Australian_Homespun_December_2014

Assembly

8

Apply a small amount of glue to one

of the cardboard circles and smooth

the circle of lightweight batting over it.

9

Cut out the embroidery 15mm (^5 ⁄ 8 in)

outside the running-stitch outline,

then unpick the running stitches.

10

Thread the needle with a double

thickness of sewing thread and

knot the ends. Sew a line of gathering

stitches about 10mm (^3 ⁄ 8 in) from the

edge of the fabric circle and leave the

thread attached.

11

Put the embroidered fabric right

side down on the table. Centre

the cardboard circle, batting side

down, over the fabric, then pull up the

thread to gather the edge of the fabric

evenly around the back of the card.

Check that the embroidery is centred

on the front before fastening the

thread securely.

12

Trace around the other

cardboard circle on the

remaining square of light gold fabric.

Sew the brooch pin securely to the

fabric towards one side of the circle.

Dorothy positioned her pin about

15mm (^5 ⁄ 8 in) from the perimeter.

13

Repeat Steps 10-11 to cover

the other cardboard circle

with the fabric with the pin attached,

omitting the batting.

14

Match the embroidered circle

and brooch back piece, wrong

sides together, and ladder stitch

around the edges to hold them

together. Leave a tiny opening in

this seam to insert the end of the

twisted cord.

Twisted cord

15

From Maidenhair (521)

thread, cut:

• Two lengths, 70cm (27in). Knot
  them together close to both ends.

16

Anchor one end over a spool

pin (or get someone to hold it),

then use a pencil to twist the other

end, keeping the thread under some

tension. Continue twisting until the

thread is very tightly twisted and

starts to kink on itself.

17

Keeping the thread under

tension, hold the middle of the

twisted thread and bring the pencil

end towards the anchored end.

Gradually release the thread from

DOROTHY ADDLEM

Why this particular craft? I love the colour

and texture of threads and fabric, so

embroidery is the natural outcome. As I am

inspired by flowers, these pansies gave me

scope to create the design for this brooch.

Have you tried plenty of others? Yes, I’ve tried

many diff erent crafts besides variations on

the theme of traditional and floral embroidery.

Sculpted wool animals, particularly rabbits,

are a particular interest.

Any funny stories along the way? I had

some old blankets, perhaps 20 or 30 years

old, but they had been on the spare beds

so were still quite good. For an exhibition,

I decided to decorate the blue blanket with

embroidered flowers, but when I began the

design, I found quite a few moth holes.

So I worked out the strategic placement

of the flowers to cover the holes. The

blanket looked quite nice in the end.

Who taught you your crafting skills? I learnt

a certain amount from my mother, and I also

have the Country Women’s Association to

thank for my love of embroidery and crafts.

The CWA has a fine reputation for craft, with

excellent tutors across various styles. I’ve

been a member for more than 60 years. I’m also

a member of the Embroiderers Guild of Victoria.

What does this craft mean to you? Embroidery

has been my creative form of self-expression.

Is it hard to find time to do it or is it a

profession? Craft is definitely a hobby for

me. I’m a wee-small-hours embroiderer.

Do you think of your craft as passion or a

spare-time-filler? It’s a passion and it also

certainly fills the time!

From where do you draw inspiration?

I’m a farmer’s wife and have a fairly large

garden. Flowers are my inspiration; they

enhance gardens, transform rooms and

celebrate special occasions.

Why this skill – and this style? Because

I love colour, and flowers give me plenty of

scope to embroider them in wool, silk or cotton.

What are your favourite materials to work

with? I enjoy working with wool and have

completed many baby rugs and blankets.

Silk ribbon embroidery is another passion,

as well as soft silk shading.

Do you ever see yourself stopping or

diversifying? I do what I do, and my work is

I think traditional rather than modern. There is

always something new to learn or try, though.

Where do you live and work? I live on a farm,

where we raise sheep. I have a wonderful thread

shed, where the light is excellent. It gets very

hot in summer. I often embroider at the kitchen

table by the wood stove when it’s cold.

Do you teach your skills to others? Yes, I’ve

taught quite a bit in Victoria and South

Australia. It’s wonderful now to be teaching

my own grandchildren.

How would you describe your style? What

makes it unique? Traditional – old fashioned

perhaps! I do what like to do and I like to take

inspiration from Mother Nature.

Any embarrassing botch-ups along the way?

Oh, plenty of botch ups! They can usually be

fixed, though – or at least you learn what not

to do in the next version you try.

What’s your family structure? I have

a large family, including 17 grandchildren

and six great grandchildren. I love horses,

and have two pet dogs.

What is your advice for beginners? It’s a good

idea to join a group and take some classes. And

you should always do what you like doing.

Gett ing to know ...

the middle towards the ends so it

twists on itself. Bind the knotted ends

together securely and trim the ends

neatly. If the cord is uneven, run it

through your fi ngers a few times

until the twists are consistent.

18

Thread one strand of

Maidenhair (521) in the

needle and fasten it to the edge of

the brooch next to the tiny opening.

Starting at the folded end of the cord,

stitch it around the edge of the circle

with slanting whipstitches that

follow the grooves in the cord – the

stitches should be invisible. When

you get back to the start, push the

bound end of the cord into the

opening between the two layers of

cardboard and fi nish sewing it in

place so it looks continuous.

For contact details for Dorothy Addlem,

who designs for Rajmahal, turn to Stockists

at the end of the magazine.

60 Homespun