Kathy took the meeting tonight with apologies from Jan Gray and Ann Large.
Our speaker was Trish Bugeja who under the banner of Eggstra-ordinary Eggs, showed us her beautifully decorated eggs and explained the processes involved.
Though egg decorating started in ancient China, Faberge is the most famous egg decorator but apparently he didn't use real eggs - only egg shapes! Trish, who is herself a WI member, started her interest while living in Garstang about 25 years ago. She still has her very first egg which she showed to us!
She uses real eggs such as goose, rhea, emu, ostrich, finch and even budgie. She stressed that no eggs are taken from the wild. She had an aviary at one time and used small unhatched eggs from her own birds. Larger eggs have to be bought from suppliers and can cost as much as £15 each.
Each egg needs to be blown at least once and cleaned with Milton type fluid to rid them of all organic matter (otherwise they will attract mites). Then she works on her designs, having bought in a variety of decorative supplies to use. She has specialist equipment eg a hobby drill for cutting and an egg marker to keep the egg still. We were so impressed with her creations...she must have such a lot of patience and dexterity. The eggs are fragile and could be broken even after finishing. Trish sells her eggs at Craft Fairs and gives talks such as at our WI on Tuesday.
She allowed us to look closely and to handle the eggs (with care!) We looked at a hedgehog with melon seeds as the spines, an ostrich egg cabinet with smaller eggs displayed inside, a pram, some with miniature clocks inserted in them, some with beautiful velvet lining....... and too many others to list.
Barbara Mace who had introduced Trish, thanked her very much for such an interesting evening.
See separate post for notices.
Our speaker was Trish Bugeja who under the banner of Eggstra-ordinary Eggs, showed us her beautifully decorated eggs and explained the processes involved.
Though egg decorating started in ancient China, Faberge is the most famous egg decorator but apparently he didn't use real eggs - only egg shapes! Trish, who is herself a WI member, started her interest while living in Garstang about 25 years ago. She still has her very first egg which she showed to us!
She uses real eggs such as goose, rhea, emu, ostrich, finch and even budgie. She stressed that no eggs are taken from the wild. She had an aviary at one time and used small unhatched eggs from her own birds. Larger eggs have to be bought from suppliers and can cost as much as £15 each.
Each egg needs to be blown at least once and cleaned with Milton type fluid to rid them of all organic matter (otherwise they will attract mites). Then she works on her designs, having bought in a variety of decorative supplies to use. She has specialist equipment eg a hobby drill for cutting and an egg marker to keep the egg still. We were so impressed with her creations...she must have such a lot of patience and dexterity. The eggs are fragile and could be broken even after finishing. Trish sells her eggs at Craft Fairs and gives talks such as at our WI on Tuesday.
She allowed us to look closely and to handle the eggs (with care!) We looked at a hedgehog with melon seeds as the spines, an ostrich egg cabinet with smaller eggs displayed inside, a pram, some with miniature clocks inserted in them, some with beautiful velvet lining....... and too many others to list.
Barbara Mace who had introduced Trish, thanked her very much for such an interesting evening.
See separate post for notices.