Day Two - RSN Class...

Brynwood Needleworks - Day Two "Butterfly" Class

 

I wish you could be in Lexington, Kentucky with me this week. I'm learning so much, thoroughly enjoying my focused needlework project, learning about the incredible needlework collections at the Royal School of Needlework, and meeting new friends (who are fellow classmates or tutors) each day. 

 

Lexington is a beautiful city, by the way, and I've enjoyed dinners in a few of the local restaurants, as well as visiting a local needlework shop.

To update you about the class I'm taking, yesterday we worked on the preparation for stitching the butterfly wings. In the two photos at the bottom of this mosaic, I'm showing you how we set up the wire to to be able to cover the length with buttonhole stitches. 

 

These wires were 7" long for the bottom wing sections, and the top wires were 8" long (four total wires). I don't even know how many (3-strand floss) buttonholes are assembled to cover each of the four wires. I can tell you that the process has a rhythmic, zen quality about it, making it very relaxing.

One thing that's extremely helpful is that Owen (our tutor) is stitching the piece right along with us. When he's finished explaining technique, reasons for doing things a specific way, and also teaching us some tips to help us work toward the RSN standard of excellence, he then is able to actually show us the steps put into practice.

After dinner last night, three of us were walking back to the Sayre School for our evening lecture, when I noticed a butterfly flying toward us. The blue color caught my attention. One of our group lives in Lexington, and he smiled. He told me, "Yes. That's the butterfly you're stitching in class." Owen designed a Kentucky butterfly species for our class (the Red Spotted Purple), and I actually saw one of the living, breathing beauties! I know Owen will be jealous when I tell him in class today.

All the students from this week's session were asked to sign their names on a table cloth that's set up in one of the work rooms. After signing, we're then asked to stitch out our signatures. The tablecloth will be displayed and then become a part of the permanent collection in Hampton Court Palace to commemorate the first ever US summer school! Isn't that cool? I signed the cloth yesterday, and will finish stitching it out today. I'll take a photo to share with you later this week, after others have had a chance to add their names, too. 

We should finish our practice butterfly today, and then we'll start working on the "good" one. I'll show you updates tomorrow - and the rest of this week, too! Fun times!!