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Here is what Gail has to say about the program.
“Color for Needlework is a challenging and wonderful program, particularly for those who enjoy writing and research in addition
to needlework. I enjoyed researching the topics, struggling with some of the concepts, and finding appropriate examples to illustrate
topics in the essays. To present examples of concepts, I used photographs and illustrations from magazines, catalogs, greeting cards and
scans of my own needlework.
"When I received the packet of information for the Color for Needlework Master Craftsman Program, I was overwhelmed by the wealth
of information. I remember getting to the page in the directions where footnotes were addressed. After I recovered from a brief period
of panic, I found the examples in the style sheet to be excellent and I didn’t let a few footnotes scare me away.
"The artist statement was also something relatively new to me, but what could be more fun than telling those who will view your
work just exactly what you were trying to accomplish.
"Though not required, I submitted original designs for all steps of this program. The feedback from the judges was encouraging and
helpful. In fact, the pieces I submitted for step 1 of the Color for Needlework program are now the subject of a correspondence course for EGA.”
About the design:
“Tar River Trail” is stitched on 18-count mono canvas with stranded embroidery cotton and a variety of overdyed threads such as
Silk N Colors, Flax N Colors and Watercolors and overdyed threads by Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Arts.
My stash is now filled with many overdyed threads in browns, tans, greens, and yellows. These will come in handy in future projects.
"In late fall I took numerous photographs of the trail. The leaves that year had been spectacular due to the lack of water during the
summer. I tried to capture the fall leaves in my photographs, but I felt it was the leaves on the path that conveyed the message I wanted
to send. In addition to trying to convince my viewers that it was fall, I was also interested in making the direction of the sun obvious
by showing the sunlight filtering through the trees and falling onto the path.
"The design contains many, many French knots in the leaves and shrubs, tent stitch in the path and fallen leaves, encroaching Gobelin in
the sky, outline stitch in the tree trunks and a leaf stitch on a tree in the foreground. A comment by the needlework judge stated
'Phenomenal texture is achieved with only four or five stitches.'"
Photograph copyright © 2008 by Gail Stafford. Text copyright © 2009 text by Gail Stafford.. Published with permission.
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