March 2012 | SQE Professional™6

For the past few years, I have traveled across America teach-ing African Folklore

Embroidery. Unlike most other workshops where stu-dents know exactly what the completed project will look like, a creative leap of faith is required when students begin an African Folklore Embroidery design. In any class students are given a choice of over 30 different kit de-signs from which to choose and then confronted with the following rules

n Winners in the African Folklore Embroidery Challenge

underlining the fundamental philos-ophy of African Folklore Embroidery: 1. Whatever color you choose to stitch is the right color. 2. Your stitches do not need to be perfect. 3. You do not need a hoop. 4. Most importantly, you should have fun. Beads, buttons or fabric can be in-corporated (if desired) and completed

kit designs can be made into quilts, framed, pillow, table runners or tote bags. So with the above in mind, it is no wonder that the most rewarding aspect for me as a teacher is seeing how each student interprets their design. Four years ago

I implemented the African Folklore Embroidery Challenge with over $600 in prize money awarded to the winners. For the first two years all

entries were displayed at the Road to California Quilt Show and for the past two years the entries and winners have been showcased in our booth at the International Quilt Show in Long Beach. We know in ad-vance that each completed kit is go-ing to look totally different. Just how different becomes apparent when two people are working on the same design and they each look unique. While chain stitch is the domi-nant stitch, African Folklore Embroi-dery becomes a three dimensional surface art with the incorporation of embellishing techniques such as the Mola Barbara Interweaving tech-nique which involves wrapping the chain stitch in a completely different color to the existing chain stitch. Silk ribbon as well as metallic threads can also be used to enhance the de-sign through utilizing the Mola Bar-

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A Creative Leap Of Faith

LeoraRaikin

By Leora RaikinAfrican Folklore Embroidery

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bara Technique. We know in advance that each completed kit is going to look totally different. The differences in each completed design are articu-lately displayed in the challenges. Attending a class I was teaching at the Road to California quilt show in 2005, entitled Safari through Afri-can Folklore Embroidery, Catherine Redford an experienced quilter from Naperville, IL, never expected to get hooked on African Folklore Embroi-dery. After she completed her 10th kit, I encouraged her to enter a piece in the challenge. Her passion has grown and in 2010 Catherine completed the educator and instructor program. She is now lecturing and teaching classes at guild conferences and quilt shops in the Midwest and loving it! At age seven, Catherine present-ed her grandmother with a table-cloth, which she had embroidered. Needlepoint, crewel and counted cross-stitch were followed by crazy quilts and original designs for quilt embellishment. When we first met at International Quilt Festival Chicago she was intrigued by the colorful

<< continued from previous page combination of fun designs and beautiful threads. Giraffes could be pink and elephants green; my imagi-nation is the only limiting factor in African Folklore Embroidery. When she became program chair for her local quilt guild she invited me to present a lecture and workshop and share my passion and knowledge with the guild. Catherine has now completed more than 20 of the designs and taught several classes at local quilt store that stocks African Folklore Embroidery kits and threads and was invited to present a lecture and work-shop at a doll conference. “Everybody loves the ease with which they can get started even if they have never tried hand embroidery before. More advanced students like the freedom to experiment and make their pictures unique. Beaders like adding beads and appliques and are able to enjoy their favorite fiber art. The classes foster a wonderful sense of community as people encourage each other in their creativity. It is an added bonus to know that the threads used in the kits provide a real source

of income to families in South Africa. I am currently booking lectures and workshops at Quilt and Embroidery Guilds and look forward to sharing African Folklore Embroidery with a wider audience,” said Catherine. In commenting on her delight as being chosen as a winner in the chal-lenge, Catherine said, “I had wanted to work on the sea life series for a while when I bought them on a visit to the African Folklore Embroidery studio in January. I knew I wanted to assemble them into a triptych style wall hanging and found the ocean fabric in a store in Pasadena before I left California. The bright fabric in-spired my choice of threads and silk threads from the House of Embroi-dery. I pulled beads from my stash and added crystals and fish buttons found on my travels.” An event hosted by the Mountain View Embroidery Guild Chapter in California exposed Carol Cunning-ham-Hutte to the world of African Folklore Embroidery. An avid embroi-derer and extraordinary at beading, Carol won third place for her beauti-

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fully embroidered rose in 2010 and second place for her double-sided purse with a rose on one side and paisley on the other. Judy Dymond’s magnificent beaded Paisey design won second place in 2010. Living in Washington State and spending winters in Palm Springs, CA, allowed Roberta Peterson the opportunity to attend an African Folklore Embroidery workshop at the local quilt shop. With 12 other women Roberta began stitching and learning embellishment techniques. “As quilters we love to try new things and this provided an opportu-nity to combine quilting with hand work, allowing my mind to go into creative overdrive. The six-hour class sped by in a flash and I purchased several more kits,” said Roberta. After completing nine kits and

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then quilting all nine designs includ-ing the toucan, sunflower, butterfly, African basket, sanufu bird,poppies, kettle, rose and paisley into a strik-ingly beautiful quilt using black bor-ders, Roberta entered her piece and won first place in the $500 African Folklore Embroidery Challenge. From the 2010 $500 challenge, Madeline Reyes, embroidered three kits and then pieced, beaded and quilted the designs into a magnifi-cent art quilt. All the embellishment techniques as well as fabric appliqué the African Folklore Embroidery way are illus-trated in Raikin’s book, Safari through African Folklore Embroidery. Kits include easy-to-follow instructions, needle and African hand-dyed threads. www.aflembroidery.com So start stitching, I want to see your completed pieces. The deadline for submissions for the next challenge is December 10, 2012. All entries will go on display at Road to California, Jan. 2013 – so let your friend’s embroidery, quilting and sewing guilds and chapters know about the upcoming competition. Many of us speak about the im-portance of teaching the next genera-tion to stitch and the importance of bringing in new markets for quilting notions and products. The Los Ange-les Daily News http://www.dailynews.com/education/ci_18576364 was so im-pressed with youngsters stitching they did a feature article with photographs and interviewed children who partici-pated in African Folklore Embroidery. This resulted in a separate children’s category with all completed kits being on display. http://www.facebook.com/groups/234386778169/ Additional entries and winner from 2011 and previous years can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/groups/234386778169/ For monthly tips and information, you can read my blog at http://www.annthegran.com/cs/blogs/african-safari/default.aspx. r

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Leora Raikin, South African native, business science research graduate from the University of Cape Town, has taught over 5,000 adults and children the art of African Folklore Embroidery. Leora’s mission is to encour-age a love of stitching and needle arts while exposing and educating people to informa-tion about South African through African Folklore Embroidery She lectures and exhibits throughout the United States on African Folklore Embroidery. With the increase in de-mand for lectures and workshops, the African

Folklore Embroidery Educators Program was established which allows for others to teach and educate on African Folklore Embroidery. African Folklore Embroidery is popular with the Girl Scouts troops, as girls can earn points toward their sewing badge and experience a multi-cultural activity while learning a life skill. African Folklore Embroidery is affiliated and supports KIDZPOSITIVE, a South Afri-can AIDS charity in Cape Town. Leora lives in Los Angeles, CA. Leora can be reached at info@aflembroidery.com.

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