Lace and samplers

This is the piece that I've been working on for the past couple of months - finished at last!

 

It is a copy of a motif from a piece of 17th century lace which is part of the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and it will be one of the pieces that I contribute to next year's exhibition on 17th century embroidery that our branch of the Embroiderers' Guild is putting together. 

I was given the pattern and a photocopy of the original lace way back in October last year when I went to my lace tutor's studio in Wales on a lace-making holiday. Bearing in mind that I only started making lace in July last year, for a long time it felt like a challenge too far! Then in April or May this year I started thinking that maybe I'd give it a try - nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that. I go away for another lesson with Pat in a couple of weeks' time so watch this space to see what we make then.

Apart from the lace, I've been working on the sampler book which my son gave me for my birthday. Here are the first two pages finished ...

and the third one begun.

 

I've also been stitching a patchwork quilt for the retreat. I printed a picture of patchwork onto some cotton fabric and then backed it with wadding and a piece of cotton fabric and just stitched along the lines - so much quicker than stitching together all those little squares. The binding is attached so now I just need to slip stitch that in place and the bed has a quilt.