Canvas work

Julie Sacket: "Black Diamonds Kimono"

West End Embroidery are a business that are fantastic for all sorts of embroidery, with canvas work a specialty. They stock all sorts of threads that can be difficult to source elsewhere. They operate an excellent mail order service that I have used. Have a look at their web-site - this Black Diamonds Kimono is featured on it. I have also bought their Fans pattern book - so one day!! This finished article now lives in Emily's room as part of her Japanese theme.

Bargello cushion

This is the same 4 way bargello from Serendipity Designs, by Carolyn Meacham seen in the picture frame below. It started out life as a chair seat cover for my daughter's bedroom, but once she swapped from "pink and pretty" to "Japanese" as her decorating theme, it was no longer required and sat in the back of a drawer for several years. Then I got the idea of finishing it and incorporating it into a cushion, because I needed some cushions. The fabric is the green version of the blue of Alec's valance and is from John Lewis in Oxford Street in London.

Bargello embroideries

4 Way Bargello I (above) and 4 Way Bargello II (below), from Serendipity Designs, by Carolyn Meacham. These were supposed to be done with mono canvas and tapestry wool, but I was living in a place where those things were hard to get. I used aida fabric and DMC 6 stranded embroidery thread. In order to achieve a sleek silky finish, I had to be really fussy and spent a lot of time making sure the 6 strands were parallel, undoing and restitching until all the stitches sat straight. I entered these into the Whittlesea Agricultural Show, north of Melbourne in November 1996 and one a third prize.