Crewel Twist

We are definitely into the new century now, March 2001 to be precise, and it was time for another new experience.

Jane-Beth had joined the American Needlepoint Guild and had taken part in a couple of their Workshops by Mail and Cyber Workshops. She pointed this one out to me and suggested that if I too joined ANG I could take part in the Cyber Workshop. When it comes to embroidery, Jane-Beth is my number one enabler and cheerleader.
I had already tried Jacobean Crewel Work and it did not take much persuasion as 'Jacobean Fast Forward' was stitched on Congress Cloth and used a number of threads I'd never even heard of.

'Jacobean Fast Forward' is a Barbara Jackson design using wool, silk and metallic threads. The introduction to the Cyber workshop began "Take a 17th Century design and then fast forward it to the 21st Century for your fibres."

The workshop was held entirely by e-mail and on the internet. Because everything was on line it was easy to go back and forth to earlier parts of the class when I needed a reminder of how to make a stitch or how many strands of whatever fibre to use. There were diagrams and photographs of each part of the design as it was taught. I think it's a great way to learn at your own pace.
I learned a 'wheen' of new stitches and was introduced to a number of new (to me) fibres and how they worked. The whole experience was great fun, even when the stitching didn't go well, and I met, virtually, many new friends. It also inspired me to attend the ANG Seminar in Washington DC that year, where I not only had the chance to meet Barbara, but to sample the wide variety of threads and other materials available in America, and to attend classes with some of the best Needlepoint teachers in the USA.

For sure, from my first visit I fell in love with US embroidery shops.