Showing posts with label Needlework Development Scheme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Needlework Development Scheme. Show all posts

Thursday, 11 June 2015

Canvaswork by Jennifer Gray

Yes, yes I am working really hard on quite a number of new designs of which more later but I just want to share something which I am quite pleased with and which gave me a warm glow and pat of encouragement which I needed at the beginning of the week ... knowing I would be sat in front of the computer for many hours ...

I saw on Pinterest a front cover illustration for a book which got my radars twirling. Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray pub 1960.
Here it is below and you can see why I might be excited. Maybe not but it did it for me and I looked further, went to the wonderful ABE BOOKS (secondhand books from all over the world) and found a copy for a few pounds £3.00 I think. What treasure! It came on Monday, and I was thrilled with it, my absolute tip top style of decoration and drawings good stitch explanations and diagrams, fantastic colour pallete.

THEN I saw a beautiful seat cover which immediately looked familiar in style and yes, it was by my mother! I have not seen this design before and it was worked during her time with the Needlework Development Scheme, and it is perfect. I spent the afternoon completely distracted by the whole thing and drew up the design in Illustrator, printed it onto white linen and am in the process of working it up hopefully turning into a design for our new range. Though it may be a lovely download too ... maybe both! But I will post the results very soon.

Enjoy the rest of the pages from the book I have scanned!

Front cover of Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960
Front Cover
Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 including seat cover designed by my mother Joan Nicholson
My surprise, my mother's design for a seat cover!

Detail of Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 including seat cover designed by my mother Joan Nicholson
Detail

Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960   Buildings
Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960   Buildings

Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Angels
Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Angels

Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Flora and Fauna
Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Flora and Fauna


Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Birds
Page from Canvas Work by Jennifer Gray 1960 ... Birds






Sunday, 31 May 2015

Needlework Development Scheme Leaflets

A while ago I gave a small talk with slides to the Embroiderer's Guild in Tunbridge Wells. It was a gentle talk about my mother's life's work with textiles and embroidery and her influence on my own work. She did work with the NDS during the early part of her career as a designer and author. Some of my audience had brought along their own copies of some of her books which was so heart warming ... I was also approached by a lady I have met a few times at exhibitions in the past who said she still had her mother's NDS leaflets used while teaching and would love me to have them. Shortly afterwards she and another friend and I had a lovely morning embroidering samples and looking through these fabulous leaflets. I also have the book And Sew to Embroider, also a NDS book which has my mother's designs in ... I have scanned them all inside and out and am sharing the covers here and thinking about best way to share all in time ... and there are more to come!

The first (below) is a complete four page leaflet and following are just the covers. The colours alone are lovely ... TREASURE indeed.

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 26B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 26B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 26B Page 1

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 26B Page 2

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 26B Page 3


Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 28B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 28B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 36"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 36"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 10B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 10B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 11B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 11B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 12B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 12B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 17B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 17B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 19B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 19B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 21B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 21B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 23B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 23B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 24B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 24B"

Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 25B"
Needlework Development leaflet "Bulletin 25B"