Feeling Random Friday with Laura Baverstock

When I first came across Laura Baverstock's account on Instagram, all I could say was - WOW! I'm pretty sure my mouth hung open in awe, too. Here's a description from her website as to what she does:

Laura Baverstock is a specialist hand embroiderer, textile artist and illustrator who mixes traditional stitching techniques with her contemporary design practice.  She creates embellished designs and bespoke pieces with modern materials and embroidery adding texture and interest.  Her use of strong shapes and silhouettes are contrasted against refined and delicate detail.

She is a Royal School of Needlework trained specialized hand embroidery artist who is a Trade Freeman of the Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers. I don't know what that last part means, but it certainly sounds like an accomplishment. Instead of reading me blathering on like a fan girl, take a look at some of my favorite pieces from Laura's Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on Mar 7, 2018 at 2:48am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on May 17, 2018 at 1:46am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on Nov 18, 2018 at 7:50am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Baverstock (@laurabaverstock) on Jan 18, 2019 at 9:38am PST

Stitchy Snippets - Counting Threads

In keeping with it's regal name, the British Royal School of Needlework is centred at Hampton Court Palace which stands grandly alongside the river Thames. The school teaches the traditional practice of embroidery which has been passed down through the centuries. The training focuses on precise and exact techniques and can be rigorous at times for the amateur such as myself. Not dissimilar to a Kung Fu student who is put through their paces, although using far less muscle.

Attending a class at the school is truly enjoyable, especially in such an awesome setting. As I sat tucked away in the light airy galleries of the palace, overlooking the manicured gardens I wondered if there could be a more apt location to do drawn thread work. This type of embroidery is often grouped with Whitework as it is usually practiced on white linen, embellished in white and often combines several types of embroidery. A key feature of this style is to cut warp or weft threads away from the base fabric and embellish the remaining threads which creates a lace effect.

The preparation requires a lot of patience as threads should be counted accurately in order to follow the pattern (which posed a challenge first thing on a Saturday morning). Traditionally, the stripped threads are woven back into the fabric to leave a seamless edge. Once the preparation is underway the stitching is relatively straightforward although I found that the stitches that at first appeared simpler were the most difficult to execute well.

The action of deconstructing and reconstructing the fabric is very fulfilling and the delicate outcome that is produced has a unique finish and effect compared to other types of needlework.

Couching from Hanging-by-a-thread

Embroidered sailor girl WIP by Hanging-by-a-thread

After January and February's couching inspired stitchalongs, I thought I'd post today some examples of exactly how far you can take the technique. Charlotte (Hanging-by-a-thread) is a student at the Royal School of Needlework (which has to be one of the most amazing places to study) and she has been posting some of her couching WIPs on Flickr. As always, I love WIP shots, as I think it gives you far more of an idea about the technique involved (it's inspiring for a start, to see how Charlotte has drawn her pattern onto the fabric).


skull tattoo WIP by Hanging-by-a-thread

I also love her couched swallows.


Couched swallow tattoo by Hanging-by-a-thread

You can see more of Charlotte's couching work here, where she talks about her experiments with lettering.