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The winter before last, I had the pleasure of stitching at Helen’s house. She often hosts workshops, houses the guest teacher AND cooks lunch for all of the participants. Stitching with Helen is a joy and I look forward to the next time.
Helen has studied with some of the finest teachers and her beautiful work decorates her home. She is willing to share her knowledge and even makes these great teachers accessible to others.
When I was in Florida, I taught a canvas collage class at my Sarasota Sunstitchers ANG guild. Helen had taught the group how to paint the ‘heart’ canvas and I taught the embellishment. It was a great adventure for us all!
Rosalyn
Please click on the images to see the enlargements:
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"Nochi"
Designed by Tony Minieri
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Helen writes: "To me, this piece turned out wonderfully!
Tony did it in the 4 seasons and the color wheel. I choose the color wheel, and I changed two of the designs completely and one partly.
I also did the knot the traditional Japanese way instead of the way he showed."
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"Tote Bags"
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"Each of these Tote Bags that I have recently done, have a needlepoint Kabuki face that I re-designed from a Kaffe Fassett chart.
When my friend Pat Dalton saw mine while in Tucson, she asked me to make a tote for her. She would do the needlepoint part. We went to the ANG shop and picked out a dragon canvas and then I helped her with her colors to go with the ginko fabric she wanted. I was travelling a great deal last summer and didn't have time to put her tote together, so I turned the project over to Clemmie Rounds who did a great job for Pat!
Clemmie and I have formed a partnership - TWO OLD BAGS, and intend to sell our totes. We have many bags both in Oriental, floral and patterned designs."
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"Tagasode" -
Designed by Tony Minieri
View a detail
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"I chose my own colors for this piece . . . being me, I often really want to do 'my own thing'! It took me twice as long to finish this as it was a struggle geting the colors to flow and not bunch up . . . you know how it can be sometimes . . . but I am an interior designer so knew I could do it! I also changed one of Tony's suggested patterns to have a bit more of my own input."
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"I picked all the colors and patterns for this piece. Shay Pedray said that a true geisha would never wear those colors as they are too strong! However when I read a about the geishas of Japan, I learned that before a geisha committs to the life for life, she is called a Maiko and wears bright colors and elaborate hairstyles, so my Moon Princess
is a Maiko, dreaming of her life when she becomes a geisha.
From start to finish I did this in about 4 months as I loved it so much, I just kept stitching til she was done. Usually a piece of Japanese Embroidery takes far longer, sometimes as much as 5 years . . . I thought I'd never finish!"
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"Japanese Embroidery"
This is my own design.
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"This a Japanese Embroidery piece. It is done on pink sillk and the threads are all flat silk. I used 85 colors in the 2 flowers. For me it was a challenge to see if I could "run" the colors around and have them meet and work together.
I love this piece and so does everyone who sees it!"
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About Helen:
"I have a degree in interior design and have been in business for over 30 years. While living in Colorado I did a lot of commercial work in Aspen and Vail: dr offices, condos, a hospital and some homes as well. When I moved to Maryland I concentrated on residential mostly. I also had a faux painting business doing walls, fireplaces, and a lot of furniture. I was trained in the classic manner from the School of Isabel O'Neil.
I also taught needlepoint at a local shop for several years and won many ribbons at Woodlawn and the Md State Fair. I now choose to only show my pieces at Callaway each January.
Since moving to Florida I have concentrated primarily on Japanese Embroidery and needlepoint, tho also doing Brazilian and silk and metal. I have also continued to teach needlepoint to those who ask for my help and at ANG and EGA programs.
I have served on the board of ANG for 2 seperate terms along with those of Make-A-Wish and Asolo.
My thanks to Tom, my husband for the photography of my work here!
- and to Rosalyn for making this selection of my two passions, for needlepoint and for Japanese Embroidery, from the many pieces I sent to her for this exhibit."
Helen Allen May 2007
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HELEN ALLEN 
