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.

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree ...

The Partridge finally made it into his pear tree - just in time for the November class. He proved so popular that additional students wanting to stitch him are coming along to the Christmas King class on December 12 to work on him. So there will be a real festive theme.

There are a few places still available.

I'm currently working on my list of classes for next year, so keep an eye on the website for them in the next few weeks.

I've been working on a few commissions this month, including a lovely Mother's Union banner featuring a Madonna and Child.

I'm also currently stitching the designs for next year's classes, which should include a new silk shaded piece and something a bit unusual inspired by my honeymoon visit to Venice.

Reader, I married him ...

At last our big day came ... and it was sunny!

David and I were married on October 17 at St Katharine's Church in Holt, Wiltshire.

Thank you to all those who came to the church, sent cards and gifts, made special presents, and worked on the embroidered bunting for the reception - it all added to our truly magical day.

The dress was made by Alison Miles Couture in Bath, with lace ordered specially from France. Although I didn't embroider all of my dress, I beaded the lace around the rim - there was nine and a half metres of it! I did embroider a monogram on the hem, see picture.

Lots of you have asked to see pictures, so here are some of the snaps. If you click on them, they should come up bigger.

Lots of love,

Mrs Clare Clensy !

Stitching and stilettoes

The new Christmas King is well underway. Last year's king featured goldwork, but this year I've decided to use silver threads, with a turqoise base for the robes.

Last weekend I spent a day at Dillington House (pictured), for their open day, to promote the goldwork weekend in February and the whitework course in June.

I am also busy putting together the sections of bunting that my Bath class kindly embroidered for our forthcoming wedding - they look beautiful, and feature lots of different techniques, ranging from ribbon embroidery to antique lace with beading. I'm sure they will be much admired on the day.

Somewhere along the line in recent months I've lost my much-loved antique stiletto - which I always use when teaching whitework. If anyone finds a white-handled stiletto among their things, I'd be very grateful if you could let me know. But don't pop it in the post, as it's rather sharp, and I would fear for our postman's safety.

Prayers and stitches

I was recently commissioned to make a new altar cloth for the Manor School in Melksham.

The main white cloth had an appliqued golden cross, above which I had embroidered (in the purple of the school uniform) the words "Bless this School" - which is taken from the school's prayer.

The cloth had three sets of different coloured runners, denoting the different seasons of the church year. Each of these had the school logo embroidered on them, and will be rotated throughout the year.

The frontal was blessed at a special assembly earlier this month by the Rev Derek Smith. It was a little worrying when he splashed my delicate stitches with Holy Water!

But of course, the frontal survived unscathed, and I was able to talk to the children about its design.

The event even made it into the Melksham News!

I've done a lot of work with Rev Smith over the years, and sadly he is now leaving the area to take up an exciting new position in a parish in Cyprus. We all wish him well.

I've also been back to Dillington House since my last blog entry, to teach at their summer school. The ladies worked on stumpwork flowers, and some beautiful pieces were produced.

The Partridge in a Pear Tree class in November proved so popular that it quickly filled up.

However, several ladies who were keen to do the design, are coming along on December 12, and I will run the Partridge workshop alongside the Christmas King workshop. There are still four places available on this date, if either of these festive designs take your fancy.

New website, whitework and classes

The Three Dimensional Embroidery Course at Dillington House last weekend went well. We were based in the impressive new studios, which have panoramic views of the rolling Somerset countryside.

For those of you who have never been to Dillington House, I would thoroughly reccomend the open day on Sunday, September 6, during which I will be demonstrating my courses for next year - gold work and white work, along with lots of other demonstrators and the opportunity to explore this Jacobean property.

In the meantime, I have been stitching a white work project, for Mary Hickmott's New Stitches magazine, so look out for it in the coming months (see picture above for a detail of the work in progress).

I'm busy stuffing envelopes to let people know about the next set of Vine Embroidery classes in my workshop. Those of you on the mailing list should be receiving a letter soon. Otherwise you can find the information already up on my new-look website - I hope you like the new design.

In stitches: honeysuckle to spring bonnets

I've had another busy few weeks here at Vine Embroidery. I've produced a 3-D goldwork bonnet, which is now out in Mary Hickmott's New Stitches magazine. Kits are available - see the magazine for details.

I've also completed a silk-shaded honeysuckle with gold kid and beads on a dark green silk - which I've used to cover a sewing box, finished off with braids to match. The piece will appear in New Stitches later this year. I completed it while on holiday in Devon over Easter. I was so pleased with it, I didn't want to send it away!

I'm also currently working on a commission for a clerical stole with silk shaded passion flowers, with goldwork stems and tendrills and a gold work IHS.

In the meantime, I'm putting together the list for the next six months of Saturday classes at my workshop in Hilperton. So if you have any special requests, please drop me an email.

Fresh designs for Spring

Mary Hickmott's New Stitches magazine, featuring my silk shaded hyacinth, is out now, and I've started work on the next project for the magazine, which is silk shading and goldwork.

I've also been working on a new piece of three dimensional embroidery, for the residential course at Dillington House in June. This design is a pretty Jacobean style flower in reds and greens, on a taupe background. It's not finished yet, but you can get a sneak preview in the above picture. It will also be available as a kit. For details of the course, click here.

If you can't wait that long for a stitching fix, I still have a few spaces on next weekend's course (March 14) at my workshop in Hillperton. We'll be working on a stumpwork orange tree. For details of the course, click here.

Kits and classes

For those of you who haven't already heard, my exciting news... David and I got engaged in December. We're now in full wedding planning mode, for our "big day" in the autumn.

I'm currently working on a three-dimensional goldwork design for Mary Hickmott's New Stitches magazine, and have recently completed a stylised silk-shaded hyacinth - it is in shades of blues and purples on a silvery grey silk dupion background. Look out for it in the shops soon!

My silk-shading and goldwork class in my workshop on February 21st is now full, but there are still some places on the other Saturday workshops. Take a look here for the details.

I also have a range of new kits available, including a three-dimensional pod (pictured above), a goldwork violet, stumpwork fritillary and an embroidered lace rose. Take a look at the new kits here. I hope you like them.

A time in stitch ...

Welcome to the new News from Vine Embroidery section of the website. This is the page to check out for my latest kits and details of forthcoming classes, events and exhibitions.