Japanese Embroidery Class Phase 1 - Day 0

I have no words to tell how I was excited to attend my first day of Japanese Embroidery class. I was waiting for this day for so many years. Instead of me going to Atlanta to follow the Phase I course, a teachers came in Montreal. Her name is Sue Sprake from London, Canada. It was a dream coming true ! 

The teacher made sure to order everything we would need for Phase I : Threads, silk, needle.. etc. Another lady from the group order the wood frame we are using for JE. 

Since the time for embroidery was quite limited ( 5 day class), Sue asked our frame to be mounted already for day one. It was a good idea because it took almost 3 hours for the 4 beginners to have their piece ready. 


Here are some pictures : 

Some of my tools : 
- Tekobari, long stroking needle to make the silk flat and shiny
- Japanese Scissor (Regular embroidery scissors works fine too) 

In the back, the fabric mounted on the frame, and a picture of a completed project to help us

Light is bad, but this is what it looked like, with the frame and stand.

Finally, the seven colours we will need for the project. Silk tread is a pleasure to work with... but also a creation of the devil. It lays so beautifully on the fabric, until you snag it with the side of your thumb. 

« If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.»

Beautiful things have their own caracter, I suppose.  

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By the way, if you know any Japanese embroidery blog these days, let me know ! I'm always looking for inspiration !

Welcome back

Hi everyone ! Long time no see !!

Last post was almost 3 years ago. Lot of things happened !!  

Since I had to put lots of efforts on school i had to stop blogging, i was taking me a lot of time. I was also giving myself irrealisable deadlines for my stitching. While working, going to school, life, I was not able to put all the time i wanted in stitching and felt ashamed, since i value myself mainly on performance. Now, i let myself the right to not have time to do some embroidery, and i feel great about it. (Ok, I'm lying, i always want to stitch, even if i don't have time!) I'm now in Graduate Program in university, so i still have so much work to do and no time for what i want.

Not only master is a great news, i have another one, very important : 

I finally got my Japanese Embroidery lessons! 

The one i was waiting for so long. At first i has prepared myself to go to Atlanta on September 2016, but got a last minute impediment... I was so sad, but began to prepare another trip for the year after.

Luckily, a teacher of JE came in Montreal in October 2017. I had the chance to meet a group of japanese embroidery in my city. We now have a monthly meeting for a full day of stitching at the house of one of the ladies. I feel so blessed to have meet those ladies, and that wouldn't have happened if i went to my class in 2016. 

Have confidence in life, she knows what's best :) 

I plan to post pictures and progression of my Bouquet From the Heart of Japan, the Phase I of the Japanese Embroidery Center. Instagram is nice to post picture, but it's hard to tell a story about my struggles and achievements. 

If possible, i want to document my journey like the two blogs i've been following for so long : Susan Elliott from Plays with needles and Carol-Anne Conway from Threads Across the Web, even if it's been long time they didn't post anything. They were a great inspiration for me, and i think it's the best way to do a tribute for them by posting my own journey on a blog. I hope they'll make a comeback someday !

JEC ©

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I did a lot of cross stitching, and posted it on Instagram since 2015. You can follow me on @marilym.stitch if you want. I have some pictures of progression on a lot of things. I will still post pictures of cross stitch if by some reason i do work on my WIP, but mainly most of my time is on JE now.