Christina, Sorry to hear you haven't been well.  I think that awful weather we had pulled us all down as I have heard of so many cases like you.  It is ages since I did an Assissi piece but I used to enjoy doing that.  What about using a fairly clear blue with the outlines worked in navy blue or if not that what about a light red/orange with a dark brown outline?  Do put the piece up here when you are finished as I would love to see it.  Grace

Thank you for the generous words.  Coming from one so talented in this field makes me feel quite honored.  I often come to your photos when I need to be inspired or to push through a period of being frustrated with my limited experience . I wish I had found this a lifetime ago and could all the different styles. Thank you again for being so kind.

Christina, yet another picture in the Edwardian Children series.  The photo isn't all that good as I had to take it from a photp in my collection.  Someone has told me there are some of these kits around now but when I looked I don't think they are from the same designer.  Also, that Pretty Maiden one you have just done which is lovely was a similar design in the 1960/70's although slightly different to the latest one.  Shows that there is nothing new under the sun doesn't it.

Christina, I have found one picture of those Edwardian children kits.  It isn't all that good a photo as it has been creased a lot but you can see what I mean by the Edwardian series. I think there were about 8 of these designs, all of almost the same group of children at the sea-side, at a fairground, in the park and so on.  They were immensely popular and embroidered mainly in chairn stitch filling or stem stitch filling.  I wish now that I had purchased some of them myself but you don't think of it at the time.  

Christina, Penelope did some wonderful kits at that time.  For instance there were a series of kits of Edwardian children in the park, at a fairground, at a railway station etc. which were a runaway success.  I embroidered all of those on demonstrations.  I think that after I left which would have been about 1980 or so, the Penelope firm was sold onto Coats Crafts and for a time the kits completely disappeared from view.  I have recently seen a couple or so of the what I would call minor kits in the shops but wouldn't go into raptures about them.  I wonder if there are embroiderers out there who have done some of these kits and still have them hidden away.  If I find any of the illustrations of those kits I will put them on here.  Grace

Thank you Christina for your kind words on my cushion cover. I was looking at your streams of photos which can make me sit on this computer for a long time.

Here are the two photos Christina (I hope).  The first is Cheng Yang, the second Pien Fu.  Grace

Christina.  I don't think the name meant anything really, the firm designer probably just made it up.  As I had no choice in  which kit I was demonstrating I had to embroider it six times as it was very, very popular.  I have had a quick look through some old files and I can't find the kit picture so I might come back to you sometime if I want to finish mine.  I did find two other matching panels called Cheng Yang which was the companion piece to yours and another one which was brought out a year or two later called Pien Fu.  I will try to photograph them   and send it on to you.  Grace

Christina.  Back in the 1970's I was an embroidery demonstrator for the Penelope (William Brigss) firm in central London.  Kwan Tung was one of their kits.  I worked it six times altogether as well as the matching piece which I can't remember the name of.  I was so pleased with this kit that I bought one for myself which I still have uncompleted.  How far along are you with yours?  Mine is only a quarter worked.  Small world, eh!  Grace