Hello 2021! I am here for you with a smile on my face, because this is the year of ALL THE EMBROIDERY!

Since the pandemic started I have made it a goal for myself to take advantage of this time to grow in the SCA, develop my persona, work on ALL THE ART, and most importantly learn new things.

Over the last 1.5-2 years, I have been doing my best to learn embroidery: I have a post prior to this that talks a little bit about my start on this path. It has been so fun to learn from so many people, and watch the development in my own skills, though still very new.

Recently I attended the 8th Annual Embroidery Schola, and boy-oh I learned so much fabulous techniques and styles of embroidery that I was just BURSTING at the seams to try!

A few things that really stuck with me – gold and padded work, and couching!

The above acorn was done during Lady Amalia’s class on Gold Work. I had never used any of these techniques before but I wanted to learn them – bad! Outside of the class I think I worked another 30-45 minutes on the acorn and was just so pleased with how it turned out. It isn’t perfect by any means, but I was happy to see that it was something that I could do having only basic embroidery knowledge.

Today, at Studium Generale I paneled my very first embroidery piece. When I originally thought to do this, I did NOT believe that I had enough knowledge to present anything. But with some encouragement form my teacher (Baroness Audrye Beneyt) I decided it was worth sharing the things that I have created. The above badge was what I decided to submit.

This badge had been almost a 2 year work in progress. When I started it I only knew satin stitch and thought about creating the entire thing in that stitch. I was quickly talked out of that, but had already stitched the gold border and blue and red background. I was successful in ripping out the blue and red and re-stitching them in stem stitch, but left the gold. It was going to be another 6 months before I started to learn couching. The falcon was then outlined in back stitch and filled with couching.

The thing that makes me the most happy about this badge is that I can see the evolution of my own embroidery knowledge in it. I know that most people may not find that agreeable in something they plan to panel or keep, but it actually makes me happy. It grounds me in a way that words cant, because often we don’t have the chance to SEE our selves growing when we are learning a new skill. It’s hard to see those changes over time… but with this piece I see those changes so clearly, it reminds me to be proud of my work, to practice my skills, and to set clear, attainable goals if that is something I desire.

Today I was ranked competent in two embroidery categories, and though I feel they still need a lot of work, I am proud.