As a practising textile artist and designer, I spend one morning a week catching up on presenting my work. I love to paint the background of my larger sketchbooks, where I display my sketches, paintings, photographs, and finished samples. I also like to document exhibitions that I have attended. I have encouraged those I tutor to do this, especially if like me they cannot sketch every day. ​

Yesterday was a day of dressmaking with a little bit of beginner embroidery. The dungarees were finished yesterday evening, the photograph was taken before they were pressed and finished... A floral tiered skirt was cut out and construction was started. ​

This student used basic sewing machine skills and fat quarters for this project. ​

​It's very exciting to use my pattern-cutting skills.

​A dressmaking project, using floral linen to make a tiered skirt.
A young person's project on Embroidery.

​Knitting last week was further exploring and refining skills in Aran knitting techniques.
In 90 minutes:
Honeycomb Cable Stitch
(Double) Moss Stitch
Next week slipped and elongated stitches in two colours.

King Henry VIII Doll Knitting Pattern by Edith Grace Designs 
The doll is 13cm tall including the hat, knitted in double knitting wool & worked flat. 
This pattern can be bought as a PDF Digital Download from - Etsy, Love Crafts & Ravelry.

King Henry VIII was an English Tudor King. He was born at Greenwich Palace, London on the 28th of June 1491. He was the second son of Henry VII. When Henry's older brother Arthur died, Henry became king in 1509.

Henry had six wives:
Katherine of Aragon - Spanish - Divorced
Anne Boleyn - English - Beheaded
Jane Seymore - English - Died
Anne Cleeves - Flemish-Belgian - Divorced
Katherine Howard - English - Beheaded
Katherine Parr - English - Outlived Henry

Henry died, aged 55 years old, on 28th January 1547 at St. James's Palace, London.

My doll is only 15cm tall. His body is worked in cream with a grey jerkin and a flared skirt knitted separately. The Surcoat is knitted in maroon and gold. The cap has a picot stitch used for the brim, with a garter stitch to represent white feathers as seen in portraits of King Henry VIII. 

This knitting pattern is suitable for beginners and the doll can be knitted up quickly. 

​©Joanna Cox Marshall

​It was a very busy week last week, so trying to catch up with some posts and everything that was accomplished. Here are the child's pink dungarees and their progress from last week.
In 90 minutes:
Slip stitching an opening
Placing and sewing on a pocket
Pinning and sewing on a curve
Hems
How to construct and sew trouser legs
This week the dungarees will be finished, which is very exciting.

​If you would like to learn dressmaking, click on the link below for more information on tutoring, a full price list, and a form to contact me. Alternatively, please message me on FB.
http://www.edithgracedesigns.com/tutoring.html

​©Joanna Cox Marshall ​

Knitting on Thursday evening was all about cables and Aran knitting. Cable knitting is for intermediate to advanced knitters, and once the terminology and cable needle are mastered, it is fairly straightforward to knit. Below is a 4-stitch cable and a bobble. In Aran knitting, all stitches have a meaning, so the cable means 'luck'. In the past Aran jumpers would carry a story for the wearer and the knitter who made it.
In 90 minutes the following was included: general Aran knitting history & meanings, understanding cable knitting terminology in a pattern, using a cable needle, understanding the stocking stitch reverse background & the importance of blocking cable knitting.
Next week twisted cable knitting will be explored.

Valentine's Heart Doll Knitting Pattern by Edith Grace Designs
The doll is 13cm tall including the hat, knitted in double knitting wool & worked flat. 
This pattern can be bought as a PDF Digital Download from - Etsy, Love Crafts & Ravelry.
​
This little doll is only 13cm tall & is perfect as a gift for Valentine's Day. She wears a red beret & holds a heart for her Valentine. This knitting pattern is suitable for a beginner & is knitted up quickly for more experienced knitters. 
She would look perfect as a handmade gift or as part of a Valentine's Day display. 

Project 1 - 6th January 2025
Children's Dungarees, Size: Age 1
Style 2540
5/- (25p)
Date: 1969

Snowdrop Doll Knitting Pattern by Edith Grace Designs
The doll is 18cm tall including the hat, knitted in double knitting wool & worked flat. 
This pattern can be bought as a PDF Digital Download from - Etsy, Love Crafts & Ravelry.

Since a child I have a collection of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairy books which contain poems and illustrations of flower fairies. I have always wanted to design dolls with this theme in mind due to the imagination the books gave me while growing up. I still grab a book now and again to look at the beautiful illustrations. I intend to design one flower doll per month for 2025, so a snowdrop doll for January seems a good choice. 

This is an easy knitting pattern and perfect for beginners. This little doll is 18cm tall including the hat. She wears a petal skirt, which is very simple to construct, and a pretty picot-edged hat. 

If you would like to learn creative stitch, click on the link below for more information on tutoring, a full price list, and a form to contact me. 
http://www.edithgracedesigns.com/tutoring.html

​©Joanna Cox Marshall ​