Sue Lucas, a Mosgiel embroiderer, won the overall people’s choice with her chosen work Wee Bunny — a very detailed piece.
Last Tuesday, Mrs Lucas was at the Bupa Windsor Park Retirement Village for a cup of tea and a bit of sewing, with her piece in tow, having a bit of fun with the embroiderers there.
Mrs Lucas said the piece began out of a class she took with a Canadian teacher, who taught her how to layer and feather the threads, bringing a more natural look to the piece.
The process took about 100 hours, with Mrs Lucas happy to complete it, as the middle of such an elaborate project can be a lot of work.
"I love embroidery and I love starting projects. It’s a bit of a slog in the middle to get it done, but then I enjoy seeing them finished," she said.
She said it was important to keep a keen eye and make sure to step back on occasion to ensure the piece was not being overworked and stuck to the plan.
Mrs Lucas said to win the people’s choice came as a shock, but it was a pleasure to be told about the big win.
"I’m very pleased with how it came out, but I was really surprised. It was tough, there were so many amazing pieces there as well, so it’s always a pleasant surprise," she said.
She said the key to a good bit of embroidery was practice, and everyone was a beginner, so joining a club and taking classes could really help an embroiderer of any skill level to get better.
"Over time you just pick up a lot of techniques, knowledge from other people, while also practising what you know and what you’re doing," she said.
Embroidery was now a piece of her life which was greatly additive, and she said anyone looking to add a new creative outlet should get involved.
"There’s a great deal of great women here, who are more than happy to share knowledge and help, there’s friendship and it’s all over the country too.
"Make a bit of contact, and see if it’s a good fit," she said.
