Wow Rosemary. That must have been very interesting. I think Embroidress Extrordinaire is definitely appropriate.

I agree, Margo! Let's see. Embroidress Extrordinaire?

Holey Moley!! :shock: Talk about embellishment!!

Thanks for sharing all this Rosemary!! I'm still thinkin' we need a title for you!!

I don't have any fancy title (unless you want to come up with something?), But I do claim to be a 'professionally trained embroideress', although I have never managed to make a living at it.

A few snippets from my time at the RSN:-

- I helped to 'net' (sandwich between 2 layers of net then quilted) a painted regimental standard that recorded victories from Egypt and the Pennisular War 0f the 1810s.
- I helped to repair and reline an 18th century tapestry from Bleinheim Palace (approx 16' x 22' I think) - I am one of a small group that can claim to have sat (& walked) on a Bleinheim tapestry.
- Darning - lots of it! samplers, linen bedspread with crewel embroidery on it, paisley shawl, cross stitch carpet, linen cushion cover with crewel embroidery on it.
- I also saw the current Chancellors Purse being embroidered, which is an amazing work of art/skill/embroidery, to see it in a portrait go here http://www.parliament.uk/worksofart/artwork/michael-taylor/lord-falconer-of-thoroton/6560 and for photographs of an earlier purse go here http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheepdog_rex/5313300872/in/photostream/
- There was a hammer that we used that RSAN stamped in the handle - 'Royal School of Art Needlework', the name changed before 1900 (I think, cannot remember now), it might have been pushing 90 years old, but it was nice to work with in the hand!
- We learn't about all the main different types of embroidery, working samples of most of them, my favourite techniques were 'silk shading' and 'both sides alike' (which is as it sounds and is used for regimental standards), I liked quilting but at that time I really wasn't to bothered about patchwork or piecing.
- Sewing machines really didn't get a look in, we used them for sewing up cushion covers and for making feather filled cushion pads. The emphasis was on hand embroidery.

Rosemary

PosyP wrote:

WHOA!! :shock: I'm thinking this makes you an expert!! I'm thinking this deserves a TITLE!! Any suggestions??

(about the sewing, not the huffing!! )

If you don't fancy licking your finger, I've found that 'huffing' (a heavy breath) into the thimble adds a small amount of moisture to help them stick. But if you are quilting/sewing a lot* and you have steel thimbles after a while they start to go rusty on the inside, at which point a lick of nail varnish helps.

Rosemary

* - I was at the Royal School of Needlework and it was hand sewing 7 1/2 hrs per day, 5 days per week, thimble on both middle fingers. I went home with a rust ring on those fingers for quite a while before I worked out about nail varnish. But marginally less embarrassing than wearing my thimbles home

One other item that I picked up today that is much better than the finger cots I got at Office Depot is Bohin's finger cots. They are very thin and only come to the first knuckle. Because of the thinness, I find that the sensitivity is much better.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B004IS4XJ4/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=284507&s=kitchen

http://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Finger-Tips-Size-Medium-Pkg/dp/B004IS4XJ4

My hand quilting is getting better but oh, wow am I a slow poke. I'm still quilting a quarter inch away from the center block. Thank goodness this is a sampler quilt because I'm already tired of this block.

Margo wrote:
Seems like we have to add saliva to our handy dandy list of tools for everything from getting blood drops out of fabric to keeping thimbles on. You all are too funny, but practical!

gran5 wrote:
LOL!! Moisten, Mary...Moisten!!

Margo, I thought I was the only who licked her finger when the thimble was a little loose. Works every time!!!

Thanks so much for the tips! I will try them all and see what works best.

Fingers aren't 'exactly' round, the best ring or tailors thimble I had, had been slightly squashed so that it looked faintly triangular from the end. My current tailors thimble has been flattened to an oval shape, and they stay on much better than the perfect circle shape.

Rosemary

My thimble wants to fall off or move around as well. I cut the tip off of a pair of thin plastic gloves (like the ones that doctors use) and then slip the thimble on. I can pretty much sling my hand now and it won't budge. You could also cut just a small sliver of the very end of the glove off so that your nail is free and your finger doesn't get too warm. I've been hand quilting a lot this week and it has worked well.

Barb, I have found that sometimes my hands seem to be smaller than usual, and to keep my thimble in place it helps to moisten (that means LICK! ) my finger before I put the thimble on. It seems to help keep it in place.