Stumpwork Mirror Materials & Organising

Image and project from Tricia Wilson Nguyen Thistle Threads.

One of my huge projects to work on in the next few years is a Stumpwork mirror. This project is from Tricia Wilson Nguyen of Thistle Threads. I took the course for this piece in 2018. I started stitching the mirror around 2020 and last weekend I went through the folder which contains the stitching notes to make a spreadsheet of all of the consumables used in stitching this.

My spreadsheet has 200 entries! Most of the materials were part of kits that accompanied the course, but not all and because they are specialty threads I wanted to make sure I have everything in order and at my fingertips when I come to using it.

The course notes and threads together.

The project is broken up into 18 months of work. I was unable to locate some of the threads that came in the kits in my stash. It took me a day and a half to collect and sort all of the items that I have and mark them off on my spreadsheet. I have also bought some of the additional items needed in the interim so I marked them off too. I am missing approximately 20 threads/items. In the last few days I have been searching and found these online and ordered them. They are coming from France, Canada and America. I am looking forward to getting them and being able to start Month 2 of which I am missing 3 threads. I'm also looking forward to knowing that I have all of the items to stitch the whole piece in one place.

Look at all those gorgeous threads.

In the meantime I can finish Month 1 which is couching gold thread around each of the ten outer border flowers, I have seven completed.  Month 2 then moves to the doors and stitching hillocks for the King and Queen who will eventually stand upon them.

My to be finished section from Month 1.

Once this piece is stitched it is then applied to a mirror surround which has doors over the mirror (the doors also have the stitched King and Queen on them). I have all of the items for fully finishing this piece in my stash also.

This mirror is full of techniques that I want to learn and practise more of. I am specifically looking to work and learn the different needlelace stitches. If you have ever taken a course by Tricia Wilson Nguyen you will understand the depth of her notes and how awesome they are. If you are not able to take any of her classes you can always check her out on Flosstube. Her channel is called Travels With Tricia and is my favourite Flosstube. I check all the time to see if she has posted any new ones, she has such a wealth of historical knowledge which is awesome to access when you live so far away from the institutions that hold these items.

Month 2 threads ready to go, all of my orders have arrived!

I've been reading some new books that were recommended to me by a friend. I think they are the perfect amount of cute and clever. I am really enjoying this series. I love how the author has taken an author such as Emily Bronte or Jane Austen and woven (mis)quotes through her books about her characters who are strong females with unusual lives for the time period (Victorian).  They are cleverly written and I am enjoying them very much.