots of visitors.

The exhibition, which is held in the upstairs space at the library, in Bridge Street, is an opportunity to display some of the work I've done over the past 10 years, since setting up Vine Embroidery.

I staged a similar exhibition at the same venue after returning home from the Royal School of Needlework, so it's nice to be able to put this show on in the same place.

The exhibition features many of the kit samples I've worked over the years, commissions, magazine pieces and lots of pieces from my Royal School apprenticeship.

It runs until September 16, and I'll be there each day. Admission is free, and we're open in accordance with the library opening times (except Fridays, when I'll close at 5pm). Click here for details.

To read the interview with me in the West Country Life magazine (in the Western Daily Press), on August 21, 2010, click here.

It will be lovely to see you there over the next couple of weeks.

West Country Life

Exciting news ... There will be a feature on my work in this Saturday’s Western Daily Press (Aug 21st) – in the West Country Life supplement – ahead of my exhibition next month.

If you want to pick up a copy on Saturday, the newspaper is circulated throughout the West Country.

Summer stitching

The Saturday classes for this season filled up very quickly - there is now only one place left, which is on the silk-shaded poppy class on October 23rd.

However, due to popular demand, I have arranged an additional Mountmellic class, which will be held on Friday, October 29th. There are four places currently left on this extra class.

It was nice to see my Saturday classes mentioned in this month's "World of Cross Stitching" magazine, which listed them in a top 10 of crafty getaways. I know some of you spotted the piece already - thanks for the tip off!

I'm also busy restoring various vestments from a number of local churches at the moment, and doing some other antique restoration.

New season of classes

Details of the Saturday classes for the next six months are now on the website and the letters are going out this week for those of you on the mailing list.

They include designs using silk shading, stumpwork, gold work and Mountmellic (whitework).The classes always fill quickly, so do get in touch if you would like to book a place.

For more information about class dates, click here. Images will appear online as I finish stitching each project (they are all well underway!).

I have also designed the third and final king to complete the set of wise men that I have stitched over the last two years. Although I’m not doing him as a class, he will be available as a kit later this year. Keep an eye on the website, or drop me a line if you are interested.

In other news, I had successful weekend at Dillington House earlier this month teaching whitework - as usual it was a delightful place to spend a weekend, and it comes highly recommended.

I shall returning to Dillington to teach blackwork in July - there are still a few places available. For more details, contact Dillington on 01460 52427 or visit the website at www.dillington.com

Venetian Mask

I recently completed the Venetian Mask, and it proved popular at last weekend's class. Inspired by my honeymoon in Venice, it featured silk shading, goldwork and sequins and beads.

The mask was wire-edged so it can be cut out and stands as a three-dimensional mask on a dowling handle, which is wrapped in navy ribbon.

It is available as a kit, priced £18.50.

I know lots of you are waiting for the next season of classes to appear ... I'm working on them currently, so keep an eye on the website as they will be put on here soon.

A winning weekend at Aintree

I've just enjoyed a successful weekend demonstrating at the ICHF Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts show at Aintree.

It was a lively show, with a good mix of stands, and we met some lovely people across our three days in Liverpool.

I was demonstrating the technique of silk shading across six half-hour taster sessions. Hopefully even in these short sessions people were able to get a feel for the technique.

On the Vine Embroidery stand, the kits sold well - some selling out altogether! For those who ordered sold out kits, they will be on the way very soon!

Vine Embroidery: Ten Years On

As this year marks the tenth anniversary of Vine Embroidery, I've decided to mark the occasion with an exhibition of my work, "Ten Years On".

I've booked the upstairs room of the Bradford on Avon Library for Friday, September 3 until Thursday, September 16.

This is where I had my first exhibition when I came home from London in 2000.

So please do come along and help me to celebrate a decade since graduating from the Royal School of Needlework.

In other news, the goldwork exotic butterfly (pictured) is finished for the class on May 15. Unfortunately this class is full, but the butterfly is now available as a kit (although it is not yet on the kit list, if you would like one, please get in touch- it is £16.50).

New Saturday Classes

Happy New Year!

Details of the Saturday classes for the next six months are now on the website.

They include designs using silk shading, crewel work, gold work and three dimensional embroidery.

For more information, click here.

The classes are filling quickly, so do get in touch if you would like to book a place.