Out of stock for now

The Blue Wren Étui Embroidery Kit

(10 customer reviews)

£185.00

OUT OF STOCK: Our kits are hand-made in small batches by my family team and take many hours. We have a waiting list for each kit. Please subscribe to the waiting list for this kit below. We will email a special password to you when you reach the top, allowing you to purchase. For more information, read our FAQs. For urgent kit requests or queries, please contact me.

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Description

Once I had actually seen a Splendid Fairy Wren in Tasmania, I had to adapt the Wren Étui to create an Australian version.  This is based on the same theme as the brown wren but uses completely different techniques.

His iconic head plumage is worked on a base of deep blue Yorkshire tweed, using pleated Italian rayon tapes and the softest Japanese silk chenille.  His back is embellished with fishbone stitch feathers using iridescent blue metalling passing threads.  The chest feathers are worked on a base of English wool baize, using layers of tiny blue sequins and interlocking pieces of blue metallic purl.  The wings are worked using padded satin stitch and whipped fly stitch in specially-made silk gimp, on a tweed ground.  The underwings form the needlecase in buttonhole-edged wool flannel.  The tail uses silk shading in pure silk with metallic couching and stretched pearl purl.

The Blue Wren is made up in the same way as the Brown Wren, on a pre-made body form with solid bronze legs and beak, which contains a tiny cutting blade.  He also carries a specially-made sterling silver thread waxer, based on an antique one in my collection. It is hand engraved on one face with a blue wren, and on the other with an initial of your choice.  The central shaft unscrews to allow new wax to be inserted.  The waxer is made and engraved by my friend, clockmaker and silversmith Adam Mills. Alternatively, you could choose the smaller Bee and Skep waxer, also in sterling silver, also made by Adam.

Like his British cousin, the Blue Wren will stand happily on his own, but the same options for a mossy hillock and wooden base are on offer. You can also add a tiny gold pair of étui scissors and a glass dome for the finished piece.

Please note that this kit is for the bird only.

Additional information

Weight 560 g
Dimensions 31.5 × 22.5 × 5 cm
Blue Wren Etui Kit

Kit FOR DELIVERY BEFORE CHRISTMAS, dispatch by END OF NOVEMBER at the latest, Pre-order kit FOR DELIVERY BY END OF FEBRUARY 2020 at the latest

Kit Contents - Blue Wren

  • 3D-printed wren body with aperture for waxer and pre-attached cast bronze beak with cutting blade, and glass eyes (beak and eyes made in the UK)
  • Cast bronze wren legs, made in the UK
  • All fabrics required with pre-printed design, including English wool baize, English wool flannel and Yorkshire tweeds
  • Pre-printed felt
  • Silver-plated pearl purl, made in the UK
  • Coloured metallic smooth purls
  • Coloured metallic passing, made in the UK
  • 100% silk-covered gimp, made for Jenny in the UK
  • 100% silk Japanese superfine silk chenille
  • Au Ver à Soie 100% silk threads
  • Invisible thread
  • Polyester sewing threads
  • Space-dyed cotton perle, hand-dyed in the UK
  • Metallic mesh ribbon
  • Japanese flat silver tape
  • Rayon bound tape
  • Sequins
  • Cotton ricrac
  • Pelmet Vilene
  • Sticky-backed plastic
  • Paper patterns
  • Fine blue wire
  • Pot of conservation quality adhesive
  • Mini beeswax
  • All needles required
  • Detailed fully-illustrated instruction manual

Extra Kit Information

Each kit is designed with your stitching joy in mind and is lovingly created for you over many hours by our tiny family team in  the UK.

Every material you could need to complete the design, however small, is included in carefully labelled packets. Some kits include over 100 components!

We use only the very best quality materials, and many are made for us by specialist craftspeople sourced by Jenny throughout her career, and hailing from around the globe. Jenny’s skilled family members are often commandeered to make various bespoke components which could never be found otherwise.

Once you purchase a design, we want to you to enjoy and finish the project and therefore are always on hand to answer queries, however small or daft you feel they may be.

The highly comprehensive instruction manuals are written and hand-illustrated by Jenny, rather than using generic stitch diagrams. These are full of the tips and tricks required to express stitches and designs at their very best.

All design shapes are pre-printed on to the various materials included in your kit, to ensure that you have accurate design shapes to work from and can progress straight on to the embroidery without having to transfer the design yourself.

We also aim to provide various items for display or construction of the finished embroidery, allowing you the satisfaction of framing the piece yourself or turning it into a more unusual item such as a bag or book.

I hope that this special design will provide you with a VIP ticket to ‘Jennyland’, an all-consuming experience which will transport you a world of stitching pleasure and imagination. Enjoy!

Kit FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT DOES MY KIT INCLUDE? Your kit includes all the fabric, threads and needles required to complete the design, together with a highly comprehensive illustrated instruction manual, written and drawn by Jenny. All threads are carefully packaged and labelled to denote where they are to be used in the design. We suggest you have a look through all the components to familiarise yourself with the complete kit before starting work. Where relevant, kits also include the materials required to construct the completed embroidery. WILL I NEED ANYTHING ELSE TO ENABLE ME TO COMPLETE MY KIT? Yes, but only basic embroidery equipment. A list of the items required can be found in the front of your instruction manual. All items can be purchased from our website. If you have any queries about equipment, please feel free to contact us for advice. HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO I NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE KIT? Most of our kits are designed for embroiderers with some experience, but the instruction manuals are extremely comprehensive and will teach you all you need to know. If you have any difficulties, or need advice on the difficulty level of a certain kit, you are welcome to contact us. I FIND TRANSFERRING DESIGNS ON TO FABRIC DIFFICULT Don’t worry, the designs are all pre-printed for you! CAN I POST IMAGES OF MY KIT/WORK ON MY BLOG/SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE? We will be delighted if you wish to show images of this project on your blog/social media/website, as this often inspires others to have a go! However, as a courtesy, please do let me know if you plan to do this, and be aware that blogging of techniques, step-by-step or close-up images, either of the project in progress, the instructions, and the kit contents, is an infringement of copyright. Please always credit the design source and always include Jenny’s website and contact details so that those reading your blog can get in touch. Please highlight any infringements of this copyright which you observe from others. I AM STRUGGLING WITH A SECTION OF THE DESIGN One of the most important aspects of buying a kit from us is that you have direct contact to Jenny by email and she will be happy to assist you and provide advice. We cannot always answer within the hour but we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you are really struggling and need more help, we can arrange a lesson for you or to complete the section for you. I AM MISSING A COMPONENT IN MY KIT OR HAVE RUN OUT OF A THREAD We do our absolute best to ensure these situations don’t occur, but your kit is made by humans rather than machines and we do occasionally have a senior moment! Please feel free to let us know and we will be happy to supply more. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MY WORK AND WOULD LIKE TO RE-WORK We totally understand this – most embroiderers incline to perfectionism! While we sadly can’t provide more materials for free, please just let us know what you require and we will be very happy to supply more. MY DOG/HUSBAND/HOOVER/SOFA/CAT/GOLDFISH ATE MY THREAD! It happens! Not a problem. Just let us know what you need and whilst we can’t send these for free, we are more than happy to supply more. MY THREAD IS DIFFERENT TO THAT IN THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DESIGN Thread colours may vary somewhat due to dyeing processes and can appear different in reality due to photographic distortion. Due to limitations posed by suppliers, we also reserve the right to substitute project materials with suitable alternatives to those illustrated if absolutely necessary. HOW CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT NEW DESIGNS? Please go to Jenny’s website where you can join the mailing list to find out about all new releases. We promise only to send you relevant embroidery-related news and not to pass your details to third parties. CAN I SUBMIT MY WORK TO A CRAFT SHOW OR COMPETITION? We are delighted if you have enjoyed working the project and would like to submit your piece to a craft/country show competition etc. Please do let Jenny know if you are doing this as she would love to hear how you get on. Please always credit the design source and always include Jenny’s website and contact details so that people viewing the piece can get in touch. CAN I TEACH THE DESIGN TO OTHERS? If you have enjoyed working the project yourself and would like to share this with friends or wish to work the design with your students, you are welcome to contact Jenny for more kits. The kit and accompanying instructions must otherwise not be copied, reproduced or taught in any form without prior permission. This will otherwise infringe copyright. Multiple kit orders are welcome and can be supplied on a wholesale basis by arrangement. Please contact Jenny for more details. I WOULD LIKE HELP WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OR DISPLAY OF MY FINISHED WORK Excellent news. We hope you have enjoyed the journey and are delighted with the finished result! If you would like help with mounting or finishing the design, please feel free to get in touch. If you would like to order a frame, box or similar for displaying the finished piece, please visit the webshop.

Extra Requirements

To complete this kit, you will require the following equipment which can be purchased in the webshop by following the links below:

PLEASE NOTE that those items marked * are ESSENTIAL, whereas the other items are beneficial but NOT essential:

 

10 reviews for The Blue Wren Étui Embroidery Kit

  1. Mrs Jacqueline R Walker –

    My lovely Blue Wren kit has arrived – I just need the weather to cool down here to start. But the accompanying detailed instruction booklet is a joy to read in its own right and just to look at the lovely pieces of the kit is a wonderful experience – I hope I can do them justice. I live in Spain and DHL made the whole delivery experience totally stress free – I was able to pay the various taxes due directly through them and everything was totally transparent. Since the UK left the EU these must be taken into account – but your kits and other supplies are still incredibly amazing value. Thank you

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Hello Jacqueline. I am delighted to hear that your wren has flown safely to you and that you are so pleased! Also super to hear that you were pleased with our new DHL service and their efficiency. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this lovely feedback xx

  2. Jennifer S (verified owner) –

    This is a superb kit, exquisitely packaged with everything arranged and labelled according when and what you need it for. It looks daunting, but the instructions are so comprehensive and are also full of tips, hints, and tricks of the trade to ensure success. As such you’re guided through every step and I feel I’m learning as well as making. I’m about half way through and am so pleased with the results so far. Thank you Jenny.

  3. Claire Smith (verified owner) –

    I purchased this kit after seeing it made by many people on Instagram, I was delighted by it when it arrived. It was beautifully packaging, with excellent quality materials and each step the materials were individually wrapped and labelled. The instructions were so easy to follow and the diagrams showed each step very clearly, so even a less experience embroiderer like myself could follow. I’m am so pleased with the finished kit, and I hope to purchase the base and mossy hillock as soon as they come available, so it has a proper place for the bird to sit.

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Hello Claire, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such lovely feedback. I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the kit so much! Hillocks will be back very soon! Xx

  4. Patricia Demharter (verified owner) –

    Doing the Blue Wren was a major accomplishment for me. I consider myself an intermediate at embroidery, but sometimes I cross into the more advanced work . Birds play a major part in many embroidery pieces. Jenny brought this guy to life and fancied him up. That is what drew me in to give it a try. She has a way with her instructions that keep you going and not want to give up. She presents each part of the work in a step by step fashion which is key to a successful end.

  5. DeAnn Cataldie (verified owner) –

    This little bird stitched up beautifully! Opening the kit on its arrival was like opening a gift at Christmas. It was packaged perfectly. Every step was labeled and the directions were easy to me to follow.

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely comment DeAnn, I am so glad you enjoyed the design!

  6. Martha Demere –

    What a delightful project to work on through this time of quarantining. I was not sure I could complete this complicated project from a kit, as my experience with kits have not been as completely clear, but your detail in the instructions and illustrations were perfection. The beauty of the packaging and detail of labeling made it a complete delight to open up and work on. It was also an important exercise for me, since I am preparing for a very complex stump work project, and this has given me ideas of techniques that will be critical to my new project.

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Hello Martha
      Thank you so much for taking the time to write and I am so pleased you have enjoyed the project and hope it will inspire your future needlework endeavours! x

  7. Mary Pitkethly –

    Thank you, Jenny, for the beautiful kit. I felt some trepidation before I started as I just wasn’t confident that I could do the little, blue wren justice. But thanks to your clear and detailed instructions and the exquisitely packaged kit I thoroughly enjoyed making my wren and was delighted with the end result. I have completed two other of your kits and I have been equally thrilled with the results. If anyone is thinking of trying one of Jenny’s kits don’t hesitate – you won’t be disappointed they are superb!

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Hello Mary
      Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such lovely feedback, it is very much appreciated! xx

  8. Gail Thexton –

    Thank you Jenny for producing such a magnificently wonderful project in both the Blue and the Brown Wren. Your kits and your clear and precise instructions whether in the classroom with other students or stitching alone have got to be the world’s best.
    The various elements of each kit are just so exquisite and presented to such a high standard each time.
    Both the wrens have been a joy to stitch and to learn from, and they will hold a proud display place in my home for future years.

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Hello Gail
      Thank you so much for leaving such lovely feedback on the website for the wrens! Very much appreciated! xx

  9. Pene DeFelice –

    Thank you Jenny for your informative class at the Embroiderer’s Guild in Melbourne, Australia, in March. My Blue Wren is now complete made possible by the comprehensive instructions and revealing illustrations.
    The combinations of threads and textures, techniques and processes have been so enlightening. Such an exquisite, artistic little bird, enjoyed every stitch.

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Huge thanks for taking the time to send this lovely feedback Pene…it is very much appreciated xx

  10. Catherine Thorn (verified owner) –

    Thank you so much for the absolutely exquisite kit. It’s all been packaged so beautifully and thoughtfully. Everything from the instruction booklet and needlebook to the threads is so perfect. The instruction booklet is so detailed and clear, as ever, that it gives me confidence I can attempt to bring the wren to life. Thank you so much – it’s going to be a real treat to work.

    • Jenny-Adin-Christie –

      Thank you so much for taking the time to write such lovely feedback xxx

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