While attending a stitch-in one day, someone mentioned the local Stitchery Guild and the Embroidery Association of Canada. I became a member of both.

This is the first hardanger embroidery I have ever done. It was a Stitchery Guild project one year. Hardanger embroidery comes from the Hardanger Fjord region of Norway. Traditionally done white thread on white cloth, it can now be done with vibrant threads and vibrant cloth.

This is a piece from a class I took. The pattern is a modification from “Hardanger Embroidery Favorites” by Susan Meier and Rosalyn Watnemo.

Here are a couple of kits I purchased from Carol Storie at Heartfelt Designs to work on. The first is called “Seasons”, and the second is “Hardanger Hearts”. Both are done on 22 count hardanger cloth with Caron Watercolors thread and DMC Perle Cotton. Both have beadwork on them, though it doesn't show well in the photos.

And here is my interpretation of “Hardanger Hearts” on a higher count Lugana cloth.

Here are some hardanger Christmas ornaments I stitched for Christmas presents last year.

I love hardanger embroidery and am designing my own original pieces now. I find the restraints inherent in designing stitchwork to be something I can handle.  Decisions are based on technical grounds more than anything for me.  Though I did not attempt designing stitchwork until after I had acupuncture for the first time, and found my creativity returning for brief periods.  I also have a group of women who help me when I design.  They have saved me a lot of grief!  Still, it is slow and laborious work, requiring a lot of practice pieces.  But that is what design in stitchwork is all about. 

I am working on that  hardanger dresser runner highlighted in my July 17th post "Hardanger Dresser Scarf" at the moment.

To be continued...