Shoots emerging

Both Lise and I got to share some Easter Sunday energy together. My work area was totally fitting into Easter's traditional color palette.

New shoots emerged in both of our foregrounds. I love how lives begin to entwine when we all create together. It's the rhythm of the stitch that unites us and our stories.

It is fun seeing my two close up photos of this Atelier Gwendolyne's Easter Sunday workshop. As a child the Easter bunny would bring skipping ropes or hula hoops. I still love jumping through hoops.  Challenges enrich our lives. New growth awaits for those who are willing to journey unknown territory.

I recently updated my Summer workshops.  If you are excited to join us we will be working this Sunday the 15th. Visit this link post for the schedule.  Keep in mind this course journey has some attendance flexibility. 

Contact me personally at Gwendolyne Hats to find out more. PS I put a few photos of weekend blossoms that are fun here's the link.

Join and create

Embroidery floss of many colors waiting to be stitched into ones thoughts

for lasting beauty to be celebrated through time.

For more information about our class series read past blog posts to get a feel for the course. I am accepting student enrollment for the 1st 2012 series running Jan through to the end of April. To register a non refundable deposit of $50 is required to reserve your place.

 Register today by CONTACTING US

Finishing Touches

When the signature and date has been stitched, it is time for the stretching of the canvas.

This process usually takes one class to do.

Once framed Margaret's inspired Art & Crafts era EARTH element becomes clear and crisp.

Having completed their first element many of my students get inspired and plan the next one. Here Margaret has sketched her idea, chosen her palette and outlined the canvas border.

The booklet that comes with the course has stitch illustrations and workbook pages to keep the ideas flowing.

Nancy's inspired Country Garden EARTH element was rich with stitch texture.

Her exploration of ribbon stitching brought her artwork an exciting look.

Elizabeth's inspired Imagination AIR element was a adventure in new needlework techniques. Her Dragon's head turned out to be adorable.

Kathleen's Summer inspiration represented all the elements. Her summer sensibility of colour palette and stitch work was beautifully executed.

left to right: Margaret, Kathleen, Elizabeth, Nancy and Gwendolyne

Our studio in the 401 Richmond building downtown Toronto is the location for Atelier Gwendolyne. My goal and passion in these workshop series it to inspire people to get in touch with their personal creativity in the arts of needlework.

Thanks everyone for the great time we spent together this year.

Needle work's dance of time

This has been a wonderful year for us in the studio.  Our classes began later in the Spring due to our long winter.


A perfect way to celebrate Spring and bring on the summer with some creativity of life.


We were fortunate to have some of needlework treasures brought to class. One of Margaret's first beauties was this embroidered tea cozy. Even though it had seen the wear of time, the brilliance of the silk thread work still shines on today. Having retired from it's earlier function it is now appreciated only for it's beauty. The creator's color palette is cool and fresh even 100 years later. I love the idea that it is still giving pleasure to the eye. If only it could talk, I am sure it heard many a good story.

Nancy brought this Bakers Lake embroidered duffel wool bag to share in class. The repeating embroidery details combined with larger applique motifs are typical in the Baker Lake designs. Each creation I have ever seen shares the joyful interaction with nature and animal life.

Change is constant yet the pace of life is probably the same.  People fill up their lives with activities that they feel have importance. In the past community was one of those things. Sharing your life with your neighbours and friends creating a blanket with your husbands silk ties.  Crazy ~ I do not think so.  Yet this Crazy Quilt still speaks the energy that brought people together to share.

Like this Crazy Quilt, Atelier Gwendolyne is a creative space bringing lives together with the soul purpose of bringing the needle and thread into the creative realm of art. I am happy to be part of it.

Thankyou Margaret and Nancy for sharing your treasures.

Coral Stitch just the start

This 2010 has been quite the year of creativity in our studio.

The courses throughout this year were wonderful with new faces and wonderful stories along the way.  Unfortunately I have not been able to spend much time on my computer as our business designed a new website.  Now that it is complete, I will have more time to share our moments in Atelier Gwendolyne this year.



For now here's one of my favourite stitches I like using when creating bold embroidery lines with wool 4 ply yarns. Here in the photo I stitched with Anchor's cotton Embroidery Floss on thick natural linen.

Creative Hub

Nancy's Earth element was a layered artwork.  The face was embroidered with chain and running stitches, as the outreached arms were couched with golden threads. She embroidered a silk dress of wheat sheafs, then stitched it with beads. When finished the outfit was appliqued onto the embroidered legs and feet.

Douglas planned all four element to be a series and the first is his Air.  The imagery for all of his sequences will be most exciting when completed.  As a Graphic designer finding that extra time in his year can be challenging. I look forward to seeing him soon again.

The Air Element can be so many things. "What is invisible to the eye is essential" is a quote from the Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in 1943. One can bring concepts, symbols, philosophy and more with this elements.  Louise is working on the Butterfly for her Medicine Garden.

I enjoy how each of us bring new additions to our artworks. Sharing our daily stories of the week with our life's adventures can bring new ideas to our own artworks. Collaboration is a great addition that community brings to our workshops and I just love it.

The two ingredients that make Atelier Gwendolyne a very unique experience for many is that the studio houses the tools of my daily work, add the community energy of like minded people and one has a socially intimate, creative hub of productivity.

Light inspires the Fire Element

Atelier Gwendolyne creates space for inspiration in people's lives.  I enjoy watching and supporting the journey people move through to create their artwork portraying the element of choice.



Many like to complete the four elements, and with each new artwork some like to learn new skills and bring that into their pieces.

In the Victoria era Stump work ie. dimensional building with fabric, was popular but not celebrated historically. It pleases me to see people exploring techniques to execute their concepts for the Element they are expressing.

Louise wanted her Fire element to inspire the brilliance that the light of a fire can display. She chose the Sunflower as her symbol. The center was stitched with freshwater pearl beads in assortment of colors and shades. The luminosity was spectacular. She framed this center with linen wired petals.

Her creative journey unfolded naturally as I captured photos along the way.  When the artwork was finally framed all we look at it and admired it's joyous energy.


Creation with thoughtful ease can be a very uplifting experience.  I love how it keeps giving even after it is completed.