Not much to show for the Whitework yet.  I'm attempting to reproduce the William Morris sunflowers shown above.  I do like the whitework technique but having problems knowing how to finish the ends!

After a great many hours and lots of unpicking this is as far as I have got with Teddy!  Will I finish by next summer, so that I can mount him. Let's hope so, but as I am juggling him with Whitework (and a day job!), it's going to be tough.

My first 'Teddy Day' since coming back from Tracy's in Durham.  Not sure if I am happy with what I've done, but I'll move onto his head and perhaps do some 'fine-tuning' on his front later.

Teddy before and after the weekend. Not entirely happy. I don't seem to be getting the hang of silk shading. It's probably just practice, but how long does it take? I think I should have started at the bottom as it looks like his fur is layered that way. I think when I restart I'll start at the bottom. I spent some time on Tanya Berlin's website to see how she does her fur. She draws a lot more on her silk and has a pattern to follow. I'll try this I think.

At the end of my first week with Tracy in Durham, the Lace Maker is now finished and ready to mount ready for assessment. We will start mounting on Tuesday and I will finish in the evenings.

Tracy started me off again on Teddy on Friday, so I can work on him over the weekend.

Also hoping to get started on Whitework next week, so I will have two projects to finish before next summer!

Nearly there! Just need to soften the shading on her face. It is a bit too sharp. Then I 'm adding some embellishments to reflect those in the painting. Tracy will help me next week, when I'm in Durham for my 2 week intensive.

So the plan is to finish The Lacemaker, mount it and submit for assessment, re-establish contact with Teddy, my silk-shading project, so that I can finish him over the next year, and start a whitework project. Gosh, what a plan!

Nearly there!  Just need to add 'slanted blanket stitch' to the bottom edge and tidy up the right hand edge.

Ready for "fine tuning" when I go up to Tracy in Durham for this year's intensive.

Now for the cap.

Well, after 18 difficult and not very nice months, I feel ready to return to my Blackwork and the RSN Diploma. I still have quite a bit to do, but I'm feeling confident that I will finish in time for my trip to Durham in the summer and another 'intensive' session!

I need to sort the shading on her chin, which isn't quite right.

The cap will have some blackwork patterns, so I need to practice how to achieve it.

All is positive at the moment.