Pleating and Gathering have never looked so good!!!  City and Guilds Hand and Machine embroidery  Busy Bees Patchwork Tutor Beccy Paget Every Wednesday I walk into class with anticipation, I am overwhelmed each week with the talents of my students. Each week I give them a new technique, and in the weeks to follow they bring the results of their endeavours and I cannot tell you how satisfying it is as a teacher to see the work produced from just playing with a different approach to a traditional method. We have been looking into using pleating and gathering as texture, as a focal ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget We started back last week with new and exciting ways of using the machine technique of gathering and pleating. Generally these two techniques remind you of little girls dresses and Grandma's skirts, but with a little imagination and some rust died fabrics suddenly gathering and pleating can take on whole new lease of life.   This is one of two samples I have been playing with, I have tightly gathered a one inch strip of Moda grunge fabric and pulled up the fabric as much as it would allow, I have s ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget Much has been happening at the studio here at Busy Bees, creativity abounds as we step forward toward another year. My, how swiftly those hours and minutes go by. I was speaking to a lady in the shop the other day and she banks her sewing time. For every 15 minutes of must do stuff she banks herself 5 minutes of me-time! Which I thought was an extremely good idea otherwise the must do stuff gets in the way of the really important time that we should set aside for ourselves and do something that we love to ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget I am not normally a naughty person but I have been a bit remiss with my blogging this year! Seeing as I no longer have any one to slap my legs for not doing what I should be doing i'll have to chastise myself and give myself a good talking to. But, you know sometimes it's difficult to keep on top of everything and I don't mind saying that I fail now and again to keep abreast of the written side of my daily work, it's never been my forte!! I love creating with needle. machine and thread rather than words a ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget Half term has come and gone, a distant memory! The clocks have gone back and every evening we are plunged into darkness at some ridiculous hour of the day and mornings are just not long enough, Can you tell it's not my favourite time of the year!! and yet ever the optimist I try to find things to cheer my self up, because if there is one thing I don't like; is hearing myself moan. I have nothing to moan about and if it's only the weather that is getting me down, well I'm not doing so bad. Before Half ter ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget Last week I spoke about level 2 and the skills that teach us how to begin thinking of ourselves as textile artists rather than just embroiderers. Learning to design and how to develop our own style can take many years and it all starts with level 1. Many centers do not teach this level but I think it is pivotal to that journey that makes us into an artist. Level 1 as I have written before, way back last September 2017 teaches all the basics, from mark making in dry and wet mediums to understanding the co ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget Level 2 City and Guilds in textiles begins to train you to start thinking more for yourself. A part of the syllabus requires, that you study 3 hand embroidery artists and 3 machine embroidery artists. Also that one should be a contemporary, one historic and one cultural. It is designed to help the student to develop their own style by seeing how other artists work and how they have been influenced by others to create their own unique approach to their work.  Looking at other artists, patterns and ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget There is nothing quite like Wednesday morning and the chatter among the ladies as they show and tell their embroideries. It is great fun to see pieces of work grow and come together.  The hardest part of an embroidery is the beginning, we are optimistic at first but then doubt sets in, are you doing the right thing, have you chosen the best colours, the right fabrics? You begin with the first stitches and even they feel like you have never picked up a needle before in your life but stitch after s ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Tutor - Beccy Paget Wonderful news, the registration date for this course has been extended to 2021 Since I spoke to you last, City and Guilds have extended their registration date to December 2021, which means that this wonderful qualification will continue for the next 3 years in it's present form.  A diverse and comprehensive course that teaches you how to turn your creative thoughts into reality.  The course is accredited which means that you will gain a qualification that is known and respected in the ind ..read more

Busy Bees Patchwork City and Guilds Hand and Machine Embroidery 7161 Beccy Paget Long time, no blog! Well the summer holidays are over, we've had some wonderful weather quite like old times. I remember wonderful summers as a child, I lived in a beautiful country cottage on the side of a huge Pine forest with a view to die for looking across the Usk valley towards Christchurch and Caerleon. It was idyllic when I look back, my sister and I used to make den's in the forest and ride our bikes and on rainy days we'd make tents out of blankets on the settee and watch telly by the fire.  My p ..read more