MADEIRA EMBROIDERY COMPETITON at the NEC

Congratulations to Lindsay and Nikki who entered the recent inspiring Madeira Embroidery Competition at the NEC.

Vernice kindly took them up in her car and it sounds like they all had a great day out.

GLIMPSES OF ISLANDS – LONGSTONE LIGHTHOUSE

After reading Alison Holt’s ‘Machine Embroidered Seascapes’ I was inspired to create something that included breaking waves and water movement. 
 
Alison suggests a background of varying tones of blue with lines of machine stitching in various shades of blue which, as they blend together, show the shadows in the breaking waves.
 
Longstone lighthouse is intriguing as, at high tide, it is barely 1 metre above sea-level. 
Incidentally, my embroidery depicts a relatively calm day! In a storm it would only be the lighthouse itself that would be visible!
Write up and photos by Lindsay Sherwood 
 
Alison’s website
Alison’s book – Machine Embroidered Seascapes
 
Lindsay lighthouse main

The Island of Maritius

After 2 years of waiting because of the pandemic the Madeira Stitch competition took place at the NEC in March. The theme was Islands.  My work was inspired by the Island of Mauritius. 

The jacket is on a mannequin which I hand painted the Island with sea and beach.  It is made from a recycled coffee bean sack.  There is a stitch stumped Dodo on the back as the last Dodo was killed on the Island by Spanish sailors in 1662.

On the front is the Spanish Galleon. Palm trees made from green lace, raffia and  green plastic strapping from a delivery parcel.  The bottom of the jacket the sea and sand is made from different strips of fabric free machined.

Nikki Island jacket 2 rotated

The hat has been made from scratch using sinamay, free machining with pipe cleaners for palm trees and free machined.   Stitched coloured tights for the red flower, machined stitched wool for the grasses and stitch raffia round a cotton reel for the hut. The sea is hand painted and stitched.

I titled the piece Greta Thumberg Island to reflect the fact that if we don’t look after the planet we will end up like the Dodo.

In 2018 I was fortunate to be the overall winner of this competition and this year was awarded Highly Commended and the piece will tour the country over the next year.  Although it took nearly a year to make it was fun and challenging to make!

Thank you Lindsay and Nikki for sharing your amazing work with us.

Ros

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