The full name of our Embroiderer’s Guild of America Extended Study Program with Helen Stevens was Country, Manors and Museums or as the booklet they sent us called it 12 Day English Embroidery & Exploration. I will just use ESP for the tour.
The next morning a walking tour was on offer. Since I’d been having trouble with my back and hip, I decided to save my energy for the class and Ralph took the walk.
The class began at 10 AM, broke for lunch and then continued in the afternoon. Chrissie Juno Mann stepped up to teach the class. From Kathleen Weston’s email:
Chrissie has an MA in Restoration and Conservation of the Decorative Arts. In the past she has worked on restoring two English Sleeping Chairs (c.1600) from the Palace of Holyrood, as part of the Royal Collection. She has also worked as a Freelance Restorer for Titan’s Studio in London who specialise in the decorative arts.
Chrissie has a passion for the traditional arts and crafts that run alongside the cultural heritage of the British Isles. Her embroidery work focuses primarily on the natural environment. Living in the New Forest, she is able to draw great inspiration from the beautiful countryside that surrounds her.
Chrissie turned out to be a wonderful teacher, even though she was had not worked with Helen Stevens’ pieces before. We all worked together to figure out the details of Helen’s techniques and had a great time together.