I have grown up around this jug, it is such a familiar feature of my mum's house, that to take it down from its high shelf and draw it, was a strange thing. To transfer it into a machine embroidery was stranger yet.
First I copied the drawing onto calico, using a hoop to keep the fabric taught.
One by one I added the various colours - you can see above the reverse is a little scrappy.
With the guidance of my lovely tutor Linda Miller, I chose a background of mint green. The fabric becomes thick with thread and tough to work. I added a yellow table for the jug to sit on, and then added some hand embroidered details - using a thimble to push the needle through!
Its rare that I work in colour so it was a real treat to see the combination of threads sing. I mounted the finished piece on cardboard, herringbone stitching the back together.
Returning home and seeing the original jug was quite a surprise - my embroidery had become the 'real' jug to me. The jug originally belonged to my Great Uncle George (centre back row), who was the oldest brother of my grandfather Edgar (looking angelic in the centre front). Although I never met George, working with the treasured object he left behind is a way of honoring him as my ancestor.
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