sampling goldwork

 decided to organise a couple of small group workshops on creative goldwork with tutor Hanny Newton - we had a lovely intimate session on monday - some of us stitched along after a demo while Hanny covered other ideas and shared some of her own work

couching was the main theme, exploring different approaches 

stitched during class

as an exercise after rthe class, Hanni suggested drawing some couched lines to stitch out 

after class exercise

i had this fabric on a frame but did not have it under enough tension - fine for most of the stitches but i find i stitch more accurately with a more taught fabric - that is easier to achieve with a round frame

Then it was up to us to play, so i stitched out some of my drawn samples on copper wire - the wire is firm and easy to find from underneath for the couching - also it does'n move around like thread does - this gave me the opportunity to practice tiny almost invisible couching to anchor the wire, then the more decorative couching stitches

for my next sampler i went a bit off-piste - couching found objects and trying directional "stitches" to see the way they reflect the light - this angle does noy show the effect at it's best