There are some hand embroidery kits available on the market today that I like because I like the project itself - and then there are some kits I like because I like the materials. And there are some kits I like because I like the project and the materials - and this is one of the latter. The project enticed me because it is a needlebook. The materials enticed me because of the threads...

I've made several embroidered needlebooks in my life, but I've never been satisfied with my less-than-professional finish. This particular kit, I surmised, would be worth the investment, because I was certain I would learn to make a nice, finished needlebook. That was the first thing that caught my eye about the kit - the look of the needlebook. Once I read the description of the kit, I knew it would be almost a perfect match for me: the threads are Au Ver a Soie's Soie d'Alger, a thread a really love working with!



The name of the kit is "Nicole," and it is a limited edition needlebook kit distributed by Access Commodities. I bought the kit through The Mad Samplar, justifying it for all the reasons above, plus the fact that I could make the needlebook up as a nice gift for Christmas.



The cover of the box doesn't quite display the finished needlebook to its advantage - you can see the finished needlebook on The Mad Samplar website, in their new needlework shop. The description on the website reads:

"This is the second in a series of French Needle Maid Needle Books. The design was inspired by the 18th Century French Reproduction fabric procured for the lining of the needlebook. In 'reverse' fashion, the line and embroidery color choices were based on the fabric..."



I liked the fact that, when I opened the box, everything was wrapped in matching tissue paper. Right off, I figured this was a rather classy kit. And you might be thinking that, for the price tag, it should be classy! I agree... but wait. Look what's in the kit, and then let's talk price again.



So far, so good - instructions abound! There are two sets of instruction for the needlebook: one is a general little booklet that covers the question of constructing the book once it is embroidered; the other focuses on this particular needlebook, and contains specific counts and patterns for the book.



Everything is printed nicely - and this little booklet will be a gem to keep for any future needlebook projects.



The instructions are accompanied by diagrams and are very clear. After reading through both sets of instructions, I did not have any questions about what to do to create the needlebook.



For fabric, the kit contains a piece of 34 ct Wren Wing linen, a piece of cotton lining (the French Reproduction fabric mentioned above), and two pre-cut squares of heavy interfacing.



Included are seven full 5-meter skeins of Soie d'Alger. There's no way the embroidery will require this much thread - it's a generous amount, and a real sell point for me.



There's a full spool of Londonberry Linen thread in black, and a full spool of Soie 100/3 from Au Ver a Soie, in black as well. Also included are two lengths of silk ribbon (pink and black) for finish work, buttons, needle felt, and three needles.



Now, let's get back to the price tag. I surfed around online to get some prices, and added up the retail cost of just these threads. Depending on where you buy them, the threads alone will cost a minimum of $31.45. That's more than half the cost of the kit right there. I'd estimate that the supplies in the kit, retail, would cost me a minimum of $40. Between the designer, the middle-people (the store that sells it and the distributor) there's a balance of $18.50 to be split.

I think that's a pretty good deal, then, for the kit, even if the first look at the price tag made me gasp a bit.

This isn't the type of purchase I would make every day (hahahah - or every month... or probably more than even once a year!) But given my excuses above (yes, yes, I suppose they are excuses!), I'm glad I bought the kit, and I'm looking forward to working it.

One thing I wasn't aware of was that the monogram alphabet does not come with the kit. It is an old Sajou alphabet, and it can be found in a number of places online, I think. I haven't looked for it yet, but it looks familiar. I may even have it in a book somewhere, myself. But, this didn't really both me much, 'cuz guess what??

Oh, I forgot to mention... I'm not stitching this design! ???? What??? I paid that much for a kit, and I'm not even stitching the design that goes with it???!!! That's right - I'm going Surface on this one instead of counted, using my own monogram. I'm going to keep the general look of it, with the stripes down the side, and the little bunch of flowers on the back - but I'm going to work everything in surface stitches. I think the roses are begging for bullions, as are the little buds in the fancy stripes. And the monogram? Well, I haven't decided on stitches for it yet. I'll let you know when I get there! Of course, I'm keeping the color scheme. The colors all work together so well - I would be daft to change them!

So here's another little work in progress. I've started setting up the fabric and basting in the areas for stitching... I'll show you as I go along!

Ok - tell me something! Was it silly of me to pay the price for this kit? What do YOU look for in a kit? Am I NUTS?! (Ok, maybe you shouldn't answer that one!)

Enjoy your Monday!

Labels: counted thread embroidery techniques, embroidery kits, embroidery resources, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, November 16, 2009
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Colbert embroidery is an embroidery technique that combines surface embroidery stitches and counted work in one piece of needlework. It apparently developed in the 19th century, to mimic the embroidered laces (such as Dresden lace) of the century before. It is not so fine as Dresden lace, though - in fact, Colbert embroidery tends to look rather bold and coarse next to the delicate whitework of Dresden lace. And, to boot, Colbert embroidery is usually worked in color.

Colbert embroidery reminds me a lot of the free-form blackwork of the 17th century. Like blackwork from this early era (and unlike most blackwork today), Colbert embroidery is typified by bold lines that make up the predominant design of the piece, while the backgrounds are filled with geometric filling patterns.

Colbert embroidery is not too well-known today - look it up online, and you'll find only a few resources available, some of which have simplified the look of the technique quite a bit. In fact, in its heyday, the technique was quite elaborate and intricate, as can be seen from the samples that are featured in Therese Dillmont's Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework.



The photos in Dillmont's book are black and white, of course, but you can see clearly that Colbert embroidery was a rather "busy" technique. The flowing lines and shapes of flowers, leaves, and so forth were formed by surface stitches or couched braid. Then, within the shapes and over the background fabric, various counted fillings were worked. The technique was used to decorate pillows, mats, and so forth.



The structured, counted filling patterns contrast quite vividly with the flowing lines and curves of the designs. According to Dillmont, Colbert embroidery involves "large designs worked on coarse, transparent material with various filling stitches and braid outlines... The foundation is soft (washed) congress canvas..." and the threads used were actually quite a variety, from cording to stranded and pearl cotton to silk.

Today, Colbert embroidery still exists, and there are even books about the technique, though they aren't very common. Through The Mad Samplar, I picked up one book on the technique at the online needlework retail show that ran last week.



You can see from the cover of the book that the technique has been somewhat simplified. It's quite bold and grand, isn't it?



However, though somewhat simplified compared to the samples in Dillmont, it still reflects the combination of surface stitches in bold designs and geometric background fillings. In the book above, Broderies Colbert, the actual design area is left voided, which makes it somewhat similar to Assisi work.



The voiding of the bold designs is effective, I think. It creates such a stark contrast with the background.

While the book does not go into stitch directions (at all), it does give close up images of different background techniques, which would be a cinch to imitate. The text is in French, dedicated pretty much just to materials lists for the various projects featured in the book - so knowledge of the language isn't entirely necessary, as most of the supplies are pretty straightforward.



In the back of the book are small line patterns that are suitable for enlargement.

When I saw this technique and started reading a bit about it, I made an immediate connection between it and the book Wessex Stitchery, which I've already reviewed.

Wessex Stitchery focuses on a variety of filling techniques - some, admittedly, are probably too busy for Colbert embroidery. But others would serve the technique well, I think.



The photo above is from Wessex Stitchery - and the filling pattern featured there would work for Colbert embroidery, too, I think. The idea of combining Colbert embroidery with Wessex stitchery presents some interesting possibilities.

Colbert embroidery is worked today on Congress cloth, Jobelan or Etamin fabrics - all of which are cotton or blends and resemble canvas more than they resemble fabric. And this means that, in the areas that aren't stitched, you can see through to whatever is behind the fabric.

I am wondering how the technique would work on linen; perhaps the weave would have to be looser to accommodate some of the thicker background motifs. I'm also wondering how the technique would work for, say, a monogram, if the monogram were voided (that is, empty of stitching), but outlined with a surface stitch, and then the background were filled with some of the intricate fillings in the Wessex Stitchery book. A good pillow for a gift? A Christmas stocking? Oh, the possibilities...

And isn't this just the Greatest Thing about embroidery? When it comes to designing or to combining techniques, we really are only limited by our imaginations!

Have you ever tried Colbert embroidery? Do you know of any additional, thorough resources on the technique that you'd like to share with the rest of us? Does this technique appeal to you at all - or do you see any possibilities for combinations or for projects? What are YOUR thoughts?

Thanks for putting up with my ramblings! Have a terrific weekend!

Labels: book review, counted thread embroidery techniques, embroidery books, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, November 13, 2009
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This past weekend was busy with a magnificent wedding, and to top the weekend off, a friend stopped by to show me her great-grandmother's hand embroidered wedding dress. I thought I'd share some photos of it with you - it's a magnificent dress from a by-gone era!

Made from a gorgeous silk Crepe de Chine, the dress and "court train" are completely hand embroidered in silk perle with a pattern of chrysanthemums, ribbons, and shamrocks. The shoulders and sleeves of the dress are made of embroidered tulle, and the waste is accented with a rhinestone and bead bow.



The dress, unfortunately, was not carefully packaged or preserved over the last century, so it shows some serious marks of deterioration. The tulle on the shoulders and sleeves has turned a dark brown, and although feeling somewhat brittle in some places, it can still be gently handled. The lining of the dress is decaying in shreds, but the silk crepe of the dress itself is still in lovely shape (despite discoloration and some spotting that looks like rust). The embroidery is immaculate, with the exception of an occasionally broken thread here and there.



The bodice of the dress is covered with an abundance of embroidered chrysanthemums and shamrocks. The lustre of the silk threads is amazing - only silk thread could withstand the test and ravages of time and still look practically brand new!



Here, you can see the waste sash and the edge of the train running down the length of the skirt. The train, which is relatively small by today's standards of fancy trains, is made from the same fabric as the dress. It is relatively narrow and falls not too much longer than the length of the gown. The sides of the train wrap just barely to the front of the dress, so that the beautiful embroidery that adorns the edges of the train can be seen from the front and then down across the lower edge where it trails on the ground.



The large chrysanthemums are made of sweeping petals, embroidered in satin stitch, and their centers are embroidered with French knots.



In the close-up above, you can see that the clusters of French knots and the satin stitching are still in perfect shape - absolutely lovely!



The tulle that forms the caps of the sleeves is browned with age, but the embroidery on the tulle is still in excellent shape, and though the tulle seems somewhat brittle, it is actually quite soft. I love the leaf designs on the edge of this sleeve cap.

This particular tulle forms a kind of cap at the top of the sleeves - it is a larger-holed tulle in the typical hexagon shape. The sleeve itself is made from a very fine tulle which is slightly more brittle and had tiny holes, making it a bit more opaque. At the edge of the long tulle sleeves is a ruffle made of a diamond-shape netting, delicately embroidered:



I am not certain if this particular lace that forms the ruffle at the edge of the sleeves is hand embroidered or not. The little flower designs are made of what looks like bullion knots, but they may actually be satin stitch (or overcast stitching). The very edge is lined with scallops topped with a little picot.



This is a closer shot of one of the smaller embroidered chrysanthemums, ribbons, and shamrock. It's beautiful from the front, but what's amazing is that it is equally beautiful from the back:



Do you see the row of "dots" at the top of the embroidery? That is a strip of tiny weights sewn to the edge of the train.

The dress is stunning - and so light and airy, despite what looks like a heavy embroidery design. The whole dress is petit in size - I would say it's equivalent to about a size 4 - and holding it up to me, height-wise, the length would fall about to my mid-calf - and I'm only 5' 3". The bride was certainly a petit little thing. The article accompanying the dress indicated that her veil was adorned with an orange-blossom crown and she carried a bouquet of roses.

Labels: historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 06, 2009
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If you're looking for something inspirational and different for needlework projects, here are a couple resources!

Tricia Wilson Nguyen of Thistle Threads (and of Plimoth Jacket reknown) has recently published a new Needlework Nibble that makes good use of Gilt Sylke Twist and some of the stitches used on the Plimoth Jacket. Tricia's Needlework Nibbles are tiny projects - usually only a couple inches in either direction, size-wise - that employ some interesting threads and techniques, so that you can get a taste of these without launching into a big time-consuming project. I love the idea!



Her latest Needlework Nibble is a bunch of grapes worked with Gilt Sylke Twist. She sells the little kit for a reasonable price - less than $20 - and offers the embroidery pattern and instructions for free on her website. Now, this is really generous! For those of us who might have some GST in our stash, this is a great little project to try with it, and we can do it without purchasing any supplies. But, if you don't have GST in your stash, her kit is a wonderful way to try many colors of this gorgeous thread, at a reasonable price (less than the cost of a spool of GST). Among the instructions for the project, you'll also find a Gilt Sylke Twist Primer (PDF), which details very clearly how to work with GST.

Another interesting tidbit from Tricia is a great little video on the sparkle of Gilt Sylke Twist. Yep, that alone should get you drooling over those threads!

And speaking of historical threads and so forth, recently, I've become quite avidly enchanted with the Needlprint blog and all the goings-on with the Mary Wigham samplers all around the globe. It really is fascinating to read the interesting stuff on that website! Recently, Jacqueline featured a beautiful border from a Scottish sampler, which is available for free to download, if you have the right design software for cross stitch. You can get the software through her website - look for the Infinity Beatrix Potter deal, where you get the software and all the Beatrix Potter design motifs for $20.

I think these Infinity charts that Jacqueline sells on her website are super-duper interesting, and would make a good resource especially for designers. They are counted thread designs, but I can't help thinking that many of them can be adapted to other forms of surface embroidery, too. I like the Quaker and antique-type sampler motifs that are featured on Needleprint. Have you seen them? What do you think? I did something with one of them the other day, and I'll share it with you soon. Hopefully. (I haven't actually finished it. In fact, I'm not finishing much lately. Argh.)

Now, on to the excuse... for those of you who were expecting the second-to-the-last Long and Short Stitch Lesson today, never fear - it's coming! It'll be up tomorrow! I got tied up yesterday and couldn't finish the lesson! Sorry about that!

Have a terrific Thursday!

Labels: embroidery resources, Gilt Sylke Twist, historical needlework, needlework websites

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 17, 2009
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When Ruth O'Leary contacted me about her taking an embroidery commission on a banner for Durham Cathedral, I was really intrigued about her banner-making plans. Since then, she has undertaken the commission and begun the work. And best yet, she's blogging the whole process!

If you haven't had an opportunity to stop by Ruth O'Leary Textile Arts, now would be a good time to do so, while she's still in the relative beginning stages of the St. Cuthbert's Banner.



Of course, if you like goldwork, you should stop by just to take a look at her header on her blog. I love it.

Ruth has been commissioned to re-create the St. Cuthbert's Banner, a banner of which there is no surviving image, but which was described in detail some five hundred years ago in writing. From the written description, she is creating her version of the banner.

So far, on the St. Cuthbert's banner, you can see Ruth's fabric choices, the conceptual design, a mock-up, the appliqué process, and the first leg of the cross, which is worked in red velvet, with red satin pieces appliqued on to create the design. You can also see a very nice goldwork circle already finished. She also shows how she neatened the edge of the applique cross with couched gold Jap - all the steps being interesting and suspense-building components of the whole creative process behind this banner. I can't wait to see it finished!

This year, I agreed to make a banner for a church-related event that takes place at the end of October. Oh golly, October is coming up fast! While Ruth's banner is much more complex, much more artistic, and much more historically relevant to the church for which it is commissioned, mine is - at least in concept so far - relatively simple, and mostly appliquéd. The color scheme, though, is the same - red, white, and gold, which are typical (and glorious) liturgical colors. Though time seems to be somewhat scarce, I have to admit that watching Ruth's process inspires me to want to push through my banner project and make some headway on it!

You reckon I can manage it? Realistically speaking, I'm somewhat doubtful. And if I don't, that's ok, I suppose. I can still enjoy the whole banner-making process (and actually, I can enjoy it a whole lot more!) by watching Ruth's St. Cuthbert Banner unfold.

I hope you get a chance to check out her website and watch this historical re-creation come to life!

Enjoy!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, embroidery resources, goldwork, historical needlework, needlework websites

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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In the World of Needlework Books, there are books, and then there are Books. Stumpwork Medieval Flora by Jane Nicholas falls into the latter category: it's a Book you need in your needlework library! Here's an overview of it.

Jane Nicholas is an Australian needlework designer who specializes in stumpwork embroidery. She has multiple books on the market that feature her stumpwork projects in all their glory - projects that captivate any avid embroiderer and enchant even those who aren't needlework prone. Her newest book, Stumpwork Medieval Flora, does not disappoint. In the introduction, Jane notes that, like Medieval illumination, stumpwork is a surprise - it begs the viewer to close inspection and delights with each new discovery within a design.



Stumpwork Medieval Flora, an ample hard-bound book about an inch thick, features sumptuous pictures of the many projects featured in the book, along with complete materials lists and thorough instructions for completing each project. The book is divided into four sections: a brief introduction to the subject of medieval flora in illuminated manuscripts and their adaptation to stumpwork, the botanical specimens projects, the illuminated panels projects, and the final section on techniques, equipment, and stitches.



The front cover of the book features three of the five botanical specimens project (the other two specimens wrap around to the back cover). These "speciments" are can be stitched either as separate panels - each specimen individually - or they can all be stitched on one larger panel.



Each specimen illustrates a type of flora common to Medieval illumination, and along with the plant comes a good selection of very appealing insects. At the base of each speciment, the Latin name of the flower can be stitched.



The "surprise" of these stumwork pieces does not come merely from the litle bug tucked here or there. While these are certainly fascinating (and downright beautiful - yes! even though they are bugs!), the "surprise" that awaits the close observer is the technique. Close inspection reveals the leaf ruffled by the wind, the twisted petal, the shaded bud, the dragonfly's transparent wing and the beetle's shiny armor, the butterflies fuzzy abdomen - all meticulously executed with needle and thread.



Without even looking at the instructional content, you've probably realized that the book could stand alone as a coffee-table conversation piece, it's so darned beautiful!



But, let's look at the insides, too - and the meat of the matter, for those of us interested in needlework technique.



Within the book, the author instructs on a total of eight projects - five speciments and three illuminated panels. The specimens are those individual sprays featured on the cover. The panels are somewhat more formal - they feature a slightly less "natural" spray of flower or plant, bedecked with bugs and the like, and encased in a vivid frame of colored silk and gold thread.



A materials list is presented for each of the eight project. The list includes all fabric, fibers, and embellishments required to complete the project.

Line-drawings of the patterns (in the actual size to be worked) are accompanied by templates for the raised elements in each design.

The order of work is presented for each project, taking the reader step-by-step through the process of embroidering the particular design.



Little details of instruction are demonstrated with drawn diagrams. Most of the instruction, though, is in the text. The diagrams simply serve to clarify the text. Jane's text instructions in all of her books are very well and clearly written.



Mixed in among the text instructions and diagrams are up-close photos of the particular elements, completed. This is a nice touch; it not only adds interest to the black-and-white sections of the book, but it gives the reader a focused look at the element for the sake of reference.



These finished elements are printed larger than their completed size, in order for the reader to see the details of stitching and placement.



You can see here, for example, the line drawing of the butterfly accompanied by an enlarged image of the completed little beauty.



In the chapter on technique, equipment, and stitches, the reader will receive all the necessary "background" information for setting up the project, organizing and gathering supplies, the correct tools to use, and how to work the general types of stitches in the featured projects. The book, though, is not intended absolutely for beginners - unless you happen to be a very determined and enthusiastic beginner. For beginners, it would be helpful to have a few other reference books handy for stitch instructions, and Jane notes this at the back of the book (giving, in fact, a good list of resources available).

The book is Stumpwork Medieval Flora. The author, Jane Nicholas. Distributed in the US by Sterling Publishing (which has an absolutely terrific selection of embroidery books), it is a part of the Sally Milner Craft Series.

Add it to your needlework library. You'll be glad you did!

Labels: book review, embroidery designers, historical needlework, pictures, stumpwork

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, August 21, 2009
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Here's a little give-away that spans a few historical styles of needlework. It's not a huge, multi-item give-away, but in itself, it's rather meaty. We've got 17th century embroidery, 18th - 19th century Quaker-style sampler needlework, and finally, surface embroidery from the 19th / early 20th century - all in one give-away!. Hey, what more could you want??! (Rhetorical question!)

I thought it would be fun to group together some embroidery items by era and style and give them away to someone interested in all kinds of embroidery! And, if you're only interested in one thing represented here, I suppose the rest would make good gifts to other needleworking friends.



It's an odd mix of needlework-related goods, actually...



First, representing the 17th century, I've selected four blank cards from the Plimoth Plantation Jacket notecards. These are nice cards, printed on quality paper, and featuring up-close photos of motifs embroidered on the Plimoth Jacket. The four cards each feature a different motif, so you'll probably have a hard time deciding which to keep and which to give away! They'd make great birthday cards, thank you notes, or what-have-you for anyone interested in textiles. You can view the designs on all the cards on Thistle Threads. 10% of each purchase of the box of cards goes to the support of the Jacket Project.



Representing the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in the style of Quaker samplers, here's the Ackworth school memory book. This is a nifty little book where you can record your stitching. It has a zipper pocket in it, and various sleeves and pages for affixing stitch samples and so forth, as well as areas for writing commentary, some card threadwinders to cut out and use, some postcards that can be cut out and sent through the mail, and even little stitch diagrams for Quaker motifs. Neat little book! You can see inside the memory book on Needleprint, which is the publisher of the book. I happened upon a special on these not a year ago, so I picked a couple up, thinking they'd make good gifts.



And, moving into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we've got a pre-printed vintage linen (in fairly good shape). These are from the box of linens and threads I wrote about the other day.



And two skeins of M. Heminway & Sons silk. If you've been itching to see this silk up close, here's your opportunity to get your hands on some!



The skeins are in fairly good shape - still braided with tags - but you can see that the pink is having a bad hair day. Still, it's usable, and it's beautiful!

Needlework Giveaway Participation Guidelines

To participate in the giveaway, please leave a comment below this post on the website. If you're reading this in your feedreader or in the e-mail newsletter, just click on the title of the article, and that will take you straight to the website!

In your comment, please leave a name. If you comment annonymously, please make sure you sign a name inside the comment box before you submit it!

In your comment, please answer the following question:

What's your favorite style and / or era of embroidery and why?

I'll draw for a winner on August 14th at the end o' the day, and I'll let you know on the 15th who won. The winner will then need to contact me with a postal address. If for some reason contact isn't made, I'll re-draw for a new winner.

Thanks for participating!

Labels: Book Give-Away, historical needlework, linen, pictures, stash contest, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, August 10, 2009
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In case you're looking for some needlework resources or inspiration, I thought I'd compile a list of a few places I've come across over the last few weeks, coupled with some needlework news, specials, and resources...

First, some needlework shop news:


I mentioned already that Hedgehog Handworks is offering free shipping during the month of August. This is a really good deal, methinks. How many times do you look for something online, only to be deterred from ordering because of shipping? Especially if you're just looking for one little thing - like a certain color or type of thread! I had a project underway a few years ago and ran out of a specialty thread that I had to order. The shipping more than doubled the cost of thread! I'm always happy to find a free shipping deal! And, as Méri pointed out, international shipping is half price. So check out Hedgehog this month to see if there's anything you need! (Floche is on my list before the month is out...)



Threads in Bloom - specializing in Brazilian embroidery supplies and kits - is also running a little deal in August to celebrate 22 years in business. (That's a long time! Congratulations, Sharon!) During August, Sharon will be including free mesh zipper bags with any orders $10 and over. For orders of $10 - $25, she's including a small bag; $25.01 - $35.00, a medium-small bag; $35.01 - $50, a medium bag, and orders over $50 will include a large bag. These mesh bags are terrific project bags - I have a few and I use them all the time! I've taken to using the large mesh zipper bag to store multiple projects of a particular kind. For example, all my Trish Burr kits are safely tucked away in a large zipper bag.



If you're looking for specialty embroidery supplies in Europe, Aurélie Clay and her mom have recently opened an online shop in France. The shop is called Brodely, and you can find it in both French and in English. Brodely has just opened up, so I'm sure we'll see some expansion on the shop. What I like about it: they carry goldwork supplies! They also carry some harder-to-find supplies for embroidery on tulle, including cotton tulle and tambour needles in a variety of sizes. You can also find silk fabrics, sequins, beads, and so forth. And, they accept Paypal, which makes it very easy to place orders from overseas! I like this little shop - it'll be fun to see how it develops.



Paint-by-Threads is an interesting online shop specializing in embroidered art (already embroidered) and kits (for you to embroider) in the Arts & Crafts Movement style. The Framed Needle Art section is quite inspiring to browse through, but what really catches my attention about the shop is the selection of linen available to purchase by the yard. The prices on the linen per yard look quite reasonable. I haven't seen any of the fabric upclose, in person, but I'm going to order some swatches. There are some Belgian linens and Irish linens on there - and, like I said, per yard, they are priced quite reasonably.

Now, onto some Fun Stops online....



Have you visited Needleprint? This is a site devoted to a huge world-wide stitch-along on the Mary Wigham sampler from the Ackworth school. The designs that abound on the website are in the "Quaker" style of samplers, and the historical information about needlework from the era and from the school is all rather engrossing. I found myself whiling away quite a bit of time, reading through the posts and seeing what's offered on the website. If you like the Quaker style of needlework, you will really enjoy this site. The stitching is counted - and it has that old world charm that is beguiling, I think. I love it! There are some nice projects and freebies on the site, too, so browse around and dig deep!



Ok, I know you're going to think this is really weird - it's not really "needlework" - why is she sending us to a hat pattern? But, anyway - enough of that! Let me explain! On Betz White's blog this week, she featured her new reversible bucket hat pattern, which she has for sale on Etsy. Ok, ok. I'm not a hat person. I'd like to BE a hat person! But I'm not. But I know several people who are - and I think this pattern (while cute as anything in Betz's fabrics) has some potential in a needleworky-sort-of-way. So stay tuned for that in a while - my niece and I are working on something! It IS a cute hat, isn't it? And think: embellishment!

Those are a few sites that have caught my eye recently! Hope you have fun looking through them!

Labels: embroidery resources, historical needlework, supplies

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, August 09, 2009
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The other day, I showed you that magnificent box of M. Heminway & Sons silk - a goodly collection of vintage silks from the turn of the 20th century. The more I think about this treasure, the more excited I am about it! Here, I'd like to show you some of the linens that were in the box...

These linens are certainly "vintage" - they're downright antiques. Some are embroidered in part, some are not. Some are in fairly good shape and might be salvageable, but some probably can't be salvaged. Below, you'll see some photos of only some of the linens, actually - there are more than pictured here, but this is a good selection of the types of linens in the box.

Many of the pieces are of the same weight fabric - a light, fine linen with a smooth "hand" (or surface feel), but others are coarser linen and one even looks like a cotton sateen, the type of fabric used for Mountmellic embroidery. And there are different types of designs on some of the linens - especially on the coarser ones. These, I don't think, were necessarily used for "Society silk" styled embroidery, but for other projects - maybe just practice?

Let's take a look - and if you have any insights, do feel free to share them!



This is rather a fine weight linen, with a leafy design printed on it. Embroidery was begun on one corner.



The embroidery for the filled areas is worked in a shading technique - long and short stitch - and the stems are worked in stem stitch. Isn't the sheen of the silk just beautiful?!?



This is a piece of rather coarse linen. You can see that it is pretty well stained and marked with age. I suspect that the embroiderer actually put the pattern on herself, via a prick-and-pounce method of transfer. The pounce must have been either damp or actually an ink of sorts. In old books, especially books on ecclesiastical embroidery, there are some "recipes" for ink that is applied in a way similar to the prick-and-pounce powder method method, and I think that's what this is. Why do I assume she didn't buy the piece with the design already on it? Read on, and I'll get to that point further down...



This is another piece of linen that's relatively coarse, but not as coarse as the linen in the previous photo. The design on this one looks preprinted, and the embroidery was begun in a heavier silk (called "rope" - there's a good bundle of this silk in the box).



The embroiderer was stitching the edges of the leaves in buttonhole stitch.



This is another piece of finer linen - very thin stuff. I suspect that the piece came with the drawn thread areas already done, and with the embroidery design printed on it. This was obviously a set, because there are a couple more pieces in the box, just like this, with different embroidery designs around the drawn thread area.



You can see a close-up on the drawn thread area here. Though it is visually interesting over all, the drawn thread design is not worked very neatly. The tips of the ovals are jammed with threads. Still, the inside parts of the ovals are really incredible - teeny tiny detail work here.



You can see the graduated shades in the stitching here, and the luster of the silk.



This piece is from the same set, but instead of flowers, the design around the outside features pomegranates.



This is the same design as the first coarse linen up above, and the fabric looks to me more like a cotton sateen - it's shiny, and the weave looks like a sateen. Hence, my reasoning for thinking she transferred these two designs herself, because they are on completely different types of fabric, and though the designs are the same, they have a few "blotches" in different places. It's a neat design - it has the look of some of the flowers you'll find in William Morris's textile designs.



Here's another piece of fine linen, with a design typical of "Society silk" or Silk Art Embroidery. There's a larger doily, with several small ones - sort of like coasters. The design is preprinted in blue.



The small circles have different designs around them - they aren't all exactly the same. I think there were two of one pattern and two of another, but they all "work" together as a matching set.



Here's another set of small doilies. The edges of these could be worked in a buttonhole or a satin stitch, then the rest of the fabric could be cut away.



The strange thing about this set is that it looks as if someone went back over the design with pencil, either to darken it up, or to put in guides for stitching. Either that, or perhaps a ghost image was printed on the fabric at the same time. I'm wondering about spot removal on some of these - I wouldn't want to remove the design, but I'd like to get rid of some of the spots...



This is another pre-printed linen, on a finer weight of linen, but printed in yet a different style when compared to the other linens above.



What I really like about it is the information on the corners - directives for types of stitching and colors, I think.



There's also what looks like a design or pattern number, and a needle still stuck in the fabric.



This piece is perhaps my favorite in the whole box - not just because I think the pattern is very pretty, but also because it is in the best shape. I think it IS salvageable, and it would be worth embroidering in the same style, using the silks from the box. I've put that on my List!

Some of the pieces had some really pretty embroidery on them, though none of it was finished. Some bits of embroidery look like practice pieces, while others were projects underway but never completed. I'll show you some of those a bit later, too!

So what do you think? Worth trying to clean some of these up to stitch? Do you think they'd hold up? I certainly think the patterns are worth tracing on many of them, that's for sure! Some of the designs are very pretty and delicate - others are bold and beautiful. I may have to devote some time to that!

Labels: historical needlework, linen, pictures, vintage embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, August 08, 2009
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A few weeks ago, a reader contacted me to ask if I would be interested in a box of "old" stamped linens. They had been given to her, but she knew she wouldn't use them, so she kindly volunteered to send them to me, or to Good Will. Some linens, she said, still had the original embroidery threads with them. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity, and Freda very kindly sent me the box.

I've had similar things happen before: neighbors cleaning out their garage or their storage area and coming across old craft stuff and not wanting to go through it; people contacting me from afar, after the death of a family member, and asking if I wanted the box of their mom's embroidery supplies, as they weren't interested in them; a lady dumping (yes, dumping) a worn out box full of children's crafting supplies on my front porch.... and the list could go on. In most of these situations (the exception being the dumbed box on the front porch!), it has always been a real pleasure to go through the boxes.

Each box tells a story of sorts - what the person's tastes were; how much they loved their hobby; what things in life were important to them; whether they were very organized and meticulous people, or whether they were more like... uh... me. Going through old needlework supplies, you can learn a lot about people!

You can also learn a lot about the history of needlework, which was the case with Freda's box.



The contents of this box undoubtedly date to the late 1800's - early 1900's, during that era of "Silk Art Embroidery" or "Society Silk." Well, certainly some of the threads date from the mid-1800's up to 1917 (I'd guess closer to 1917).

Inside the box, I found a heap of unworked, stamped linens, featuring tea cloths, doilies, and the like. The majority are printed with "natural" looking floral designs, typical of the "Silk Art Embroidery" style (or "Society Silk"). Very few of them are partially worked, and none are completely worked. I'll show you the linens a bit later.



Tucked inside some of the linens were skeins of silk floss - in different degrees of disarray. Some will need attention to get them back in order; others are neatly braided.



Regardless of their current situation, all the threads are gorgeous! The sheen is incredible - the silk is just beautiful! I am looking forward to the challenge of separating and straightening out the different colors and weights of silk!

When I removed the linens from the box, I discovered more silk! Someone had already tried to organize this bunch, using small plastic bags.



The majority of the silk was manufactured by M. Heminway & Sons:



Merrit Heminway was the first manufacturer to spool silk in the US. From the mid-1800's through 1917, his company (formerly Bishop & Heminway) was called M. Heminway & Sons Silk Company. In 1917, the company was sold to Hammond Knowlton & Co, and the name was changed to H.K.H. Company. So somewhere between the establishment of of M. Heminway & Sons Silk Company and the selling of it to H.K.H., these threads were made. An expert who's studied the subject in-depth could probably look at the label and be a bit more precise as to the age of the thread, but there's no doubt that the era is certainly the "Silk Art" or "Society Silk" era of embroidery.

The popularity of this style of embroidery, which is essentially needlepainting flowers and other natural florals on linen and other ground fabrics using fine silks, lasted from the around the 1880's through about 1915 - 1920. According to Donna Cardwell in her book Silk Art Embroidery: A Woman's History of Ornament and Empowerment, the term "society silk" comes from the organization (The Society of Decorative Art) that taught the skills of this type of needlework all over the country and in Canada. Silk Art Embroidery has an interesting history and is worth reading about. Don't be too put off by the title of the book above - I was afraid it was going to be entirely a "social history" book, but it isn't. It contains interesting history and lots of technique information.

While it is evident from this box of goodies that the stitcher was definitely stitching household linens, I can't help wondering if they were for her or if they were being made to sell as a source of income? Was she just dabbling in the new embroidery rage? Or was she seriously trying to learn the technique in order to supplement income? These things, I will probably never know - but it's fun to wonder!

Incidentally, this type of thread was not used solely for "Silk Art Embroidery." This was the silk embroidery floss available in the US at that time, and you can see it on a multitude of ecclesiastical work from that time period, as well. I've always wanted to see the threads they used in ecclesiastical work from the early 1900's, up close. When looking at different pieces, it's evident that the pieces were stitched with lightly twisted filament silk. And finally, here's a whole box of it!

I'll be sorting through this as I have time, and I'll also be showing you the linens, in case you're curious!

Thanks, Freda, for thinking of me!

Labels: historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk, threads, vintage embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, August 05, 2009
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The folks behind the Plimoth Plantation 17th century jacket project have been busy! They've brought another new metal thread onto the market, one which was used in 17th century raised embroidery, but eventually fell out of use and disappeared from the market. We've heard the story before - remember that these are the same folks behind the Gilt Sylke Twist now once again available to the embroiderer after a couple centuries of absense! Silk Purl is the new thread, and here's a look at it...

Silk Purl is made up of a fine copper wire wrapped with filament silk, then turned into a tight coil. If you're familiar with goldwork embroidery threads (real metal threads for embroidery), you can compare Silk Purl with regular purls used in goldwork. (You can see some gold purls being worked in my beetle wing goldwork project from a while ago, if you want!) The difference between regular gold or gilt purls and Silk Purl is that Silk Purl is covered in silk, which means it's colored and shiny like silk and the coil is a little fatter than the coil you'd see on a regular gold or gilt purl.



Silk Purl is a really incredible thread! I realize that trends and tastes change as the years pass, but it's so hard to imagine that a thread this interesting could just fade from existence and not be resurrected again for some centuries!

I love the look and the feel of the Silk Purl. It feels hard (due to the wire) but smooth (thanks to the silk!), a little boingy, and bumpy.



Just like with regular purls used in goldwork, if you stretch the Silk Purl, you'll get an elongated spring-looking length of wire that will not close back on itself.



If you unwrap the spring, you can see the colored wire that forms the core of the metal thread, and the silk, of course, which becomes very limp and silk-like. It's nice silk and it feels great to the touch!



Silk Purl is hollow in the center, so small pieces cut from the length of the Silk Purl can be sewn on just like bugle beads. According to Tricia Wilson Nguyen, the lady behind the research that resurrected these historic threads, Silk Purl was sewn on in a number of ways: couched in long wavy lines (sometimes with the Silk Purl slightly stretched - think human of animal hair in 17th century embroidery); sewn on in loops; or sewn on in a kind of chipwork method to fill an area, as is done with check purl. Tricia included some great photos of historical examples of Silk Purl in use in her last newsletter from Thistle Threads. If you haven't signed up for her newsletter, you should. Though they don't come out often, when they do, they're full of interesting tidbits on historical embroidery.



To give you an idea of the size of Silk Purl, I lined a piece up with a regular piece of 6-stranded DMC cotton, which is what you see here in the foreground of the photo.



Although in size, Silk Purl is more solidly round and stands up off the fabric, you can see that it isn't too far in size from a regular piece of DMC (with all 6 strands still in tact).



Silk Purl comes in colors to that match Gilt Sylke Twist, with about 8 colors available right now. It is uncertain whether the thread will continue to be manufactured, and the colors presently being manufactured are short in quantity, so if you see a color you like over at Thistle Threads, don't delay in ordering it - you never know when it may be gone again for good.

I ordered a sample pack of the colors, to see what Silk Purl was all about. I think it's a really neat thread, and that those interested in stumpwork or any dimensional embroidery techniques, or goldwork, would find the thread inspiring. I've been mulling over all kinds of possible uses ever since the package arrived in the mail, and I've added it to my list of things to play with in the near future! I'm looking forward to it!

Labels: embroidery resources, goldwork, historical needlework, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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While visiting San Carlos Borromeo Mission in Carmel, California, last week, I enjoyed looking at their display case of old embroidered vestments. One in particular caught my eye, because it was very similar to another vestment I had seen several years ago on display in Clyde, Missiouri. I thought I'd put the two similar elements up together here so that you can see the similarities, too.

Both vestments were certainly hand embroidered. I know for a fact that the vestments in Clyde, Missouri, are hand embroidered, and, looking at the ones at San Carlos up close, it is obvious that they, too, were worked by hand.

Both vestments are "Roman" in style - that is, they are oblong rectangles - and in the middle of the back of the vestment (the part that, in the traditional ceremonies of the Church, face the congregation most of the time), there is a round medallion featuring the face of Christ, with a small bit of text surrounding the face. The medallions are centered in an elaborately embroidered cross. The surrounding embroidered cross is not really the focal point here, because, except in size, they aren't similar at all.

The following medallion is on a vestment at the Benedictine convent in Clyde, Missouri:



The colors are a little surprising. The photo was taken inside, in regular lighting, and the piece was behind glass. Still, these were the colors, more or less - predominantly blues and pinks.



The vestment at San Carlos in Carmel featured much warmer colors - golds, reds, deep bluish-greens.

The overall look of the two vestments reflect completely different "eras" of art. The top piece, for example, has a somewhat art-nouveau look to it (this style of art being popular from the late 1800's through the early 1900's, with the peak of popularity being between about 1890-1905/10 - about a 15 to 20 year spread of time). The second piece, from San Carlos, is more conservative in style and color selection. But the similarities between the faces is what is intriguing.

The points of similarity that strike me especially are:

1. The arrangement - the circle, the text, the face.
2. The nose and eyebrows
3. The cheekbones
4. The eyes
5. The lips - though dissimilar in color, the are similar in structure, including the space just below the lips.

The hair and beard on the two pieces are different, too - the stitching on the beard on the second piece is much "lighter" and fuzzier looking. The top medallion features very dark lines under the edge of the moustache, which draws the mouth down. Yet, essentially, the two moustaches are the same shape, even to the point of the left side looking less angled than the right.

It is pretty clear that the two pieces were worked from the same image as a pattern, but the interpretations are slightly different. My guess? That a line of patterns with this image of the face was available from the late 1800's through the early 1900's, but that, though the face was the same, the embroiderer could select from a series of patterns that featured different styles of text, wording, etc., and that the individual embellishment of the cross and halo and the surrounding edge were left to the embroiderer's imagination and skill. Probably, a catalog of embroidery patterns was available at the time, and convents, houses of embroidery, or individuals selected their patterns from the catalog.

That's just a guess. I have a couple other images from different vestments in different parts of the country that support the notion that common patterns were used (probably ordered from catalogs) in ecclesiastical embroidery found on old vestments. One image in particular comes to mind, so when I find those photos, I'll put them up for you to see.

I thought it was kind of neat to find two such similar images in hand embroidery, some thousands of miles apart, but both in museums that reflect the religious heritage of the area in which they are located. I also like the fact that the choice of colors and the arrangement of design on the back of the chasuble (the embroidered cross) reflect both the individual embroiderers' tastes and the location / use of the vestment. The second medallion above, for example, is perfect for San Carlos, as far as colors are concerned. The vestment belonging to the first medallion would look entirely out of place in the sanctuary at the mission in California, but it probably worked great in the chapel in Clyde, Missouri.

Any input or observations?

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 11, 2009
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While at Threadneedle Street in Issaquah, Washinton, I picked up a new book on hand embroidered monograms that is more than just a book on hand embroidered monograms - it is a fascinating glance into the House of Malbranche, a French institution dedicated, since the mid-1800's, to the creation of beautiful household linens.

Letters and Monograms from the House of Malbranche by Yvonne Van de Velde-Malbranche and Christine Rosenthal is a hard-bound book that contains practical information for the embroiderer - instructions on creating beautiful monograms for household linens - as well as a unique look into an interesting part of textile history: the established "institutions" or "houses" that produced luxury embroidered goods for the rich and the royal.



The text of the book is presented in three languages: French, Italian, and English. The book begins with a history of the House of Malbranche, detailing how the insitute would fulfill orders for custom linens - from the consulting stage, to the designing, to the distribution to embroiderers, to collections and payments.



It then progresses to practical information about the embellishment of fine household linens, including embroidering to appliquéing linens for the home.



The monograms featured range from elaborate in form - scrolly, intricate letters entwined around each other - to simple, clear individual letters.



Technical information on completing the monograms is arranged alongside the photo samples included.



Along with patterns, detailed explanations of stitch direction (especially for satin stitching) are included. This type of information is of great help to the beginner who desires to achieve perfect satin stitching around the curves of graceful letters.



Appliqué and pin stitching are featured on a "modern" looking monogram - quite art nouveau-ish - worked in white on natural linen. Not only do I love the combination of white-on-natural, but I love the clean look of this monogram set!



Diagrams covering different technical aspects of the art of embroidered monograms pepper the book, helping to illustrate the instructions in the text.



One of the most helpful topics in the technical instructions is the stitch direction for satin stitching, as mentioned above. Here, you can see that stitch direction on rounded tips of letters is being discussed and drawn out.



Throughout the book, there are many beautiful alphabets suitable for a variety of interpretations.

If you're interested in whitework, in monogramming, or in the history of textiles, I think you would enjoy this book! The English translation is a little choppy here and there, but the wealth of information and beauty within the pages makes up for this.

I found the book at Threadneedle Street in Washington, but I do not know if they still have it available, as it isn't presently on their website. They can probably order it for you, if you're interested in it. Note, though, that the price tag was pretty hefty - around $50.

You can also find the book through Mad Sampler Books, available for special order at $48. I couldn't find it in too many other places online, so if you happen to know a resource, do please feel free to let us know!

I think, overall, this is my favorite purchase from my recent road trip. I picked up a lot of fun things, but this was a nice find of a not-so-common book, on a topic I like, in a beautiful format, with an interesting story to read. I really like it!

Labels: book review, embroidery resources, historical needlework, monograms

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, July 09, 2009
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Ashley, of Oooooh, Silk!, though relatively new to embroidery, undertook to embroider, in Holbein stitch, a coif. She is going to tell you all about the adventure...

I was inspired by history to learn blackwork (Holbein stitch, double running stitch). I play in the SCA (a medieval/renaissance reenactment group) and have slowly come to dabble in the beautiful fashions that were present in the mid to late 1500s (about that time that Holbein was painting his lovely portraits featuring blackworked cuffs, collars, and clothing). I thought they were gorgeous pieces, but I didn’t really see myself doing it until I looked through Janet Arnold’s newest Patterns of Fashion book. Her meticulously researched book of patterns, illustrations, research, and pictures of 16th century costuming made me realize that if I ever wanted to take myself seriously as an Elizabethan enthusiast, I had to learn embroidery. The full color photos of blackwork, pulled work, and insertion lace beckoned to me, and I had to have some of my own.



The pattern was created by Laura Mellin, part of a series of headwear patterns from museum or other 16th century sources, usually dating between 1590 and 1620 (when Elizabethan and early Jacobean embroidery was most popular). While several of her patterns have beautiful and (to my eye) highly complicated botanical and animal designs, I was struck by the “Genevieve” pattern, a fairly simple grid work of lines and fleur-de-lis surrounding isolated flower motifs. Thinking that it would be a good starter piece, I purchased the pattern at a local SCA function.

For the fabric, I used a rather unusual source at our local thrift store. My husband and I are still going through our Poor Newlywed phase, so I really didn’t have the budget for the really expensive linens for the project’s ground, and I didn’t want to use the discount linen typically available through the internet, since it tends to be very low quality. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to spend so much time working on a project and end up with something substandard and incorrect to the time period I was going for. It was a magical day when $5 men’s shirt appeared in front of me at the local DI, and I was so impressed with the quality of the fabric (not perfect, but certainly better than I’d seen commercially) that I immediately knew it would be perfect for the coif.



After ripping out the seams, it was a simple matter to stabilize the fabric with wax paper (applied with a hot iron, another tip from Laura Mellin) and transfer the pattern using a micron pen. I congratulated myself for finding a garment that exactly fit the pattern, with just enough room for hoop space and seam allowances!

I am using two strands of RG Splendor silk floss for the embroidery, conditioned with beeswax. I find that the Splendor shreds a bit more than the DMC cotton floss I was used to so the wax goes a long way to keep it smooth and workable. The size of the coif meant I could not easily mount the project on a scroll frame, and while I would have loved to get a good slate frame and even tried to build a simple wood frame, in the end, a simple (and cheap) plastic hoop became the best and most economical option. I was worried at first that it would damage the blackwork or cause odd stretching, but so far it seems to be fine. It also makes it highly portable – I carry it in a gallon size zip lock bag with the thread, wax, scissors, and spare needles, so I can work on it any spare moment I have.



In working on it, I’ve come to love seeing the design appear as I work. The curlicues and loops of the flowers have become some of my favorite parts to work. The one thing I haven’t liked, I have to admit, is the grid work. I’ve found straight lines in double running stitch to be one of the hardest portions of this project, especially in places where my transfer might not have been the greatest (a ruler would not have been amiss in the transfer phase, I realize after the fact). It’s much easier to do the flowing naturalistic designs, and flaws in the stitching are far less noticeable. Sometimes I have to ‘reward’ myself with flowers after one or two passes at the grids. Couching might have been a better option, but by the time I realized that I was already committed to doing them in double running stitch (i.e. I didn’t want to pull out what I’d already done and start over).

Even with the difficulties, I’m really enjoying this style of embroidery. I love the idea of making a project better than the sum of its parts (in this case, about $15 in materials and a whole lot of time), and ending up with wearable, historical art. If I keep up my current progress, I hope to be able to finish it by the end of the year.

If anyone is interested in Laura Mellin’s embroidery patterns, they are available through Reconstructing History (reconstructinghistory.com).

Labels: historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, readers embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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Last week, I mentioned Sampler & Antique Needlework, a very nice needlework magazine published by Hoffman Media. There's another needlework magazine out there called Piecework, published by Interweave Press, and I wanted to bring it to your attention today because of a very nice article in the current issue.

Piecework Magazine calls itself the "leading historical needlework magazine." It's a nice magazine, and it focuses on such a wide variety of needlework interests that almost any needleworker will certainly find something appealling in it during the course of a subscription year.



It isn't a hefty magazine, though. Of all the needlework magazines to which I've subscribed over the years, Piecework is the lightest on content and projects. But their content is certainly quality content, and their subscription rate is very fair in relation to the quantity factor.

Piecework often focuses on a theme of sorts in each issue. In the current issue, "Amazing Lace," the theme is historical lace.



One of the projects featured in the magazine is this beautiful needlelace insert. I was really excited to see this project! You know I've set aside my whitework sampler for a little bit due to other projects that have come up - but I don't want my interest in the sampler to fizzle! I want to finish it! And seeing this piece of needlelace in Piecework rejuvenated my determination to get back to that project as soona s possible.



The project is laid out with step-by-step instructions, so it would be an excellent way for a beginner to try a piece of needlelace. The piece is small enough to be very manageable.

If you're interested in Piecework Magazine, you can check out Interweave's website, where you'll find their "new subscriptions" deal. And while you're visiting their website, take time to browse around a bit. They have some really excellent articles available, such as this one on the wooden spool industry in Maine (PDF), and their current edition of Textile Travels, which focuses on Mexico City and Oaxaca (PDF). I love articles like these! Interweave's website also features a free projects and articles section. Currently, under new projects, they are offering this beautiful little biscornu project (PDF), focusing on punto antico (antique stitch), an Italian drawnthread technique that features geometric embroidery patterns. It's quite pretty! They've also got a bunch of other embroidery projects available, as well as projects in other needlework techniques.

Interweave's website is one that keeps me lingering, especially the Piecework section. So if you're looking for somewhere to browse around for a while, give them a visit!

Labels: historical needlework, needlelace, needlework magazines, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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It's always useful to write about the embroidery and needlework products that one is interested in! I actually never have any "mercenary" motives when I write about the things I like - but I did manage to land a nice needlework kit for my birthday this year - the Bayeux kit I mentioned when I told you about the French Needle!

So, here I am, musing over this kit. The kit allows the needleworker to recreate a small section of the famous Bayeux tapestry - and I've since learned that there are many of these kits available, featuring different parts of the tapestry. I like the one I received, and I think I'd also like (eventually) one with ships on it. BUT - that remains to be seen! I'll let you know if those sentiments change after working this kit!



This is the kit I received. You can see at the top of the picture the design printed on the fabric. The fabric is a sturdy cotton, and all the lines of the design are printed on it in black. In fact, it's a lot like an almost-cartoonish-looking linedrawing of this section of the tapestry, and it looks strange in just lines - until you realize that it really is exactly what the tapestry looks like, minus the colors!



Besides the printed fabric, the kit contains wool for embroidering (seems about the weight of crewel wool, maybe slightly heavier) and a chart of the embroidery project, indicating what colors go where.

Note: there are no stitch instructions, really. The whole piece is supposed to be worked in Bayeux stitch, which is a laid and couched stitch. Even though there are no stitch isntructions, the kit should be pretty easy to work! Time consuming, but fairly simple.



What struck me as strange was the limit of browns. In fact, for the elements in the tapestry that seem "brownish," there is only one brown and one rust color. There's also a navy blue - apparently, some the horses are to be worked in navy blue.



See the dark horses? They look black to me, but apparently, they are navy blue. Check out their red legs!



Well, to get some better insight into the project before undertaking it, I thought I would drag out David Wilson's book on the Bayeux Tapestry. It's a nice book - besides getting the history of the tapestry and the story translated and explained, you also get very close up images of the entire tapestry.



And, in fact, in opening the book to the pages corresponding to my kit, I found a very helpful resource for working this kit. The individual threads and stitches are crystal clear! You can even see that the blue is really blue. Notice the color changes in the work. Apparently, the stitchers weren't too concerned about color changes. When their thread ran out, it is surmised, they merely took up another color.



And the colors didn't always match, even if they were the same.

Still, it seems to me that in this section, there is at least one more shade of a tannish brown color. I suppose that could have come about from fading and what-have-you, but even so, I'm thinking I might invest in one more color of thread before I work this kit.

In the original tapestry, no more than 8 colors are used throughout the whole piece. But I would imagine that dye lots would have provided slight variations within the colors, whether these variations were desirable or not.

I love the kit, and am looking forward to working on it ... some day! In the meantime, I'll keep an eye out for the opportunity to go thread shopping in person, to see if I can come up with one more compatible shade of tannish-brown.

If you want to see what the Bayeux Stitch is, you can check out Bayeux Stitch, Ancient and Modern (PDF), supplied by the Embroiderers' Guild of the UK.

If you're interested in these kits, you can find them at The French Needle - and if you want to order a different scene of the tapestry, you can contact The French Needle to find out what other scenes are available. Also, if you read my previous post about the French Needle, you can find out how to save 10% on any order during April.

Labels: embroidery kits, embroidery resources, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, April 24, 2009
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Are you familiar with the magazine Sampler & Antique Needlework? It comes out five times a year - quarterly, plus one special holiday edition. The magazine is devoted, firstly, to historical samplers of a variety of types. Within its pages, you'll also find lots of informative articles, pictures, and insights to embroidery tools and techniques, and to the needlework trade in general throughout history.

I just recently began subscribing to the Sampler & Antique Needlework, because I was enchanted by an article I saw in a friend's copy. The article was about a specific historical sampler worked by a seven-year-old. The sampler was beautiful, and it amazed and inspired me that it was worked by a child seven years old! Wow! Flipping through the copy of the magazine, I found many interesting articles to read, some neat facts about different needlework tools, and plenty of patterns to recreate various historical pieces or try various techniques.

When I had the opportunity, I looked the magazine up and found that I could order a slew of back issues, too. In fact, Wyndham Needleworks carries many back issues and they detail on their website the contents of each issue - a very handy reference, if you have something specific you're looking for!

This is my collection of back issues of the magazine so far:



It's a goodly little stack of interesting and valuable needlework information! What I particularly like about the magazine is that it focuses on a variety of needlework techniques and samplers, beyond simply the "ABC" style samplers that we tend to associate with the word "sampler." That's not to say there aren't plenty of those, too, as there are - and I find them fascinating. Looking at them is like looking at a little clip of a needleworker's life long ago. I love that!



The focus project or sampler of each magazine is usually featured on the cover. This is a beautiful crewel work piece made into a needlebook. Inside the magazine are all the instructions to make the piece, using materials available today. (Oh, and don't worry - there are lots of other projects in there, too!)



Some issues of the magazine focus on a theme, such as the issue above, which explored birds in antique needlework. I'm a bit of a bird lover myself, so this issue was really fascinating for me.



The focal point of this issue is the sampler featured on the cover. Inside, you'll find the chart to recreate the sampler. You'll also find all kinds of information about this historical piece, from its creator to its conservation.



Each magazine features many projects, and some of the featured projects (like the one above) are relatively small, so they can be completed in a relatively short period of time, as opposed to some of the larger samplers that can take ten forevers to complete! So there's a nice variety of projects within the magazine...



All types of historical needlework find voice in Sampler & Antique Needlework - including beadwork!



Aha! Now we're arriving at the pieces that hooked me into collecting some back issues - this stumpwork sampler...



... and this little goldwork piece...



... and this fantastic piece of needle lace! Wow!



The inside of the magazine is nicely laid out, which beautiful pictures, plentiful articles, and clear instructions for the projects featured within the issue.



In some cases, the instructions are drawn diagrams; in other cases, they're photos.



Above in a section of instruction on the stumpwork sampler. You'll probably recognize the plaited braid instructions, and you can also see detached stitches and stitch direction and color change being demonstrated.



The articles on historical pieces, needlework tools, and so forth are scholarly and well-written, with citation of sources and insights from experts in the field of needlework and in other related fields. Clear and close-up photos abound!

I wanted to introduce you to this magazine, if you weren't already aware of its existence, in case you might find it as interesting as I do. I've subscribed to several needlework magazines over the years: Inspirations, which is the nonpareil of needlework magazines as far as projects, quality, & aesthetic appeal are concerned; Australian Smocking & Embroidery; Piecework; Stitch; Classic Stitches; Threads; Embroidery & Cross Stitch; and a variety of others. The only subscription that I have consistently kept is Inspirations. Content and quality-wise (for my interests, anyway), as long as Sampler & Antique Needlework maintains its present quality, it'll definitely be a magazine to which I consistently subscribe.

If you're interested in back issues of this magazine, I'm sure there are several online needlework shops that have them. I know Needle in a Haystack carries them. I ordered mine from Wyndham Needleworks. They're reliable, but don't expect fast service. If you want to subscribe to the magazine, you can subscribe through Hoffman Media. I'm not at all affiliated or anything like that - just passing on the information in case you're interested in the magazine, too! Right now, it seems that the "one year subscription" on their website is listed as "out of stock." I'm not exactly sure what this means, but I've inquired and should receive a reply soon. I sincerely hope it doesn't mean they're not publishing it anymore! (Wouldn't that be ironic?!)

Note: For those who might become twitterpated with any particular cover project featured above - for example, the stumpwork project - keep in mind that some larger projects (like the stumpwork one) are serial features in several issues, so you might want to check the contents of each issue before ordering back issues.

Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery resources, historical needlework, needlework magazines, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, April 23, 2009
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Happy Easter! To celebrate the day, I want to share with you another piece of ecclesiastical embroidery - this time, an elaborate super frontal for an altar.

In Catholic and Anglican churches, the altar in the front of the church would sometimes be adorned with an antependium, or frontal. If made of cloth, the frontal was usually embellished, either embroidered or appliquéd. In some churches, especially larger churches, a super frontal would also be used ("super" actually from "supra," meaning "above" the frontal) in addition to the frontal. The super frontal was a long decorated piece, not very high, but wide enough to span the width of the altar. Sometimes, it was "built into" the frontal (separated, for example, by trim, to mark off the super frontal area), but more often, especially in more elaborate churches and chapels, it was a separate piece. Think of it like a valance, almost, floating above the frontal.

This super frontal was embroidered by the Benedictines in Clyde, MO, before the 1950's. If you've been reading Needle 'n Thread for a while, you will probably recognize the look of it, as it was a source of inspiration for me when I embroidered an ecclesiastical piece a few years ago.



The piece is very long - I would guess at least 10 feet in length, perhaps longer. The center medallion is the Agnus Dei symbol. The Lamb with the banner is a representation of Christ, sacrificed and triumphantly risen from the dead. Around the central medallion are many colorful scroll designs featuring plenty of stylized pomegranates, which, in ecclesiastical embroidery, symbolize resurrection and new life.

The embroidery on the center medallion is worked on a dark gold-colored cloth. It's not shiny silk, though it might be silk. It has a kind of noticeable weave to it. When I first saw it, I thought it was a strange color for the background - but, in relation to the colors in the rest of the super frontal, I think it works really well.



From this side view, you can also see that there are banners with text embroidered on them.



Here, you can get a better view of the scrolls, acanthus leaves, and stylized pomegranates. The leaves and vines are worked in chain stitch.



The stylized pomegranates are worked mostly in long and short stitch, although the undersides of the turned up leaves are worked in satin stitch.



Across the entire length of the top of the super frontal, there is a goldwork strip, punctuated by lettering satin stitched in red. The gold background threads are evenly couched in a pattern, and on top of the gold, inside and around the lettering, are scrolls worked with a wavy gold thread, like rococco. I have heard that the Sisters at this convent, and at the (no longer functioning) convent in O'Fallon, MO - where the Benedictines also made elaborate ecclesiastical pieces - had machines that couched the gold background threads two at a time. I've never seen a couching machine, but I've heard from someone who was fortunate to receive one of the machines from O'Fallon before they disbanded their embroidery workshop, that the machines do indeed couch two laid threads at a time with precision, without damaging the threads. It'd be interesting to see that in action!



At the base of the Lamb is a book with the Alph and Omega on each page. I really liked this symbolism, so I was sure to include it in my Agnus Dei.

Here's the piece that I worked a few years ago, taking some inspiration from the super frontal featured above:



The lamb I drew is not as angular, and the banner is a bit less angular as well. The wool on the lamb on the super frontal above is what really caught my eye - it is the most realistic wool I had ever seen embroidered, so I wanted to imitate that. It was fun, figuring it out, and it turned out well. I'd love to do another piece like this - not the same piece, but similar - one day soon!

If you want to read about the progress of this piece from beginning to end, you can check out my gallery. It's near the top of the list, under ecclesiastical embroidery. You can also see close-ups of different elements in it, including the wool.

I wish you all a very joyful Easter!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, April 12, 2009
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Two years ago on Good Friday, I posted photos of a magnificent piece of ecclesiastical embroidery, a chasuble featuring the Crucifixion.

The work on this piece is stunning - if you haven't had a chance to look at it, you should! You'll find amazing detail in the faces, especially.



The color range used to embroider the faces is amazing - from regular flesh tones, to reds and greens. From far away, these blend together and are not discernable as separate colors.

You can read about the chasuble on the original article. It's worth looking at - such pieces of ecclesiastical needlework are quite rare.

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, April 10, 2009
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If you don't work from embroidery kits or books, then you probably come up with your own designs. What inspires them? Throughout history, artists have taken their inspiration from many sources - from nature, from religion, from life and all aspects of life.

When it comes to embroidery and needlework, looking around at all the brilliant designers and stitchers out there, I often find myself somewhat dissatisfied with my comparative lack of inspiration. But there are a few things that do inspire me, and occasionally, there are those little moments when something bursts upon the eye and lights up the brain, screaming, "You want to embroidery me!" The fat robin outside my window right now... the frozen tulip in the corner of the yard, encased in late-season ice... the twiggy branch covered with pale green buds that's scratching on my window; the design in the carpet at my feet; the colorful engravings on a piece of foreign currency... these things catch my eye, and I think they would make interesting subjects for embroidery.

But, to tell you the truth, that's about as far as they go. They catch my eye, they spark my interest, they suggest a design. But they rarely materialize.

Why not, I wonder... Part of the answer lies in my lack of drawing ability. I would like to be able to draw better than I do. Stylized patterns and motifs are fine, but realistic sketching is not a skill I've remotely perfected. Another part of the answer (and probably the greater part) lies in a lack of concentration or focus on creating, due to the lack of time and the overabundance of other responsibilities. Without the "leisure" required to attend to artistic pursuits, it is difficult to hone in and take perception to fruition in a completed project - or at least to do so while the inspiration is vivid. In fact, it's often difficult just to take the time to really see things and get inspired!

But inspiration doesn't have to come from the "raw," and, in fact, as far as actually working a project goes, I take more inspiration from other pieces of art - already done, already realized in another medium - than I do from nature or other raw sources.

I'd like to show you an example of what I mean. Lately, I've been musing and stewing over stumpwork. Do you know what it's like when an idea, technique, or project begins to gnaw away at your imagination and consume all your thoughts? That's how I've been about stumpwork lately. You've actually seen some of the consequences of this stumpwork obsession in my recent posts - my re-awakened interest in the Plimoth Plantation jacket project; the kits I posted the other day; the links to Thistle Threads (with that beautiful museum-licensed box project!); Jane Nicholas's Stumpwork Embroidery book review; the book review on Embroidered Flora & Fauna - all of these posts are related to my recent stewings!

More than anything else, though, two books that are not embroidery books have occupied my mind. I'm not writing a book review here! Rather, I want to show you how one art form can directly inspire ideas for another.

This isn't a new connection, though. Illumination (painting or drawing to embellish a written work) and embroidery have developed side-by-side throughout history. But take a look at these two books on illumination, and you'll see where my thoughts are going as far as stumpwork is concerned.



The first book here is Beasts Factual and Fantastic by Elizabeth Morrison. This is a beautiful little book full of colored photographs of different illuminated works throughout history. The author concentrates on the animals (both the realistic and the fantastic) in illuminated manuscripts and books. From bunnies to bears to gargolyes and strange mixed breeds, somehow, they all found their way into illumination.



This picture in particular captures my embroidering fancy. The bear is a study for padding and French knots. The hives, for couched gold on felt padding. The monster bees, perfect for turkey work and wire wings. Further additions of flowers and grasses could cheer the scene up a bit. While there's something about the picture that borders on grotesque - the long claws of the bear, the more "human-like" form of his body, the insanely disproportioned bees - there's also something charming about it, and it could be made really charming with the addition of a little brightness. I like it! It's morphing about in my mind! Will it result in anything finished? I don't know yet!



The second book is The Medieval Flower Book by Celia Fisher. This book explores in particular flowers as embellishments of manuscripts and books.



The close association between illumination and stumpwork can certainly be seen here. I love this dragonfly and the bright red poppies.



Again, another illumination that begs for a stumpwork interpretation! The blue flowers, the thistles, the butterflies, and the little hairy petals that surround the painted pearls are all perfect for interpretation in embroidery.



It's funny how, when looking at the page on slant, the butterfly is so perfectly rendered that its wings seem to be lifted up off the page!

These two books have provided my night-time reading lately, as well as my lunch-time book browsing. When I see something I particularly like, I note it down or put a marker in the book, so I can come back to it later and consider it from the point of view of the embroiderer.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, really. Right now, mine is definitely coming from a variety of books that I've been reading. As the weather warms up, perhaps there will be more of an opportunity to get inspired outside, but in the meantime, I'm completely besotted with these two books and the ideas they're fueling in my head!

What inspires you?

Labels: book review, embroidery books, embroidery resources, historical needlework, miscellaneous embroidery musings, pictures, stumpwork

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, March 30, 2009
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Do you use embroidery kits? The answer to this question seems to divide embroiderers into different groupings: 1. The no-never types; 2. The yes-always types; 3. The yes-but-only-selectively types. Within these categories, there are different mentalities about kits. There are, for example, the no-nevers-on-principle, who believe that kits stunt the creative process. Then there are the no-nevers-on-opportunity, who don't want to pay for kits. Then there are the no-nevers-whatsakit?, who have really never considered kits, and don't care either way about them. And the list could go on....

I belong to the 3rd category - yes, but selectively.

I have a couple embroidery kits on hand that I want to work, and I'll show some of them to you here.



My favorite kits so far in my needlework life have been Tanja Berlin's needlepainting kits. Through them, I've learned a lot about needlepainting! I haven't worked a kit in ages, but I've got a few of hers in my stash, awaiting the day, specifically the squirrel and a bird or two...



Country Bumpkin needlework kits are also among my favorites. One of my Christmas gifts this year was an order from Country Bumpkin, and included in that were two kits: a little "Summer Harvest" stumpwork kit and a needlepainting kit called "True Love" that I find downright hilarious and that I'm planning to use as a future wedding gift.



The differences between Tanja Berlin's kits and Country Bumpkin's kits are notable. I thought I'd point some of the differences out to you, in case you're looking for a new project to work or a new technique to learn and are thinking about starting with a kit.

Country Bumpkin Needlework Kits:

1. Country Bumpkin relies upon your owning the magazine in which the project is featured. Kits are an off-shoot of their magazine, Inspirations. The purpose of CB kits is simply convenience: the kit includes all the supplies you need to complete a project featured in one of their magazines, but it doesn't include the design or the instructions. It is simply a materials kit. If you don't subscribe to the magazine, you have the option, when you purchase the kit, of purchasing the copy that coincides with the kit. The articles in the magazine have very detailed stitch instructions, diagrams, up-close pictures, and so forth. Each magazine has many beautiful projects in it, so when you buy one magazine, you're actually getting excellent instruction on many projects, not to mention all the other interesting stitching tidbits and stories. It's a great magazine!

2. The kits (in my experience) always have PLENTY of fibers to work the project. I've never felt as if I would run out of the required thread. Whole skeins and spools of most threads are included, rather than partial skeins or bits of threads. Also, any notions required in the project are also included (buttons and so forth), as well as supplies such as interfacing, wire, etc. In short, all materials! (Note: some blanket kits do not include the fabric backing; this is always noted in the kit contents.)

3. The design is not transferred onto the ground fabric. This is something you have to do, using the design in the magazine. I was a little surprised by this at first, because when I am working from a kit, I do like to launch right in (and forego the pre-work of transferring, which is not my favorite part of a project!). However, it makes sense. Country Bumpkin's first focus is their magazine. If they sold kits with instructions and designs, it would be somewhat of a conflict of interest! On the bright side, if you are out to really learn embroidery, then knowing the ins and outs of transferring designs is an essential part of the process, so it's good for the learning curve!

4. Country Bumpkin kits ship from Australia. For those of us in the States, anything we save in exchange rates is definitely eaten up in shipping. In this regard, the kits are somewhat expensive... and shipping tends to be a bit slow. But, if you want the kits, that's part of the package!

Tanja Berlin's kits:

1. Tanja's kits come with everything you need to complete the project: instructions, design, colored photo of finished project, all diagrams, detailed stitching instructions and troubleshooting guide, all fibers, fabric, needles. She also has the option on her website of on-going consultation for stitchers working her kits, so if you run into a trouble spot, you can contact Tanja and she'll help you through it.

2. Tanja's kits contain just the amount of fibers you will need to complete the project, with a little leftover. So you don't normally get full skeins of floss or spools of threads. She organizes the threads on a color card, with each color number marked clearly next to the thread.

3. In her surface embroidery kits, the designs are already transferred on the fabric for you.

4. Tanja is located in Canada. Depending on the exchange rate (which has fluctuated quite a bit in the last couple years), if you're in the US, the kits may be slightly more expensive or slightly less expensive than the actual listing on her site. Shipping, too, is somewhat pricey, but she has lots of shipping options, so you can choose the least expensive one (though you'll probably wait a little longer for your order). Tanja ships very quickly if she is not out of town teaching (she always leaves a notice on her website if she is out of town, and tells you exactly when she'll be back...)

So those are the two kinds of kits that I have primarily indulged in over the years.

Other Types of Embroidery Kits



I've also worked kits from Roseworks Designs. They're located in South Africa, and have some pretty kits available through retailers or ordered directly through Roseworks Designs. Their kits include fabric with the design on it, detailed stitching instructions, and a color key for Anchor and DMC colors, but they don't always include the threads. These kits were more widely available in the US, but now I can only find one online retail shop that sells them here. The other shops I knew of that sold them have since gone out of business.

Another type of kit that I've purchased but haven't worked is an Anchor Fleur de Lys teacloth. Margaret Cobleigh, however, persevered through the finish of the same kit, and graciously wrote up a whole document on how she altered the kit to make it more interesting. To see what these kits look like, you can check out her Spring Teacloth and her Strawberry Teacloth here on Needle'nThread. I have never quite gotten back to the Spring Teacloth. It has just never "grabbed" me, though I think Margaret did an absolutely stunning job on hers!

Embroidery Kits I would Like to Work

Now, there are other kits offered out there that I'm interested in, but have not had the opportunity to try.



First, Alison Cole's kits. One of these days, I may indulge in a couple of those, including her Illuminated Floral stumpwork and goldwork kit (which I've mentioned before) and some of her mini Or Nué kits (the frog, gecko, and strawberry, to be precise). Though I haven't worked her kits, I assume they come with excellent instructions - her books are certainly excellent.



Then, there's Tricia Wilson-Nguyen, the lady behind Thistle Threads, known for her expertise in historical needlework and her current work on the Plimoth Plantation 17th-century embroidered jacket. Did you know she offers kits? They're mostly of an historical nature, and some are quite elaborate. Besides her exquisite licensed museum adaptations (part of the proceeds go towards the museums that host the original studied object), Tricia offers some limited edition kits that are neat, and many "regular" kits that are also enticing. The kits that I'm really interested in of hers are a bit out of my range, but it's inspiring to look at them, nonetheless!

Trish Burr is also working on putting together some kits, and if and when that happens, those will definitely be something I'm interested in. Her books are greatly instructive, so I'm sure her kits will be, too.

My Embroidery Kit Philosophy is pretty much this: A kit can be an excellent way to learn or polish an embroidery technique. If the kit appeals to me in some way, I am not adverse to working a kit, and actually can find great pleasure and freedom in working one. I like buying kits from specific designers (as opposed to mass-produced commercial kits such as those found on the needlework aisles in chain stores). It's a lot like making the effort to shop at a local needlework shop. Embroidery designers, writers, instructors, etc., keep the art of needlework alive - and many of them rely upon their designing and teaching for their livelihood. I don't mind supporting that at all! (when I can afford to!)

That's pretty much the way I look at kits. Do you like kits? Why or why not? Do you have favorite kit designers that you would recommend? In general, what are your experiences with kits? Please share!

Now, having said all that, I bet you think I'm heading off to get started on one of those kits. Nope - I've got "real" work (school work) to do all weekend long! No needlework for me this weekend (unless I can sneak in a wee session here and there when no one's looking!)

Have a great weekend!

Labels: embroidery kits, embroidery resources, goldwork, historical needlework, miscellaneous embroidery musings, needlepainting, stumpwork

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, March 28, 2009
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Gail Marsh, author of 18th Century Embroidery Techniques which I reviewed previously, has written another book. Let me tell you about it...

19th Century Embroidery Techniques by Gail Marsh presents to the reader the popular embroidery techniques of the 19th century.



Marsh focuses on six particular technique categories of the 19th century needleworker: canvas work, surface embroidery, whitework, patchwork and applique, fancy work, and learning to sew. In each category, she presents a case study, with pictures of historical pieces and information on materials used, method of work, and so forth.



Among the case studies are beautiful photos of pieces complete and incomplete, demonstrating different embroidery techniques from the era. Along with the photos is a detailed explanation of the history of the technique, with bits of information about the history of the different pieces in the case study.



In presenting the different popular techniques of 19th century embroidery, Marsh also offers excellent line drawings and instructions on different stitches commonly employed.



In the section on surface embroidery, she discusses silkwork and other surface techniques. The silkwork photos are gorgeous! She also talks about the history of supplies, the development of popular embroidery shops, the development of pattern printing, and so forth.



Under canvas work, you'll find a windfall of information on the sampler.



The pictures of the various pieces in the book are sumptuous and inspiring! and sometimes, daunting. The small section of a flounce of the petticoat pictured above is worked entirely in eyelets, by hand. Whooweeee, that's a lot of eyelets!

The book also has a nice section on the needleworker's tool box and a good glossary of terms, as well as a thorough index.

Pros of the book:

Oh, no. Here we go again - too many to list, but these are the things I like particularly:

1. Engaging writing on the history of embroidery during this time period. The author supplies good insight to the time period through the discussion of needlework. In fact, I'd say the book would be intriguing to anyone interested in history, especially the history of the 19th century and the Industrial Revolution.

2. The case studies are splendid and her analysis is clear and engaging.

3. The book is riddled with quotes from letters and works of the times, which make the era come alive. They're also often worth a good chuckle!

4. Her explanation of techniques and her stitch diagrams are excellent, as are her line drawings of different motifs.

5. I love reading about the development of different types of threads, dyes, fabrics, and embroidery supplies during the time period. Very interesting stuff!

Cons:

Haha. Only one:

The book is too short! I want more!

As far as readability and interest are concerned, I find both of Gail Marsh's books extremely engaging. They're tops on my favorites list. They're not written like some weighty tomes on art or needlework (which have their place, but which I don't find as entertaining), but they are thorough, appealing, and instructive. And while you get a sense of the era in reading her books, there are no commentaries on social mores, or judgmental prose. The focus is the needlework.

19th Century Embroidery Techniques is available through Amazon:



And you can also find Gail's other book, 18th Century Embroidery Techniques, through Amazon, too:



Both are great additions to any embroiderer's library!

Labels: book review, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, March 22, 2009
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Finding slate frames for hand embroidery is no easy task. In the past, I introduced readers to Evan Burroughs, who made my large slate frame. I don't know if Evan is still producing the frames, though. I have tried to contact him, but with no luck. (Evan, if you're out there, please contact me!)

So, here I am again, looking for a good source for frames, and realizing that it might be necessary to find someone again who can make them! In the meantime, though, I want to talk to you about another aspect of the slate frame - trestles.

There are few professional embroiderers who don't agree that the best possible way of achieving tension for hand embroidery - and especially for more complex techniques such as goldwork - is to use a slate frame. In days of yore, the slate frame was widely used, and it was used in a variety of sizes - from small to really quite large. In some books, you can find illustrations of slate frames with more than one person at the frame.

In 18th Century Embroidery Techniques (see my review), Gail Marsh shows a massive slate frame supported across the back with a stabilizing bar, on which frame the embroiderer could lay out a large project - like several pattern pieces for a jacket - on one stretched ground fabric.

In several of the old books on ecclesiastical embroidery, the guild workplace is shown with large frames on which whole banners, chasubles, etc., are stretched. Large works, indeed! At the beginning of Church Embroidery and Church Vestments (PDF - scroll to page 12), you can see a photo of ladies in the guild room, two of whom are sitting up to one slate frame, working.

Today, the slate frame is still used - it is not defunct! Despite the convenience of hoops, of stretcher bar frames, of plastic Q-snaps, and so forth, the slate frame is still employed by serious stitchers. Its revival in popularity is certain to continue growing, as more people take interest in historical needlework, and as the interest in techniques such as goldwork also continues to grow.

I've used a slate frame. I have a large one, so I don't use it as often as I would like! I would like a medium-sized slate frame and a small one, but there will be time for that in the future - if I can find a supplier! There is nothing so nice as the perfect tension one can achieve with the slate frame, and the unpuckered, immaculate results when the piece is removed from the frame. It's wonderful!

The most difficult thing I've found about a slate frame is how to support the thing. Especially if you are working on a medium or large-sized frame, it is impossible to support the frame with one hand while stitching. At the same time, the slate frame tends to be heavier than other frames (stretcher bars, for example), and so commercial stands cannot support large frames, and cannot always support medium frames - or can "just" support them. Of course, there's always the two-table set-up, where the frame is rested horizontal, between the edges of two tables. But that has its drawbacks, I assure you!

In the past, the slate frame was generally supported by a pair of trestles. Originally, these were saw-horse type trestles, so that the frame rested perfectly horizontal, parallel to the floor, like a table, and the needlework sat up to the frame on a stool, and worked in that manner. Then, trestles began to develop a bit. You can see in the turn of the century book Church Vestments, mentioned above, that the "trestle" is actually an adjustable support, where the frame is placed between the body of the trestle and a top board, which is tightened down on top of it.

I've seen other set-ups of trestles, specifically some left over from convents that used to make embroidered vestments. These trestles were even a little more complex, and their adjustability allowed for the frame to be supported completely vertically (as is seen on the front of the book, Embroiderers from the Medieval Craftsmen series), at various angles, or flat.

While I was considering the whole dilemma of the elusive slate frame and pondering the notion of trestles, it so happened that a friend's dad volunteered to do some designing and building of a set of trestles - an embroiderer's workstation, actually, which could accommodate a slate frame (from small to very large), stretcher bars, and even hoops.

The concept developed by considering different types of trestle set-ups of the past (especially those found in convents before the 1960's), and understanding what the embroiderer today would want in a workstation.

Last week, the protype trestle workstation arrived. I want to show it to you and ask for your feedback.



They arrived in a box custom-made for shipping them.



Everything needed was included in the box. The carpenter (Brian) was very meticulous in the packing of the crate and in the assembly of all the pieces of hardware.



The prototype is made out of rough wood - not cleaned up or "beautified" yet. It's for testing purposes. Still, for being "rough," it's really nice. All the pieces were sanded and clean, easy to handle for assembly. The whole assembly process required me to use only a phillips head screwdriver to place 20 screws in the correct (pre-drilled) holes. (Good thing - I'm not so great with larger tools!)



Those are all the pieces, leaning up against the furniture. It looks complicated, but every piece went right together as the instructions indicated. It took me less than twenty minutes to put the whole workstation together for the first time.



These are the main pieces, though the leg braces are not attached yet.



This is a shelf support.



This is the whole set-up, almost completely extended. On the sides, you can see that there are, front and back, adjustable vertical bars. Into those vertical bars are placed the supports for the dowels, which in turn support the frame. The dowel supports can be angled a variety of ways. I'll show this in more detail later, after I have played with the set-up a bit more.



Here's the set-up with a stretcher bar frame resting on it. The trestles have been moved closer together than they are in the previous photo.



This is an attached table, and the workstation actually has a variety of options for attached supply tables, clamped lighting and magnification, etc.

So here is the initial introduction to the trestle workstation. I'll be taking more detailed pictures of it this weekend, in "action." I've since moved it out to my studio, where I will be able to work better with it. I have a very small living room (smaller, I think, than most people's closets...) so the workstation tends to look larger than it is in the photos above (I'll measure it for an accurate "footprint"). When the dowels are removed, the two trestles can nest together to conserve space.

What I've learned about it so far: it is sturdy. It's like sitting down to a piece of furniture. This is the real thing! It goes together very easily. In concept and design, it makes good sense. There's a myriad of possibilities for extension and accesorization, but more on that later.

Brian, you are a wood-working wonder! Thank you!

Now, dear readers, do you have any thoughts on this? Do you see any glitches right off the bat? Does it raise any questions in your mind? Do you have any ideas that you think would make sense concerning the workstation?

I would really appreciate your input on this! You are, after all, embroiderers. You know what you would like, or what you think would make sense, in this type of equipment. How can this become the ultimate embroiderer's workstation?

I'll be sharing more details on this as I work with it, and let you know more detailed discoveries.

Thanks for taking the time to read and to respond, if you want!

Labels: historical needlework, needlework products, needlework tools, pictures, slate frames, trestles

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, March 20, 2009
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The other day, I told you about an online needlework resource that was new to me - Jane Zimmerman's website, where you'll find all her embroidery books, instructional CDs, and a variety of kits and instructional booklets for embroidery and needlework projects. Well, I heard from Jane, and here's some good news!

During her Christmas sale, Jane had a very special instructional packet available for a gorgeous embroidery project. The project was her Art of Elizabethan Embroidery piece, which incorporates 20 historical embroidery stitches, variations, and techniques.



The instruction packet, replete with color photos and all the details on how to finish this piece, was only available for a very short time.

The good news is that Jane is making this available for purchase again right now! If you are interested in learning the art of Elizabethan embroidery, you will want to take advantage of the availability of this instructional packet from one of today's great masters of historical needlework!

You can read all the details about The Art of Elizabethan Embroidery on Jane Zimmerman's website.

Don't delay - it won't be available forever!

Labels: embroidery resources, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, January 17, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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Broadbent Gallery at the Kent State University Museum in Kent, Ohio, is currently running an exhibit called "The Art of the Embroiderer." Here's some information....

The exhibit features embroidered textiles from around the world, from different eras. The embroidery on some of these pieces is really exquisite - if you get a chance, you must see them!

Here's a description of the exhibit, according to the museum's press release:

Over 80 dazzling garments and textiles from across the world spanning over 200 years of creativity and innovation are featured in the Kent State University Museum's exhibition, The Art of the Embroiderer. From haute couture gowns to Japanese kimono and Saudi Arabian caftans, the exhibition captivates through colors, materials and sheer beauty.

All of the pieces are exquisite, but a few really caught my attention and caused me to linger a while.

This early 19th century Regency period evening dress in ivory silk with goldwork and a detachable train is stunning:



This evening dress, with silk shaded embroidery on ivory satin. The embroidery is not abundant, but I think it's pretty, and I like the beadwork on the back of the dress:



This blue cape, "made in China for western markets" in the late 19th century, which caught my eye because of the color combinations:



This is the first piece displayed in the online exhibit - it's stunning! The red is beautiful, and the embroidered apron is really exquisite. The apron is apparently from England, early 18th century, but the whole "outfit" comes from a combination of different origins - worth reading about!



If you are interested in historical embroidery or costuming and you have a chance this weekend to browse the Kent State Museum Exhibit, "The Art of the Embroiderer," do take some time to look at these gorgeous pieces of embroidered clothing. Make sure to enter the exibition to see the individual artifacts in the collection. If you click on them, you'll be able to see certain parts of each display up close.

Better yet, if you're passing through Ohio - or if you live close to Kent (northeast of Akron) - it might be worth stopping in to see the exhibit in person. It runs until August, 2009.

Labels: embroidered clothes, historical needlework, needlework websites

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, November 22, 2008
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Despite wear and tear, this is a gorgeous piece of ecclesiastical needlework. In fact, most of the wear and tear, from a distance, isn't noticeable - but when you look closely at the piece, you realize that there are parts that really need attention if it is to continue in use.

Christiana has undertaken the formidable task of repairing this cope hood so that it can be used again. I thought I'd show you some photos she sent along. I never tire of studying this type of work up close - the details always amaze me!

So this is a hand-embroidered element mounted on the back of the hood of a cope, which is a garment (like a cape) used in liturgical ceremonies. The image on the back of the cope is a representation of the Trinity - God the Father, the Holy Ghost (the Dove), and God the Son (the Lamb of God, or Agnus Dei).



Here's a view of the whole piece of embroidery.



This is a close up on the face. I love examining faces. Look at the difference between the face from far away (in the first photo above) and the face close up. Who would've ever guessed there was a red line down the side of the nose and above the eyes?



Here's a close-up on the crown and nimbus. It looks like the goldwork here is in very good repair, as you can see in the photo below:



But as you travel downwards in the design, the need of repair becomes more obvious, as seen below:



You can see the loose gold threads around the feet of the lamb, and the red cording hanging down (visible in the first picture above as well). You can also see in this photo - if you look in the colored folds of the garment - that some of the line stitching is loose there.



Here's the face of the lamb up close. I have to agree with Christiana - I love the way they did the wool! You can see on the left side of the nimbus (halo) one of the threads tweaking off.



And I think this is great! This is Christiana's set-up for repairing the cope hood. First, she had to separate the hood from the lining, picking out by hand all the little stitches in the fabric around the hood (which is cloth of gold - not an easy task!). Then she had to contrive a way to mount the piece so that she had both hands free to work, without mounting it in anything that would damage the fabric or the embroidered piece. She's using a frame her dad made for her, which she's wrapped in fabric to protect the cope hood and also, I imagine, it provides a bit of friction to keep the work in place. She clamped the sides of the frame together to hold the piece while she works, keeping an even tension on the piece, but not so tight that it's pulling anything that's already stitched.

By the way - yep, she's stitching through the cloth of gold on which the piece is mounted. Talk about sore fingers!!

Keep up the good work, Christiana! I can't wait to see the finished product! (I wish I could see it in person!)

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, needlework care, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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Have you ever had a hankering to make your own Bayeux Tapestry? Yes, this is rather a light post - it fits well with the animated Bayeux Tapestry post of last year, although you might have a little more creative fun with this one!

Here's your chance to take your place in needlework history by making your own Bayeux Tapestry!



The Historic Tale Construction Cit is a drag-and-drop, make-your-own virtual tapestry website. It's hilarious, and really clever!



You can choose from a variety of folc, brave (people, horses), beasts, buildings, and miscellaneous items, drop them on your tapestry, re-arrange them, and add text as you go, until you have a whole historical tapestry account of whatever Important Event you want to record!



The characters and images are diverse - from a kid with a sheep, to the fallen and slain, to the cook, the dogs, the donkey, birds, kings, buildings, ships, and trees - and you can add scenes as you go (because of course you've got to use every possible image on your tapestry!)



Your masterpiece can be as clever as you want it to be, or as mindless...

When you're finished with your masterpiece (it won't take nearly as long as the original took, I'm pretty sure!) you can save it to the gallery or e-mail to a friend.



If you're a fan of historic needlework (with a sense of humor), check out the Historic Tale Construction Cit!

And have fun with it!

Thanks, Margaret, for the fun link! (...where I've whiled away how much time now??!)

Labels: embroidery resources, historical needlework, miscellaneous embroidery musings

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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I thought I'd share with you some photos of a piece of ecclesiastical embroidery that was given to me because it is in such a poor state of repair that it can no longer be used. Despite its lack of functionality, it serves as an interesting piece for study and for ideas.

This piece is a processional canopy, once used for outdoor processions. A combination of age, use, storage, and probably some kind of weather damage have all made the canopy unusable for liturgical purposes. The embroidery and the designs on it are nice, though, and it's a good source of ideas on design and technique.



To give you an idea of what the canopy looks like overall, it's set up here over a large office table. All four of the side panels are embroidered with a round center medallion, which is surrounded by angels and lilies.



You can see here the overall design of the side panels - the center medallion, an angel kneeling on each side of it, and a branch of lilies entwining itself behind the angels and up towards the center medallion.



The piece is worked on gold colored silk, and the top edge of each panel is red silk, embroidered with wheat ears.



Around each center medallion is a grape motif embroidered in shades of gold. The Agnus Dei in this center piece is rather simple - notice that there's not a whole lot of shading. It's more or less an "outline" piece, filled in with appropriate colors to make the overall picture.



You can see some shading on the hooves and on the bottom of the belly on the lamb, and that's it. The wool is worked in Chinese knots.



This is the green side angel. The colors are very soft.



The wings are the boldest part of the angels.



Here you can see two signs of deterioration: the obvious deterioration of the fabric, and the lack of stitching in the hands, which are fading away somewhat!



The faces of the angels (and the hands) were painted apparently, and then lightly stitched over at the chin line and hair line. The hair is worked in split stitch.



On the left side of this panel, the pink angel (with surrounding fabric) is in much better shape.



The halo (or "nimbus") is worked in very long straight stitches, somewhat far apart. The whole halo is lined with two layers of cording, the inside one in a coral color and the outside one much darker in brown. This contrast on the outside of the piece makes the whole image more visible from a distance.



One of the lilies on the vine - with a good indication of the poor state of the ground fabric.



As far as images worked on the piece, this one is in the worst state. The thread is wasted away, and the whole image looks as if it is washing away. The overall shading of the image is very nice, though, with the lighter inside area, rather than seeing it embroidered solidly in red.



The lettering around the outside is embroidered in satin stitch.



The lilies are not stiff and formal, but rather loosely conceived. They remind me more of the tiger lily than a regular lily, except in their color.



The lilies are outlined in a pinkish-coral color, with a very little bit of soft shading in green, and the rest of the inside is worked in white.



Each panel is topped with an edge of red silk, on which are embroidered single (large) wheat ears.



The wheat is very simply embroidered in satin stitch for the kernels, and long straight stitches for the "hairy" tips. The shaft is couched twisted cord.



Each medallion has a "frame" of grapes embroidered in shades of gold. The stitching is worked in satin stitch and a long and short stitch on the leaves that is reminiscent of crewel work. The thread used on the grapes around the medallions, on the wheat at the tops of the panels, and on the lettering around the medallions is all of a heavier stuff than the threads used on the angels and other images.



In the close-up on the lily, you can see that the embroidery doesn't actually fill the shape. Instead, long lines of long split stitches are worked in twisted silk, with spacing enough between the lines to see the ground fabric. The spacing is not there due to disrepair. It's the way it was embroidered!



The stamens on the lilies are satin stitched at the tips of the couched gold cord (which is the same gold cord used on the wheat shafts).



This is another one of the four images inside the medallions on each side of the canopy. Note the green leaf at the base of the medallion, on the left.



Here's another one of the same green leaves.

At some point in the canopy's history - before it was absolutely not usable - someone obviously tried to cover up the deteriorating fabric by adding these little embroidered leaves to the ground fabric, trying to work them into the design as best as they could. They don't really fit the design, though, as they are too bright. The leaves were probably themselves salvaged from another larger piece of ecclesiastical embroidery!

You can also see, in the lower left of the photo, that a piece of fabric was attached somehow over the original ground silk. I'm familiar with ecclesiastical fabrics available on the market today, and that particular pattern is about the least-expensive, most widely available synthetic church fabric. I don't know what the person was thinking! But I suppose it was just a desperate attempt to try to keep something that was beautiful in use for as long as possible, before it was time to shelf it completely! *Sigh*



And another shot of those leaves....

So, there's the canopy. I'm glad to have it - it's given me some good ideas for embroidery, and being able to examine it very closely has given me a little insight into the needlework and assembly techniques used on these types of pieces.

If you have any questions about anything in the pictures, don't hesitate to ask!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, July 20, 2008
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Well, if you liked the first 8 colors of the Gilt Sylke Twist imported by Access Commodities, through the efforts of the folks at Plimoth Plantation, you're bound to be just as thrilled as I am about the new colors out!

I am so HAPPY to see the three new colors of GST that have been released and are now available to the public. The colors are Lincolne Green, Sable, and Black.



I love the bright green - and the sable is a deep dark brown, which looks lovely. Black, of course, is black - but with the gold!! Imagine how this could be incorporated into surface blackwork! Oh gosh. I am just in love with these threads, and these new colors are G-R-E-A-T. I think the two greens out so far will mix well together, too. Just think - leaves, stems... aaah. What bliss!

So - where can you get them? Well, Joady from Hedgehog Handworks e-mailed me earlier, to let me know they had them coming in. All three new colors are up on their website, but it looks like the sable is temporarily out of stock. Of all the online stores I've found so far carrying this thread, Hedgehog is the least expensive. They charge $19.80 / spool. You can find Gilt Sylke Twist online at other spots, though, too - like Needle in a Haystack, where it runs $22 / spool. It looks as if they don't have the new colors, though. Both stores provide excellent service and quick shipping.

I'm pretty excited to see the color options expanding on this gorgeous thread, and I hope to see the growth in selections continue!

Labels: Gilt Sylke Twist, goldwork, historical needlework, supplies, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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Ok - I'm excited about this! - here's my write-up on preparing a slate frame for an embroidery project. I hope my photos aren't entiredly insignificant and silly!
I mentioned yesterday that I found a source for hand-made embroidery slate frames here in the US... if you're looking for a slate frame, do check out that post!

Slate frames have been around forever - well, certainly since the Middle Ages, and anyway. They're made up of four parts - two rollers (top and bottom) and two stretchers (sides, with peg holes).

The advantage of a slate frame is that, with them, you can achieve and maintain perfect tension for stitching. In fact, of all the methods I've used of mounting any fabric for embroidery, nothing compares to the excellent and even tension you can achieve with a slate frame.

Now, that being said, and as I mentioned yesterday, setting a project up on a slate frame (or "dressing the frame") takes a wee little bit 'o work. And the larger the frame, the more work. Normally, you should be able to accomplish dressing a frame in a couple hours, if your fabric's prepared and you don't run into any hitches along the way. I'm going to go step by step through the whole process, including preparing the fabric.

I started by preparing the fabric. I'm using Alba Maxima linen from Legacy, a nice medium-weight, sturdy, smooth linen. The first thing I did was shrink the linen. (I've already posted on preparing linen for embroidery - scroll down to the shrinkage section!).

Then, I sat down and did some figuring. I hate figuring...



The project I'm preparing is about 22 inches long, and about 13 inches wide. But I'm taking advantage of the width of the frame and killing the two proverbial birds with one frame-dressing job: I have another project that I can work on the same piece of linen. The second project is about 7.5 inches wide and 14 inches long. So I will situate them both on the same piece of linen. And that means I have to stitch both of them before I can cut either of them off the frame.

I determined exactly what size linen I would need to accommodate both pieces, and decided that using the frame to its full capacity, without having to roll the top rollers, would be fine. I decided to set up a piece that's 23 inches wide and about 26 inches long. That gives me plenty of room for seam allowances on both finished pieces, as well as some "doodle room" on the fabric itself.

Next, it was time to cut the fabric out. I laid out the linen and the requisite tools.



Don't get any ideas about that rotary cutter! It's not that easy!

I measured the linen and marked my cutting spot with a pencil. I measured an extra inch on each side and an extra half inch top and bottom, for the turn-overs on the fabric edges.



So - 25 inches wide (with an inch on each side to turn in) and 27 inches long (with a half inch, top and bottom, to turn in). I actually cut 28 inches long, to compensate for a sloppy cut (more on that below).

At this point, it would be nice to lay out a ruler and slice the piece with a rotary cutter - so quick, so easy. But this is the thing: You need your fabric cut exactly on the thread. If you do everything right from the very beginning of this process, you will have no regrets later (after all the hard work). So cut your fabric on the thread.

There are several ways to go about cutting your fabric on the thread. When working with linen, many needleworkers say to draw a thread out, creating a cutting line, and then cut your fabric.

On the Alba Maxima linen, drawing a thread out of the middle (especially after shrinkage) is a Royal Pain in the ... Fingers. So I do it this way:



I make a small cut at the pencil mark, then pull up on the thread to the left of my scissor blades. I keep this thread pulled up from the fabric as I cut, and it provides a nice cutting guide. Relatively quick, and sure beats drawing one thread out of the whole piece to mark a cutting line.

At this point, you may well be thinking "This is already too much effort..." but hold on! It really gets much worse!

Still, persevere! It is honestly worth it in the end.

Once your fabric is cut, make sure that all sides are on the thread. For this piece of fabric, to get the size I wanted, I had to cut two sides on the thread, one side was selvage, and the fourth side was jagged from a previous sloppy cut. This fourth side needed to be straightened out. The easiest way to do this is to pull off all the stray side threads, until you can pull one long thread from the entire width of the fabric. Let me explain with a photo:



See the wispy threads sticking off the side in the background? Those can be pulled out, until you've got a straight edge visible on your fabric.



You'll end up with a bit of fringe, but that gets trimmed off.



So there's the straight cut on the thread as a remedy to a sloppy cut.

Now, iron the fabric. Purists may not do it this way, but I'll admit that I use starch and steam on my linen. I wouldn't necessarily use the starch, except that I'm planning to put my design directly on the linen with pencil, and I find the pencil washes out better when I use starch. I really like the Niagara starch in the pump bottle (rather than the aerosol kinds, which tend to flake). I'll wash the whole piece before I do the finish work on it (sewing up the project), so the starch will be rinsed out, anyway.

Now, it's time to fold the edges of the fabric to prepare it for lacing. The top and bottom edges of the fabric will be folded in half an inch. These will be sewn to the canvas strips on the rollers of the frame.



I fold up the top edge half an inch and finger press it along the thread of the fabric (as best as possible), then run the iron over it, then pin it, starting from the center point out.

For the sides of the fabric (they'll attach to the stretcher slats with the peg holes), I turn it up an inch, finger press, then turn in half an inch (into the fold, to make a kind of casing), iron it, and pin it from the central point outwards.



Above, you can see the top edge of the fabric (the pinned edge in the photo) and the one of the sides, folded in to form the half inch casing.



Cut a piece of string a little longer than the length of your sides - not much longer, about an inch - and tuck the string into the casing formed by the double turn on the fabric. The string will help support the fabric when it comes to pulling it with the lacing.

For the lacing string, by the way, I use regular 2-lb weight string found at the hardware store.

Now that your fabric's ready, it's time to attach it to the frame. Gather your supplies and pull a chair up to a table that will easily accommodate the size of your frame. Just like in cooking, the whole process is a lot easier if you have all your "ingredients" on hand first!



At this point, your frame is in four pieces: the two top and bottom "roller" bars and the two side "stretcher" bars (with the peg holes in them).

You'll need the following:

Scissors
Thread - I use topstitching thread, doubled.
String - regular 2-lb weight string from the hardware store
A stiletto or awl - you have to put some serious holes in the side of your linen; this tool is essential!
Various needles, including a very large tapestry needle and a smaller sewing needle or crewel needle
A ruler
Cotter pins or pegs that came with your frame


The fabric is attached to the top and bottom bars (roller bars) first. These slate frames from Evan Burroughs come with a strip of canvas attached, and with the center point marked on the bar.



Line up the center of the top of your fabric with the center point on the canvas strip attached to the top bar. (Top and bottom bars are the same thing...)



Pin the center point of the fabric to the center point of the canvas strip.



Working from the center out to one edge, pin the fabric to the canvas, every couple inches. Then repeat this, going from the center out to the other edge.



Oversew the center point to the canvas. Again, I'm using a topstitching weight thread, doubled.



And oversew both of the ends.



Then, stitching from the center point to the outside, and removing the pins along the way, use a herringbone stitch to sew the linen to the canvas strip. If you've pinned everything carefully, you shouldn't have any buckles at all.



When you're finished sewing it on, and you flip it over, it looks like this.

Now, repeat the whole process on the opposite roller bar, so that both top and bottom edges of your fabric are attached to the rollers.



Lay out the frame so far on the table, with the top of your fabric facing down. You're ready to lace up the sides.



Mark the undersides of the side casing in one inch intervals, and get your stiletto out. Pierce the fabric with the stiletto, making good-sized holes.



Really good-sized holes!! If you have an awl, you might be better off using it. A stiletto is great for the initial piercing, but I really had to work it to get adequate sized holes.



Slide the stretcher sides into the holes on the roller bars...



...get your cotter pins and the plastic guards that came with them out...



... and stick the cotter pins in to hold the frame together. At this point, you aren't stretching the fabric from top to bottom (or obviously from side to side). You're just sticking the pins in to hold the rollers in place while you do the lacing.

Stretching comes later...

If you've persevered to this point, this is the beginning of the "fun" part, the part that characterizes the slate frame.

You're going to pull out a good length of string from your ball of string. I would say you want at least five or six times the length of the side stretcher bar. Remember - it's always better at this point to have TOO MUCH string than too little. You don't want to get to the end of the lacing and find out that you're out of string. Aaaaaaaaaagh.



Start with a slip knot at the top of the stretcher bar. It's important to use a slip knot!! You want to be able to adjust the tension on this string, so you'll need to be able to loosen or tighten that knot easily.



Thread your Very Large Tapestry Needle with the end of the Very Long String, and start lacing. Take the needle down into the linen, underneath the side slat of the frame and up around the slat, then back down into the linen - do this moving down the line of holes.

You may find that you need to revisit the holes in the linen with your stiletto here and there.

At this point, your aren't concerned so much about tension. Just get the sides laced. As you lace, try to keep the edge of your fabric parallel with the stretcher bar. This is a bit hard on the first bar, since you don't have anything you're pulling against, and it's easy to pull the fabric towards the bar. But resist the temptation, and keep the fabric parallel to the bar as much as possible.

When you reach the end of your lacing - arriving at the opposite roller bar - tie your string off with another slip not.

Now, in exactly the same manner, lace the other side!



Now, you're all laced up. But you're not finished. Notice that the linen looks a bit wavy and rippled? That's because nothing's been tightened up yet.

At this point, if your project is being stitched on silk or damask or some other very fine fabric and being backed with linen or muslin, then you've only just added the backing to the frame. You need to now add the fine fabric. To do this, you tighten the frame "a little bit" - enough to remove noticeable ripples - but not all the way with the final stretch. Take your fine fabric (which you have already cut on the thread and that's already ironed and ready to mount), and situate it on the lining that's stretched on the frame. The ground fabric (the fine fabric) and the lining (the muslin or linen) must match up with their grains. Match up the grain, pin the ground fabric onto the lining all around, and then sew it onto the lining, from center points out on each side, smoothing it as you go and making sure there are no wrinkles or buckles in it. Use herringbone stitch to sew it, crossing over the lining onto the ground fabric, and so forth. Once all four sides are sewn down, you're ready for the last step, which is the final stretch...

So, on my frame here, I'm not using a different ground fabric lined with linen. I'm embroidering the linen. So I don't need to add ground fabric. I'm ready for the final stretch.

Because this is a large frame, I'm going to use a combination of hands and feet here - which was really impossible to photograph!

Stand the frame on the floor. You'll have the ends of the stretchers (which pass through the rollers) touching the floor. You've got your cotter pins in the side slats already. Rest your foot on the protruding edge of one side of the bottom rollers, and then, using the heel of your hand, push down on the top end of the side slat, and with your fingers of the same hand, pull up on the roller.



The top of that side slat is really pushing into the heel of my hand, because I'm using the top of the slat for leverage to pull the roller up.

If necessary, use both hands - but remember, you need one to move the cotter pin!

Pull the roller up as high as you can, holding onto the bottom of the frame with your foot. When you've stretched it as much as you can, replace the cotter pin below the roller, and put the plastic sleeve on the back of the cotter pin.

Now do the other side, lining it up in the corresponding hole exactly opposite on the other side slat.

Turn the frame over, so that what was the top roller is now the bottom roller, and double check your pins and holes on the sides slats. Make sure all is lined up well.

Now, adjust your lacing one last time, pulling each side tight by working down the lacing and then adjusting the slip knots. Do both sides.



And there it is!!

If you've persevered to the end and done it right, you're ready to embroider on the best surface ever! A lot of work, but worth the effort!

The whole process took me about four hours, but I had to prepare fabric, and the frame is a large one, which increases the time for hand stitching and the lacing.

That reminds me - I forgot to mention the obvious. You can use your sewing machine to sew the linen to the top and bottom rollers. I prefer to do it by hand, but some people use their machines. It would save some time!

So, would you go to the trouble to set up a slate frame? Or do you think it's just too much? It'd be interesting to hear readers' opinions on this one!

Enjoy the weekend!

Labels: embroidery tips and tricks, historical needlework, needlework pictures, needlework tutorials, pictures, slate frames

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, July 05, 2008
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If you like historical embroidery, you may find A. F. Kendrick's book, English Embroidery, interesting and informative. Keep in mind, though - it's not a how-to. I'll tell you a bit about it...

English Embroidery by A. F. Kendrick can be found online in PDF format through the American Libraries Internet Archive. The book is one of those photographed PDFs, so you really get the sense of its age!

You'll find in the book a sort-of history of English embroidery. What the author sets out to do is to describe the trends in embroidery over the ages that mark works of embroidery as "English embroidery."

Again, keep in mind it's not a how-to book. You won't find information on stitching or assembly or anything like that - nothing about how to go about doing the types of embroidery discussed! Instead, Kendrick's intention is to define a type of embroidery ("English embroidery") by showing the reader, with pictures and descriptions, what exemplifies this type of embroidery.

The book spans the early Middle Ages through the 18th century, and treats each era in a brief way, slotting typical existing pieces into the era in which they belong. He describes some pieces in fairly good detail. The first half of the book is dedicated primarily to ecclesiastical embroidery. You'll be able to see photos of different pieces, mostly in black and white - although there are several color plates throughout the book.



About half way through the 125-page book, you'll arrive at secular embroidery of the 16th and 17th century. You'll find some plates displaying embroidered bags, as well as several plates on embroidered clothing. The book ends with the 18th century.



This plate, and the discussion of embroidered jackets, reminds me of the work going on at Plymoth Plantation on the 17th century embroidered jacket!

The book also has an extensive reference list and a good index.

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to explore A. G. Christie's book, English Medieval Embroidery, in the rare books section at a city library. Kendrick's book is a lot like it, but on a much (much!) smaller scale, covering a broader period of time. So if you've been interested to see what Christie's book is like, but haven't had the opportunity to visit a library to see it, you could take a look at this book to get a sense of it.

If you want to peruse the book at your leisure, download the PDF of English Embroidery by A. F. Kendrick, and enjoy!

Labels: book review, historical needlework, online needlework books

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, June 30, 2008
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Ecclesiastical embroidery is one of my favorite categories of hand embroidery - I love the combinations of goldwork and silk and shading seen in old samples of hand embroidery worked for the beautification of churches. I was cleaning out some picture files to make space on my computer, when I came across these photos and thought they would be appropriate to post today as good examples of figure embroidery, goldwork, and silk. I hope you like them!

These are two examples of different representations of the Sacred Heart, worked in gold metal threads and silk. The embroidery is perhaps not the finest ecclesiastical embroidery I've seen, but there are some notable points to both pieces.



A front view of this image does not show it off well, in my opinion, but there are elements of it that I think are really exquisite. For example, the effect of "light" around the Sacred Heart is very nice. Also, I like the gold on the robes. But the image looks better, I think, when seen from the side, which is curious.



This is the same image from the side. I think the face is more appealling from this angle.



I think the eyes are beautifully worked. Close up, they are even more impressive.



The image is set on cloth of gold, which is enhanced by a pattern worked in gold purl.



This is a different image of the Sacred Heart, and it is, in my opinion, not quite as nice as the one above. But the techniques are completely different. In the image above, the robes - in fact, the entire figure - is embroidered. In this image, the figure is made of appliqued fabric, which has been stitched over where shading is desired, to give the "look" of embroidery without the labor-intensiveness of hand embroidering the entire image.



The face on this image is solid flesh colored fabric. The shading is achieved by stitching darker flesh tones only where shading is desired. Sometimes, such pieces would actually be painted. The details of the face, for example, would be painted onto silk. The shading was then achieved primarily by the paint, and lines of stitches would be added to enhance the shading. But on this particular piece, the background of the face is flesh-colored silk which is not painted.

Anyway, I like looking at pieces like these to determine techniques and to get ideas. I hope you enjoyed seeing the photos!

Have a great weekend!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 30, 2008
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During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, embroidery on fine clothing was the norm. By the time the Industrial Revolution finished off the cottage industries, embroidery on clothing could be done by machine. But that didn't stop some people from undertaking the embellishment of their own wardrobes, as this New York Times article attests.

Anyone interested in costuming, in vintage textiles, or even in general surface embroidery may find this "Message to Women" interesting. What's the message? "Gold Thread to be Used Lavishly in Many Fabrics this Season" with explanations on "Honeycomb Stitchery." Read the gold thread article if you get a chance - you can pick up some interesting instruction on how to work the techniques discussed. If nothing else, I think it's amusing!



Speaking of embroidery on clothing and vintage textiles, another interesting source of embroidery designs is The Costume Galler's Online Library of Vintage Publications, in particular the free page of McCall's Magazine Self Transferable Embroidery Patterns, from May of 1908.



The nice thing about the patterns offered on the McCall's page (there are five embroidery patterns altogether) is that you could easily modify the pattern for something other than the bodice of that dress you're making for your summer tea parties.... you could take just one section of a motif and use it on linens or whatever!

Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery links, embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns, goldwork, historical needlework, vintage embroidery

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, April 28, 2008
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And yet another example of ecclesiastical embroidery - this time, a superfrontal, which hangs on the top front edge of the altar, but does not extend to the ground. It usually kind of "caps" the frontal, which would be a cloth that covers the entire front of the altar. In older churches with very ornate altars, frontals aren't necessarily used, but sometimes a superfrontal still is, for decorative purposes. If it's custom made for a particular altar, it would not cover any of the carvings or paintings on the front of the altar, but would hang just above them.

This particular piece is quite long. It has the Pelican embroidered in the center, motifs with text evenly spaced on each side, as well as medallions depicting the four evangelists. Because it was in a display case, I was only able to photograph the visible parts.



This is the whole piece, folded in the display case. I love the red and gold on white.



Here's the central image. If I recall correctly, the pelican and nest were embroidered, then appliqued onto the red background, and then the whole piece is appliqued to the white fabric.



One of the embroidered medallions of the Evangelists - St. Matthew, I believe.



Another symbol for one of the Evangelists - St. John, I think. Well, if that's an eagle, anyway! It's not an ox or a lion...



Getting a little closer on the pelicans, you can see the long lines of split stitch.



And yet a little closer...



And closer, still...



A close up on the couched gold in the halo - it looks like imitation Japanese gold again.



This is from some of the lettering on the rectangular motifs you can see in the first picture. The text is from the hymn "Tantum Ergo."



A close up on some of the cording used as edging around the appliqued areas.



This is a close up on the rectangular motifs, over which the text banners kind of float. Beautiful padded satin stitch.



And here is the corner of one of those rectangles, from a little farther away so you can see how the design works.



And a close up on what I think must be gilded leather in the center of those little designs around the rectangles.

And I think that about does it for ecclesiastical embroidery for a bit! I don't know if you enjoy looking at these photos, but I sure do find the work amazing. The techniques are certainly transferrable to secular embroidery as well, so maybe you'll be able to glean some ideas or find some inspiration in the photos!

I hope you enjoyed them!

I wish you all a very happy Easter, and I'll be back on Monday with a needle comparison and a great find in (really nice) embroidery needles.

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, March 22, 2008
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Continuing through my collection of liturgical and church-related embroidery photos, here's a glorious embroidered piece - the hood of a cope, with figure embroidery. Like the Last Supper chasuble I posted yesterday and the Crucifixion chasuble I posted photos of last year, this is relatively "modern" work - first half of the 1900's sometime.

The embroidered image on the cope hood is God the Father, holding Christ in His arms, with the Holy Ghost over the right shoulder. Around the figures are the choirs of angels. The cope hood would be approximately two feet long, and a little less wide.



The majority of the work is done in long and short stitch or split stitch shading techniques.



The individual angels representing the choirs of angels are probably about 3 or 4 inches high. I regret that I didn't take accurate measurements when I photographed these! The detail and the color are quite nice.



There are nine choirs of angels depicted, each one represented by the wings or by what is held in their hands. I don't know the precise symbolism.



The dove that represents the Holy Ghost caught my eye on this piece, as the outlines are embroidered in red, rather than the typical black or dark grey.



Because the piece was in a glass-covered drawer, I couldn't get a direct shot of the crown or face details here. You can see gemstones (probably glass) and pearls worked on the crown.



The shading on the face of Christ is really very nicely done. It looks better from far away than it does close up, in my opinion (as does the whole piece). This is often the case in ecclesiastical work - the pieces are embroidered and shaded according to how they will look from a distance, since one of the reasons they are made is for the edification of the faithful, who would be viewing them from the distance in the congregation, rather than close up in the sanctuary of a larger church.

The clasp on the cloak of God the Father is set with gemstones and pearls as well. You can see drill marks in the glass stones when the image is enlarged.



The goldwork on the embroidered part is done in imitation Japanese gold. You can see the wide wraps around the core thread. The gold on the fringe, though, is undoubtedly real gold which has tarnished over the years. The fringe was more than likely purchased complete rather than prepared by those who worked the embroidery.

Again, another quick meditation on the type of work that must have gone into such pieces! Ecclesiastical embroidery for vestments was usually done either by convents with many hands involved in the embroidery, or by guilds, who also had several ladies who would take part in creating a piece. A work like this would be a major long-term project for one individual!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, needlework pictures, pictures, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, March 21, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, March 16, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, March 08, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, March 05, 2008
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Thanks to Joey, I have two snippets of the red gilt sylke twist from the Plimoth Plantation 17th century jacket project. All I can say is ---- WOW.

This embroidery thread is exquisite. I could never have been prepared for the surprise, though, when I actually saw it. It's much, much tinier than I expected! It is an absolutely fine thread, tiny, about the size of a heavy duty quilting thread. I don't know how to measure the actual size of a thread, so that's the best I can do in comparison.

The Gilt Sylke Twist is a bit stiff (because of the gold) but not super-stiff. The red is gorgeous - really beautiful. This is the thing: I wound a snippet around a little stick to see how it might look satin stitched. I think... I think it would look stunning!

Although I was taken a-back at the fineness of the thread, I have to admit that I think I like it even more, having seen it, than I did just having seen close-up photos.

Here's a shot of the Gilt Sylke Twist next to a single strand of DMC cotton, so you can get an idea of the size.



I've already got a little "savings fund" set up for purchasing some of this thread when it comes available to the general public. I'm looking forward to its release! (In case you couldn't tell!)

Labels: historical needlework, pictures, silk, threads

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, February 23, 2008
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Monday, January 07, 2008
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Do you have a particular embroidery stitch that eludes all your attempts to master it? I do. It's the plaited braid stitch. I'm sure there are embroiderers out there who may read this and say, "WHAT? She can't do the plaited braid stitch? And she calls herself an embroiderer!?" That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but - still - it is a stitch that I have a heck of a time trying to get "right." So I'm exploring it, searching for resources, help, information, tips, and whatever anyone wants to add to my explorations...

The plaited braid stitch shouldn't be confused with the braid stitch - although they are similar in their beginnings. The braid stitch is rather simple, though, and relatively easy to stitch. The braid stitch looks like this:



The plaited braid stitch is a stitch that was used in 17th and early 18th century to provide heavier scrolling patterns on textiles. It was worked in metal-wrapped silk thread (much like Japanese gold) or stiffer cord-like thread. Unlike the stitch above, which is completed in two steps for the first stitch and one step on the repeats, the plaited braid stitch takes five steps to execute the first stitch, and then the repeats require two steps if you use a "sewing" method of stitching, and three steps if stabbing. So far, I've found stabbing to work better, especially with metal threads.

What piqued my curiosity about plaited braid stitch recently is the awesome project going on at The Embroiderers' Story. This is a blog devoted to the re-creation of a 17th century lady's embroidered jacket at Plimoth Plantation. I've poured over the whole blog and read with delight about their work in recreating this beautiful piece of clothing. Their process of finding thread, their progress on the embroidery - all of this really thrills me! I'm anticipating the information on how they are going to recreate the scroll pattern in the jacket, and what thread they are going to use. Are they going to use the plaited braid stitch (which, after looking closely at their model jacket, seems to be the stitch used for the scroll), and, if so, what kind of thread are they going to use to work the stitch? I'm sure they've got this all figured out, but I can't help thinking that, if they have found the embroidery time consuming so far, how much more time consuming will it be with the plaited braid stitch? It seems to me that all the other stitches used on the jacket work up relatively quickly - detached buttonhole and trellis stitch can go pretty fast once you establish a rhythm. But plaited braid - wow! It's slow, and that's a lot of scroll work!

This is the thing: clear directions for the plaited braid stitch are really (Really!) hard to come by! If you want to find it in a current embroidery book, you'll be hard-pressed. The only book I've found it diagrammed in so far is Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches. True, I don't have every book on the market, but I pulled out my collection of standards, and Mary Thomas is the only one who covers it.



Online, there are a couple sites that have the same type diagram for the stitch. The diagram looks like this:



It's the same diagram that's found in Mary Thomas's book, shown here:



On some websites, I've noticed that some alternate names are given to the stitch, such as "plaited stitch" (nope - it's not), "braid stitch" (no, it isn't!), and "rosette chain stitch" (nope, not that either).

I also ran across a website with step-by-step photos of something entitled "plaited braid stitch." But it isn't "the" plaited braid stitch here - it's missing a step, and the braid, if worked following the directions given, looks heavier on one side than on the other. That's because one of the plaiting steps is missing.

The site is Victoria Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fibers, a good site for some interesting and useful information for stitchers (she has a good articles on finishing a needlebook, for example).

It's her fourth and fifth step that pose the problem with her version of the plaited braid:



If your work up her stitch a little more carefully, this is more or less what you end up with (working with perle cotton):



It certainly works up faster, but it isn't the right look - notice that one side (in the photo above, the right side) has a plaited look to it, but the other side is just the loop that you find in the regular braid stitch.

In the "real" plaited braid stitch, the sides are even - there's a "plaited look" to both sides of the stitched band. Here's a close up of the blaited braid stitch worked on an antique:



Notice how comfortably the threads fit together - they look almost supple in their twists and turns. Of course, the piece is old and the threads have been there for a while. But still - the stitch is tight and neat and even, and the threads look comfortable with their situation!

Here's a close up of one of my attempts at the plaited braid stitch, following the diagram above for the stitch, and using a size 5 imitation Japanese gold and a really big needle:



You can see the strain on the gold already, even though it was passing through a large needle hole. The gold also looks stiff and uncomfortable. The stitch doesn't close up on itself very well, either - although perhaps that's part of the nature of the stitch when worked with stiff threads.

There are some noticeable differences between my sample and the older work above - for one thing, in the thread I used, the gold strip wrapped around the core thread is a lot wider than the strip on the older piece. I think this has a lot to do with the stitches in the top photo looking more supple.

My stitches look decidedly stiffer and "rounder" than the those in the top photo. Notice the obvious downward direction of the stitch line in the top photo - the interior stitches (the "plait" part of the stitch) - angle downward in the stitch direction (especially the ones on the left). In my sample, every part of the stitch seems to keep a rounded, stiff look. In the older piece, these stitches are closer together, too.

Here's a shot of the plaited braid worked with cord, from Mary Thomas's book:



In playing with the stitch, I've learned that once you get the hang of the order of the steps for the plaited braid stitch, it isn't that hard to follow the steps. The tricky part of the stitch is to keep it even and to get into a working rhythm so that you can make progress on your stitching. As mentioned above, when working with a wrapped metal thread (like Japanese gold), I found it easier to use a stab method (that is, taking the needle all the way to the back, pulling the thread through - at least to the point of creating the next loop, and then bringing the needle back to the front).

Now, what I'd like to know from all the embroiderers out there who are familiar with the plaited braid stitch is this:

What kind of gold or metal thread works best for this stitch? What size needle works best - and what kind (sharp or blunt?) - and are there any tips or tricks you've learned while working the stitch that you can share?

If readers have any information on the stitch, or can direct me to further resources, I'd love to hear from you!

Labels: goldwork, Hand embroidery stitches, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, January 03, 2008
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The practice of embroidering or decorating book bindings has been around for quite a while, having been very popular in the Elizabethan era, but certainly dating to much earlier than merely 450 years ago. Until the age of mass-market books, we can safely say that books have always been precious commodities, so special books deserved to be adorned! A while ago, I mentioned a link to the British Library, where you can peruse heaps of gorgeous embroidered book bindings. Well, a reader has undertaken embroidering her own book cover, so I thought I'd send you for a peek!

Elmsley Rose has been working on a very nice embroidered book binding, and she's been blogging her progress. Every time I check out the new additions, I get the stitching itch - I want to delve into the same type of project! But I'll have to satisfy myself right now by just watching her work develop.



This is the cover so far. At first, when she started, I wondered if the background fabric might take away from the design, but as the embroidery progressed, I found I liked the background more and more. The embroidery pattern seems to move with the pattern in the fabric. Megan was inspired in the designing of her cover by a variety of historical sources, which she tells you about on her blog.

Take a look at all her posts on the embroidered bookbing - she takes you from the conception of the design up to her current point of accomplishment, unfolding her reasons for changes, and the whole thought, experimentation, and stitching process along the way.

Thanks to Megan's enthusiasm for these bookbindings and historic embroidery, I found myself looking more and more into them, and getting more and more enthusiastic about embroidered book bindings, their history, and the variety of designs, techniques, and materials used to adorn books throughout the ages.

Besides the great collection at the British Library, you can find quite a few interesting resources about the subject on-line.

For example, on Project Gutenberg, you'll find the book English Embroidered Bookbindings, which is full of excellent historical information, as well as plenty of plates in both black and white and color. This, for example, is plate 16 on page 54 - but don't be deterred by the black and white photo! Think of the possibilities of the design!



If you like plate 16 on pg 54 of English Embroidered Bookbindings, you'll be happy to know that you can find the pattern for this bookbinding online, or at least, something very similar to it - the central panel (with the circle around the initials) is different, for example. Oh, the embroidery possibilities! For example, I'm a fan of velvet with goldwork on it - and I think this pattern would look great in that combination!

If you want to read up on embroidered bookbindings, a good place to start is the British Library's Guide to English Embroidered Bookbindings in the British Library, a brief article that covers history, materials, and a good list of resources.

You can find a smattering of other articles on the subject here and there around the internet. For example, Prose, Poems, Points & Purls: Embroidered Book Covers is an SCA article the focuses on embroidered bookbindings in brief, with several nice pictures, and the pattern mentioned above.

If you know of any other resources on the topic, feel free to share them with us! Also, if you're working on anything similar, I'd love to see it. Feel free to post a link to your project photos, or e-mail and send a photo!

Labels: historical needlework, Jacobean embroidery, needlework pictures, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, December 20, 2007
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Or Nué is undoubtedly the most advanced type of goldwork, and it's an embroidery technique that fascinates me! Here are some resources...

First, I should clarify: I'm not talking about the half-way hazy "Or Nué" kits, where you get to work cotton threads over DMC metallics, and produce a vague image of something, but you're not quite sure what.

While these projects do introduce the concept of Or Nué, they aren't what fascinates me! It's the historical stuff that I can't get enough of!

So I wanted to share with you a couple resources on this technique, so that you can see what it is, maybe dabble in it yourself, or just delight in the historical pieces that reflect an unbelievable level of craftsmanship with needle and thread.

First of all, there's this article that Megan sent me a link to, although (grin) I did already have it! But she reminded me of it, and that's what counts! The article is titled "Classnotes on Or Nue Embroidery," and it's a 3-page PDF file with two nice, clear black and white photos. The article contains some useful information about the technique, and a good desicription of what it's all about. The article comes from an SCA site that actually has a whole index of articles on metal thread.

Then there's this post about Or Nue on Needle 'n Thread from not-too-long-ago, within which you will find some good resources and a picture of the Mantle of the Virgin.

Speaking of that incredible piece of embroidery, if you like this kind of stuff, consider spending a few moments looking at this page featuring close-ups of the Mantle of the Virgin from several different angles - and yes, they are clickable and zoomable! So you can get pretty close to examine the details. Here's a screen shot of one little area zoomed, so you can see what I mean:



The sparkle of the gold through the silk is lovely. And the shading on this piece is INcredible! And of course, I love the pearls! You can pan the image while it's zoomed, which is a nice feature.

One of these days, I want to work up some tutorials that cover goldwork! Here's hoping it will happen over Christmas break.

In the meantime, do enjoy the links above!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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...but not by me! If you are interested in embroidery (historical or otherwise), costuming, or textiles in general, you might enjoy looking into this fascinating project underway at Plimoth Plantation.

In November of 2006, the Colonial Wardrobe & Textiles Department at Plimoth Plantation conceived the plan to re-create a piece of 17th century clothing to display in an upcoming exhibit highlighting the "personal adornment" of folks way back in the 1600's.

The plan developed into creating, entirely by hand, a faithful reproduction of a 17th century embroidered jacket. After much research and fine-tuning, the folks at Plimoth Plantation put the plan in action, inviting embroiderers from all over to participate in the work. And what a work!

They have been faithfully blogging the process since May, 2007, and their blog, The Embroiderers' Story, is full of fascinating reading and delightful images, inspiring to anyone interested in historical needlework. It is a story, really, of seeking and discovery, driven by the motivated members of the textile department at Plimoth Plantation. To follow the progress from its beginning to now, visit the May archives of the Embroiderers' Story and scroll to the bottom of the page here. The post titled "In the Beginning" sets the stage for the rest of the story.



The pattern for the body of the embroidered jacket is the Laton Jacket, on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which they have "cross referenced" with another jacket at the museum, item 1359-1900 (at the V&A).



The second jacket is the one from which they adapted the embroidery design. It's very pretty!



The textile department made up sample embroidery kits which were made available to embroiderers from all over, the costs of which helped finance the project. Taking the samples that were worked and sent back to them, the textile department matched up embroiderers of similar skills to work together on the jacket. The embroiderers meet at the Plimoth Plantation and work on the jacket.

Some excellent pictures of the nature and progress of the work can be found on flickr, where one of the embroiderers has posted heaps of pictures from her visit to Plimoth Plantation to work on the jacket. You can see some gorgeous close-ups of the embroidery, as well as some great shots of the whole work set-up at the Plantation.

The predominant stitch used on the jacket seems to be buttonhole filling, worked inside a foundation of reversed chain. In addition, there's a swirling motif of what looks like braid stitch worked in gold thread. A little trim of metal bobbin lace tipped with spangles adorns the jacket, and spangles speckle the whole jacket - some 2,000 of them! You can see excellent instructions in PDF files for the reversed chain and the buttonhole filling, as well as the trellis stitch, if you go through the July Archives of the blog. This is also where you'll find the bulk of the story about drawing and transferring the embroidery design to the pattern pieces - WOW. What a work!

Finding needlework supplies that are available today and similar to the ones used in the 1600's cannot be easy! The search is chronicled in The Embroiderers' Story.

The Embroiderers' Story is an exciting story, I think! It leaves the reader in awe of the coordination and work that must be going into this magnificent project! I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on the progress of the piece, and hopefully, someday, see it in person!

Labels: historical needlework, Jacobean embroidery, silk

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, December 13, 2007
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If you like to browse sites with great photos of embroidered work - especially if you're interested in historical embroidery - then you'll probably love the Victoria & Albert Museum!

The Victoria & Albert Museum has a marvelous textile collection - perhaps the best in the world. Search the collections at the V&A, typing in "embroidered" for a keyword search, and you will find page after page of magnificent images of historical embroidery.



You can then click on the thumbnails of the embroidery you'd like to see up close. At that point, you'll get all the "vital statistics" on the piece - what it's made out of, where it was worked, who embroidered it, what it was used for, and so forth - as well as some interesting little tidbits. For example, I clicked on a fantastic piece of beetle-wing embroidery, and was treated to this image, only larger:



... along with some historical information about beetle-wing embroidery:

Dress fabrics embroidered with pieces of beetles' wing-cases, often cut into leaf shapes, were popular with Western women (those based in India and in Europe) from the mid-19th to early 20th century. The iridescent pieces of beetle-wing gave a lustre and sparkle to evening dresses that emulated applied gemstones. The pieces of beetle-wing were attached by piercing them with a needle and sewing them directly onto the ground fabric, in this case black net, but often fine cotton muslin. Because of their extreme fragility, they were usually used only around the edges of garments (hems, necks and sleeves) to minimise crushing. (Taken from the V&A Museum Website.)

Since I'm right in the middle of a beetle wing & goldwork embroidery piece, I was thrilled to be able to take a look at this!

You can do all kinds of keyword searches through the link above, so if you're wanting to browse about for some inspiration, or you just want to glory in some gorgeous art, visit the V&A today!

Thanks, Margaret, for the link!

Labels: beetle wing embroidery, embroidery design, embroidery links, goldwork, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, November 18, 2007
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Book covers make great embroidery projects. I had fun working with children this past summer on book covers embroidered on wool felt. It isn't a new idea by any means to embellish the cover of a book with embroidery. If you want to see some fantastic pieces of embroidered art, you need to check out the British Library's Database of Bookbindings.

If you visit the British Library's Database of Bookbindings and search for "embroidered," you will find a whole gallery of gorgeous old embroidered book covers. You'll want to do a "keywork" search for "embroidered," and select "gallery" for the display method. Then you can spend hours (or at least a good many minutes!) browsing these beautiful little pieces of history.



In the gallery view, you'll get an overall view of the embroidered bookbindings. There are lots of them! You can browse through examples from different centuries and different countries.



You get a fairly good full shot of each image when you click on it, with all the pertinent details of size, workmanship, and so forth.



You can click on the photo for a close up, which allows you to see all the embroidered detail on the piece. Some of them are really opulent, like this cover in velvet worked over with gold.

This is a fantastic gallery, and excellent for browsing through when you just want to relax and search for inspiration. You'll get a good sense of the techniques of particular historical eras, and you'll marvel at the artistry of these pieces.

Thanks to Megan of Elmsley Rose for the link!

Labels: historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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Dorset Buttons are buttons embroidered around a ring and filled with simple stitches. They are colorful, relatively easy to make, can decorate anything from clothing to accessories, and present an endless variety for embellishment, texture, and color.

Dorset Buttons have been around for a long time! It was a cottage industry in England (specifically in Dorset, hence the name). Read the history of button making in Dorset - it's pretty interesting! These buttons are a neat little chapter in the history of textiles. Sadly enough, when button-making machines came along, this vital cottage industry died, leaving many families poverty-stricken, since they were no longer able to rely on their craft of button-making for survival.

On a website called "The Sampler," there's a wonderful step-by-step tutorial for making Dorset buttons.



Take a look at the tutorial, and you'll see that the options of embellishing these buttons are really endless! A little knowledge of embroidery stitches will help - buttonhole stitch and the ribbed spider web will come in handy.

Once the outside of the button is done and a foundation is laid inside, you can dress the thing up to your heart's content!

I think these buttons would look great on chunky sweaters, on totes, on knitted winter caps ---- and on and on and on! I also think (though I haven't tried it yet) that they would be a good project for younger embroiderers on winter days! I may test that latter theory - if winter ever gets here!

Enjoy the tutorial! And thanks to Craftypod for supplying it!

Labels: embroidered buttons, embroidery resources, historical needlework, needlework tutorials

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, October 11, 2007
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I've been told that needlepoint is a very "relaxing" form of needlework. Truthfully, I don't really know. I recall as a kid doing some little needlepoint design on plastic canvas, that came with a kit of sorts - and that's the only time I've ever played with the technique. Well, my tastes have matured a bit, and, with a little bit of luck, I've come into possession of what promises to be an exciting project.

The Traquair House needlepoint canvases are hand-painted by Phillipa Turnbull. They are, "by special permission from The Laird of Traquair House in Scotland, an exact replica from a panel of slips from the 16th Century." There are 9 slips altogether. You can see photos of them at The Crewel Work Company.

Traquair House dates to 1107 (900 hundred years old!) when, according to the historical information on the website, the house was a hunting lodge for the Scottish royalty. Now, it's one of those "I'd love to go there" historical spots that hosts tours, events, and weddings, has a brewery on site, and even has Bed and Breakfast accommodations. It looks like a lovely place with a glorious history. You can read all about it at the Traquair House website.

Back to needlepoint! The panel I have is the Griffin, Pomegranates and Swooping Bird panel:


And it came with the whole palette of Trebizond silk!



This is the whole canvas. I'm glad it's the Griffin! As you probably guessed, I didn't actually order this specifically - it came as part of the needlepoint treasure box from Twining Thread, which, sadly, is no more.



There's the griffin up close. I like him!



Here's the Trebizond palette.

The piece is supposed to be worked entirely in tent stitch (or petit point), which I guess will make the stitching itself rather easy, except, perhaps, for the changing of colors rather often. I'm assuming that it should be worked in the "basketweave" style of tent stitching. The unfortunate part of receiving this canvas for a mere (small!) fraction of it's regular retail price (along with all the silks, to boot!) is that it didn't come with specific instructions. I'm hoping I know enough about needlework to manage working the piece, and what I don't know, I may be able to guess!

I've worked a lot of canvas stitches and their variations on evenweave, to play with them, but I've never actually worked a whole piece of needlework of this quality. So wish me luck! I can't wait until I have time to get it going!

If anyone out there has any advice about working on this type of canvas, I am, as usual, all ears!

Labels: historical needlework, needlepoint, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, October 02, 2007
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, September 26, 2007
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In the 15th century, a goldwork technique known as Or Nué reflected the great skill of the medieval embroiderer. I recently received an e-mail from a friend with a photo of an exquisite example of this technique.

This is from the "Mantle of the Virgin," a cope embroidered apparently in the Netherlands in the 15th century. It belongs to a group of vestments embroidered for the Order of the Golden Fleece, a chivalric order founded in 1430.



This is "needle painting" at it's most glorious - it is worked over gold threads, the shading managed by the spacing between the couching stitches over the gold. The cope is, from what I understand (although I'm certainly open to correction!), linen, completely covered in metal thread and silk embroidery in a variety of techniques. The design was actually first painted by an artist onto the fabric, and then turned over to an embroiderer or a guild for the needleworking.

You can read about Or Nué on the Historical Needlework Resources website, where they also display a fantastic example of the technique.

If you want to try the technique yourself, you can check out this information on how to work Or Nué. It's merely a written explanation, but there are a few rough diagrams to give you the idea.

And, if you want to try the technique without the investment of "real" gold threads, you can practice with the numerous "gold" threads available at hobby stores, notably those produced by Kreinik. They're fairly inexpensive, and it would at least give you a sense of how Or Nué is accomplished. Heck, I've even played around with the technique using regular cotton perle as my laid thread - it works! The perle obviously has more give than metal threads, so the tension on the couching thread has to be pretty light. It's a really inexpensive and fun way to see if you like the technique.

To see how couching works, check out my couching video in the Video Library of Hand Embroidery Stitches.

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 22, 2007
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The Embroiderers' Guild in the UK publishes a magazine called Stitch. They have a good website with a lot of information on it, among which are some "sample articles" from Stitch Magazine in PDF format. The one article that caught my eye and set me exploring was the article on the Litany of Loreto Embroideries.

According to the article on the Stitch website about the Litany of Loreto Embroideries (PDF), their history is rather vague. One thing is certain, just by looking at them - they are definitely influenced by the romanticism of the pre-Raphaelites.



The embroidered panels are worked in long-and-short stitch in muted shades, with metal threads used for accents.

While the style of art reminds me of the pre-Raphaelites, overall, I can't help comparing the embroideries with the art of William Bouguereau in particular. Take a look:



Perhaps it's just the throne that makes me think of that particular artist - but I think it's also the motif on the gown in the embroidery and the motif on the throne. The lines in the embroidery are not as "soft" as those in Bouguereau's painting, but it reminds me of him, nevertheless. It also reminds me of the Beuronese style of art, which I mentioned when speaking of the samples of ecclesiastical embroidery at the Convent in Clyde, MO. The trees in the background and the clean lines are all rather Beuronese-ish.



This is another one of the embroideries. In all, there are 12 of the panels. It would have been something to see every title from the Litany of Loreto worked in embroidery - there are around 50. What a project! The Royal School of Needlework sells a pamphlet on the embroideries, if you're interested in seeing them all.

I have a pretty keen interest in ecclesiastical embroidery, so the article on the Stitch Magazine website was the first to catch my eye. There are other articles on there for the enthusiast - another historical one concentrates on the Bayeux Stitch. The article, Bayeux Stitch Ancient and Modern (PDF), shows the reader how to work the stitch and how it can be interpreted. It's pretty neat - check it out!

You can find these articles and more at Stitch Magazine online. While you're there, you might want to check out their projects page, where you'll find all sorts of inspiring photos of projects, and their stitch page, where you will find illustrations of a heap of embroidery stitches. On their In Focus page, you'll find a terrific index of the pieces housed at their museum.

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, September 22, 2007
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Here's a nice book to have in your library of needlework books, especially if you are interested in historic embroidery, costuming, fashion and textiles, or even ecclesiastical embroidery. Even if you're not too interested in the above "genres" related to embroidery, anyone passionate about needlework will probably like this book.

18th Century Embroidery Techniques is written by Gail Marsh and published by Guild of Master Craftsman Publications, first in 2006 and then reprinted in 2007.



What intrigues me most about the book, which I purchased recently and have only now had a chance to give it a brief look, is that it focuses on the embroidery of clothing. Not too many of us take a lot of time to embellish our wardrobes, and even if we do, no one does it to the extent that it was done in the 1700's for those who could afford it. It's not so much the subject of the clothing that grabs me - it's the answer to that ever-present question that haunts when I visit museums or see certain elaborately embellished textiles... "Hmm...now, just how did they do that?" I'm the type who would like to get behind the glass, touch the stuff, and even "pick at it" a bit to see exactly how it was put together!!

Gail Marsh outlines quite clearly how embroidery on textiles was accomplished. She gives you the directions to do it yourself, if you really wanted to! There are heaps of color photos of museum pieces throughout the book, as well as line drawings of various types of fashion from this time period.

Within the book you'll also find line drawings of the designs used on the clothing so that, if you were game, you could certainly adapt them into patterns for your own use.

Obviously, this is great stuff for the costumer and the textile or fashion student. But for the every-day home-hobby embroiderer, it's still a great opportunity to have access to some really exquisite patterns that can be used as is, or even adapted and simplified.

As for the techniques in the book - right off the bat, I opened the book and my eyes fell upon the section devoted to embroidery on velvet. What could be richer than silk threads on velvet, or goldwork on velvet? But when embroidering on velvet, the embroiderer faces the problem of pile: stitches (especially for silk work) sink into the pile, and may be lost. Gail tells you how this was avoided - by using silk gauze, which was torn or cut away after the embroidery was complete. And she goes into the various details of using silk gauze or paper or anything else underneath stitches to keep them from getting lost in the pile of the fabric. Useful information!

She also includes interesting, readable stuff - this isn't a dry and boring technique book or history book (ok, admittedly, I generally don't find technique or history books boring!) but this one has some neat little lumpets of "curious" information in it.... for example:

On page 39, there's a little blurb on "drizzling, parfilage, or ravelling." This was the practice of snipping off gold threads from clothing or uniforms, separating the gold from the silk core, and hoarding it, to eventually have it weighed and sold to a gold dealer. It was a "hobby of the rich," and not performed merely on worn-out clothing. Women would even carry around with them a small bag of tools so that they could engage in their hobby during theater performances, unbeknownst to the wearer who was engrossed in the play, or during parties! "Excuse me, my dear, while I snip off your embellishment..."??? Pretty funny! She makes the statement that "it is a wonder that there is any 18th-century metal thread embroidery left for us to admire today," given this fashion for picking it apart and selling it.

So the book is pretty interesting and entertaining!

If you're looking for a Christmas present for someone who likes historical textiles, this would probably make a good one! I'd also classify it under "interesting coffee-table books." It's less than $18 through Amazon.

Labels: book review, embroidery books, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, September 20, 2007
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While doing a little research on historical textiles, I came across two websites that I find very interesting:

The first is CIETA, Centre International d'Etude des Textiles Anciens - "an international association founded in 1954 in order to coordinate work methods used by specialists in ancient textiles." The site itself is dedicated to telling people about CIETA. It offers both a French and English version for readers.



Essentially, CIETA is devoted to the study of historical textiles, and, as a world-wide organization, it has "fine-tuned" the language of textiles in order to provide consistency in the examination, documentation, and study of historic textiles. CIETA offers technical courses, where the student learns techniques of analysis of textiles. The members of the organization apparently meet every other year in an international congress, and the organization also has several departments for specialized groups within the realm of historical textiles. For those interested in making their life work the study of historical textiles, this looks like a great organization.

But what was more fun was the link on the site to the Museum of Textiles in Lyons, France. I have to admit, the site itself is rather irritating - it requires activating a lot of controls, if you have pop-ups blocked, you might have to unblock them, it doesn't allow regular forward-back movement on your browser, and on and on. BUT - despite all that - it's worth checking out.



Once you get into the site, you'll have a choice between English and French. Under the English option, there's a link for the Textile Museum Collection. In the menu bar across the top of that page, you'll have choices of different textiles from around the world, as well as a collection of costumes. The pictures are fun to browse through, even though they are rather stingy with the images - they're small, and even the enlargements are small. And you can't maximize the page and get a better view, either!

BUT - again - despite that, I enjoyed browsing through the textiles. They have beautiful examples of European, Eastern, Coptic and Egyptian, and local (Lyons) historical textiles. The costumes they have featured on the site are worth looking at, too.

So, if you're interested in historical textiles, here are two sites worth checking out!

Labels: historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, August 18, 2007
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, August 02, 2007
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Earlier, I touched upon Cloth of Gold, exploring what it is and how it's made. This exquisite textile made of gold-wrapped thread is expensive, somewhat hard to come by, and, in antique textiles, highly desired when in good shape. Here, I'm examining a piece made of cloth of gold, but which has unfortunately been damaged. The question is whether or not it is completely beyond repair.

The piece is a liturgical stole made from cloth of gold. It matches an exquisite set of vestments made from the same fabric.



This is a shot of one side of the stole, where the cloth of gold is in excellent shape, especially considering the age and the use of the piece.



And here is the other side, where you can see that the piece really is exquisite. The nature of this particular cloth is damask-like, with a pattern woven into the overall cloth. It is not embroidered in any way - the pattern you see is simply part of the pattern of the cloth.



There's a beautiful goldwork cloth on each side of the front of the stole. Again, it's in really good shape - there are a few spots where the gold thread is broken, but overall this does not mar the beauty of the piece. Age and wear are not highly evident.

But then, the tragedy:



Here you can see the torn fibers that need repair. Note how the cloth of gold is made in layers - underneath the gold thread, there are at least three layers: the first is the "base" of the fabric - it looks like a coursely woven material. The second and third layers directly under the gold are soft gold-colored thread in layers like padding. Then comes the gold.



It reminds me somewhat of shredded wheat cereal. What a mess! The question is, how can cloth of gold like this be repaired in a way that shows the least amount of damage? I'm musing over this question - and if you have any ideas, I'm all ears!



Here's the spot on the opposite side of the stole - not as bad, but still noticeably damaged!



The fringe at the bottom of the stole also needs some attention. The strands are crossed and held together by red thread, in an attractive pattern, but the red thread needs work!



In fact, the red thread is completely missing on half of the fringed edge.

The fringe won't be difficult to fix up. It's not really damaged - it just needs to be re-worked with red thread.

The cloth of gold itself, though, definitely needs repair before this piece can be used again. So here's my question: any good ideas on how to go about this? Of course, there are always those professionals that restore textiles, but I'm going to (very carefully!) give it a go myself before resorting to a professional. This may be a mistake, but the cost of such a repair would probably be tremendous, if it can be done at all.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or inspirations, feel free to share 'em!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, June 14, 2007
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The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont is hosted online by Project Gutenburg. Thanks to Sharon for the link - it's a great learning tool for any level of embroiderer. What will you find in the book?

There are about 600 pages in the Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont, and within those pages, you'll find just about any technique related to needlework. Some techniques are covered more thoroughly than others, and, like many old books, the author assumes familiarity with the basics. However, this isn't to deter the modern needleworker! You'll find fantastic patterns, ideas, and inspiration that will enhance your future projects.

Take, for example, the section on Venetian Lace.



While Venetian lace may not be part of your embroidery repertoire, the design is certainly adaptable to other embroidery styles, such as Jacobean or crewel work.

If you like blackwork and other counted thread techniques traditionally worked on linen, you will love the section on patterns for linen embroidery. You'll find an array of patterns that can be modified for all kinds of projects!



The encyclopedia even has step by step instructions on knitting and crochet.

If you haven't perused the Encyclopedia of Needlework by Thérèse de Dillmont yet, take some time to browse through it, and add it to your favorites! It's a great resource for any needleworker! Enjoy!

Labels: book review, embroidery books, embroidery resources, Hand embroidery stitches, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, May 04, 2007
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If you're a fan of whitework embroidery, there's an online exhibit of fabulous pieces of whitework that you can't afford to miss! "Whitework" is a rather generic term for white-on-white hand embroidery, and as you browse through this exhibit, you'll see how whitework can encompass many, many needlework techniques.

The Whitework Exhibit online at Lacis Museum details extraordinary pieces of whitework - some are so detailed and finely worked that it's hard to imagine the time and effort that went into them! They are simply gorgeous pieces!



At the online museum, click "slide show" to meander through photos of this exquisite work. You can also select the Whitework Exhibit Catalog link to read (in PDF format) about the different types of whitework that are showcased in the exhibit.

If you have time to go browsing and you like whitework - or really any needlework technique! - this is a good place to spend some moments. Enjoy!

Labels: embroidery resources, historical needlework, whitework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, April 20, 2007
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Here's a great textile and embroidery resource for anyone interested in historical embroidery, counted thread techniques, or costuming. This site has it all - embroidery designs, fashion plates of historical costumes, and lots of interesting articles and tidbits about historical textiles.

The website is called DragonBear, and it touches on fine arts, crafts, items of historical and literary interest, and "whatever else" they decide to put on their site! It's a pretty broad spectrum, so there's plenty of material for a good browse-through.



Of particular note for the embroiderer is the patterns section of DragonBear. Here's where you'll find plenty of historical embroidery patterns, especially in counted thread techniques. Be sure to check out Designs, Period in the links at the left side of the Patterns section. In that section, you'll find heaps of plates of different motifs for embroidery. They're fun to browse through, inspirational, and useful! You'll find detailed charts for borders, medieval motifs, and much more! There are over 250 designs in this section alone, and the designs come from different countries throughout medieval Europe.



While you're at DragonBear, check out the Strawberries pattern, which is listed first on the Patterns section.



The idea for this sampler is taken from a work in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It calls for several types of stitches - not just counted thread stitches - and silk and metal threads.

Other embroidery patterns include 16th century needlework Germanic borders, which are charted out for the embroiderer. They're simple designs, but versatile.

Besides embroidery, you'll find a heap of other stuff: cordial recipes (both the historical ones and the modern adaptations), articles on different aspects of medieval history, and, for those interested in historical costume, a great section of costume plates that span the Anglo-Saxon through 16th century in English costumes.

I'm adapting one of the designs from the Designs, Period section for a small linen bookmark. I think it will look very nice, and it will make a great gift for upcoming graduates. Have fun browsing through DragonBear!

Labels: free embroidery patterns, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, April 14, 2007
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This excellent online textile resource could keep me occupied for hours. You'll find many books in PDF format on different types of needlework. If you're just in the mood to browse and you're interested in needlework, you'll enjoy looking through this site!

According to the title of this textile resource site, it actually deals with weaving and related topics, but many of the techniques in the digital books overlap hand embroidery techniques. They all fall into the category of needlework, anyway! Some of the books I've browsed through focus on drawn thread work, filet embroidery, petit point, etc. The On-Line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics also contains a section on Documents Related to Lace, which also presents some great needlework books. You'll find art journals, illustrations, manuscripts, articles - all kinds of materials published about lace making, weaving, and needlework - all in downloadable PDF files. You'll also find historical photographs of textile-related places and people, including old postcards of lace-makers and weavers and such from Madeira, Ireland, etc. The site is hosted and maintained by the University of Arizona Computer Science Department. They've done a marvelous job making this resource available!



This website is great for anyone interested in textiles and in research on textiles. For the embroiderer, you can flip through the publications and get all kinds of inspiration!

Labels: embroidery resources, free embroidery patterns, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Saturday, April 07, 2007
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Here's another example of ecclesiastical embroidery - a chasuble of the Crucifixion, worked entirely by hand, with embroidery and goldwork. It is really stunning - the "needlepainting" techniques that achieve the shadows and shading are so expertly done that, from a distance, it's difficult to realize that the piece is embroidered. I've included here several close up photos so you can see the range of colors used in this exquisite piece of historical church needlework.

This piece is housed at the Benedictine Convent in Clyde, Missouri, which I explained about previously when displaying photos of an embroidered cope. The vestments on display at this convent are all behind glass - some in drawers, with a couple exhibits in large, walk-around display cases. This particular piece was lying in a drawer behind glass, so only the back was available for viewing and photographing.



This is as full a shot of the chasuble as I could take. To give you the basic layout, underneath the crucifix is Our Lady of Sorrows (Mary, the mother of Jesus), and underneath her is St. Mary Magdalene. The vessel in Mary Magdalene's hands is indicative of the oil she annointed Christ's feet with when she washed them with her tears and dried them with her hair. At the right arm of Christ crucified (so, on the left side of the photo) is St. John, the "beloved" apostle, present at the crucifixion along with Mary, the mother of Christ, and Mary Magdalene. On the left arm (so, on the right in the photo) is .... ? I don't know - perhaps St. Peter. It could also be, perhaps, St. Benedict, as it's a Benedictine convent. At the top of the Crucifix is God the Father and the dove symbolizing the Holy Ghost.

Design-wise, this chasuble is lovely. The color schemes are pleasing, the symbolism is thought-provoking (as it should be), and the embellishment of the embroidery (with the goldwork) enhances, not detracts, from the needleworked scene. It's quite stunning work!



This is amazing - it's the coloring and shading that capture the eye. The gold and blue work together so well! The realistic folds and shadows are stunning!



Here is a close-up on the face, where you can really get a good idea of the gold and blue shading. Note also the eyes, the smooth stitching on the face, the two tones in the mouth (so the lower lip is shaded).



The smaller insert of Mary Magdalene is not as exquisite as the one above, but some details - especially the expression on the face - are not to be missed. A lovely smaller piece.



Here is a close-up on the face of Mary Magdalene. Note the stitch direction in the face, the eyes, the eyebrows, and all the details that contribute to the "painting."



If you look at the crucifix from a distance (above), and then look at the photo below - the close up on the face of Christ - you will see that "impressionist" appearance in the needlepainting. If you've ever looked at an impressionist painting up close, you see the strokes and rather a jumble of color, but when you step back, the effect is much smoother.



Look at how many colors are used to produce the face! These people really knew the art of needlepainting! Check out the rose, the red, the yellows, the greenish-browns - all work together to create a very "smooth" face from a distance - perfectly placed shadows, and very realistic.



This is the image of St. John. I'm not sure why the snake in the cup - undoubtedly an image of temptation of sorts, but I don't know the details of the story behind it. The flash really reflected on the glass here, so the photo isn't as nice as I could wish!



The dove symbolizing the Holy Ghost is incredibly detailed for something so small - approximately 2.5 - 3 inches across, tops. Note how the goldwork is couched on the halo - it's not "bricked," but rather creates a "sweeping" circular movement.



Again, the color selection for the face is amazing. Also, the detail in the hair and beard is exquisite. Note the stitch direction in the cheeks - the horizontal stitches create the shadow.



And finally, here's a close-up on the goldwork that embellishes the whole piece.
I hope readers enjoy seeing this stitching close-up! It really is amazing work! Imagine the understanding of colors and the artistic sense that each needleworker who contributed to this had to possess. What an art!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlepainting, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Friday, April 06, 2007
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I have a penchant for historical embroidery, especially when it comes to two categoriest: garments and ecclesiastical work. I journeyed to Clyde, Missouri a while back to see the collection of hand-embroidered vestments on display in the museum at a Benedictine convent. These vestments were embroidered some time between the end of the 1800's - 1953-ish. I thought I'd share some of the photos they allowed me to take. I think anyone interested in the art of embroidery would find the work somewhat fascinating!

To set the stage, I'll tell you a bit about the monastery itself before getting into the embroidery.



The convent was built in the 1800's in answer to a request from the Benedictines for some Sisters from Europe to help support the work of the Benedictines in Missouri. Eventually, the nuns established what is called a Convent of Perpetual Adoration, where they kept regular prayer times before the Blessed Sacrament in their chapel.



The chapel is stunning. It's decorated in the Beuronese style of art, which originated in the Abbey of Beuron in Germany. Beuronese art has an interesting history, if you like art history. There's a pretty comprehensive page on the history of the Beuronese Murals at Conception Abbey, which also contains some information on the history of this style. Conception Abbey is located just a few miles from the monastery in Clyde. Here's a photo below of the interior of the chapel - many of the hand embroidered vestments in their museum imitate to an extent the style of art. The decoration seen in this part of the chapel over the main altar is all worked in mosaics.



Now, for some hand embroidered vestments. As you look at these, imagine the time, energy, and skill that went into them! For now, we'll look at the hood of a cope. A cope is a large, cape-like vestment once worn for different functions, including Benediction and also by different clerics during a Pontifical Mass, where a Bishop was presiding. It was also used in the Sung Mass at the beginning during a prayer called the "Asperges Me." I don't believe the cope is used often today in any common liturgical function. Even if it is, you probably won't find too many like this.



The scene is the Annunciation, recounted in Luke, Chapter 1 of the Bible, where the Angel Gabriel greets Mary with the news that she is to be the mother of God.



Here's a closer-up of the Blessed Virgin. I think the detail in the hair and at the top of her garments is amazing.



Here's a detail of the background: couched gold, embroidered on top, with black pearls.



Here's a side view, so you can get a glimpse of the color in the wings of the angel. The two capes are quite striking - note the "painted" look of the folded and draped fabric. It's really pretty!



Here's a close-up on the edge of the wing and on the background, where you can see that the design was embroidered over the gold, in a dark red geometrical pattern.



Here's a close-up of the angel's face. The stitches get a little blurred, but the face is entirely embroidered in a kind of long-and-short stitch. The halo is couched gold. I'm pretty certain it's gold jap.



Anyone see a problem with this when you look at it up close? From far away, the bulge on the neck is not as obvious. There is a little discrepancy here in the desire to produce the right shadow, and the actual outcome of the shadow. Again, from far away, it isn't as obvious. When you look at it up close, though, it looks a little odd. It certainly does not take away from the beauty of the entire piece, and it's less noticeable depending on the angle of viewing.

So there you have it - a very nice piece of historical needlework. I figure this was worked during the first half of the 1900's - probably between the 20's - 40's. I'm not sure of the date, though, and they didn't have information available on each specific piece. The last hand-embroidered item in the museum at Clyde is a miter, which was apparently worked in the 1950's.

Visit the website of the Benedictine Sisters in Clyde, Missouri if you want to read more about them.

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, needlepainting

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, March 28, 2007
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When I reviewed Floresita's vintage embroidery pattern site, I made the mistake of attributing the Vogart library to Floresita, who pointed out that it actually belongs to Jane Stockton. My apologies to Jane Stockton! I found out from Floresita that Jane also has an embroidery site - come to find out it's one I'm pretty familiar with, as I check it fairly regularly.

The Needles Excellency is a site devoted to historical needlework, and right now, Jane Stockton has updated her latest project, which is a hanging worked in klosterstitch. Check out her progress! It's really fantastic. I'd love to know more about the hanging - the design, for example, and the symbols on it, the choice of threads, and whatnot. It's really quite beautiful so far!



Klosterstitch is a "couch as you go" kind of stitch. It's also called Romanian couching, or Bokhara. "Kloster" meaning "cloister," it has roots in convent embroidery - that is, embroidery done for the Church. While I don't have the opportunity right now to add Romanian couching to my Video Library of Stitches, I do have it on my list of stitches I want to add. In the meantime, you might want to read about Romanian couching and see how it's worked.

Thanks, Jane, for a magnificent and fun website! Good luck on your Klosterstitch hanging! And my apologies for the misdirection on your Vogart Library!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, embroidery links, Hand embroidery stitches, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, March 22, 2007
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While on my vintage embroidery search, I came upon another super vintage site, but this one is vintage needlework of all types. From sewing, crochet, knitting, embroidery to old stamped linens, quilt panels, and even completed needlework, this website is quite a treasure. You'll want to kick back, put your cyber feet up, and take a leisurely browse through this fascinating site.


At Vintagecat Sewing Patterns, Needlework, and Fashion Pages, you're not going to find "free" patterns, but don't let this deter you from having a good look at the site. What you will find is lengthy pages full of vintage sewing and needlework patterns and even stamped items for sale, with excellent descriptions of the pattern or item.



On their vintage sewing pattern page, for example, you'll find pattern that date from the 1890's through the 1950's and a little later. You're able to view a row of pattern photos, followed by a lettered title and description corresponding to the individual patterns. Just as with any used goods or antique dealer, the condition of most items are clearly indicated. There are further vintage clothing patterns that any costumer would likely love to browse through!

But here's the find for embroiderers who like vintage stuff! The Embroidery Transfer Patterns, Stamped Linen, and Books Pages.



This page is full of embroidery patterns, transfers, and even pre-stamped linens - all vintage, with conditions clearly marked. The descriptions are detailed and lengthy.

One more page that I really like is the Crochet, Knitting, and Needlework Patterns page - not just because of the patterns (she's got lots of the Priscilla books, lots of edgings books, etc.), but because it's headed with this darling picture, which sums up one of the greatest aspects of most needleworker's lives.



So check out the extensive Vintagecat pages! Their ordering process looks pretty simple: you email them what you want off the site, they double-check inventory, then they send you an invoice. You can either pay online or send a check. If anyone's enjoyed ordering from Vintagecat, feel free to let the rest of us know about their service!

Labels: embroidery resources, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Sunday, March 18, 2007
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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, March 14, 2007
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What is cloth of gold? Yesterday's post showing a magnificent example of goldwork on cloth of gold seems to have intrigued several people who have either e-mailed or posted to ask "What exactly IS cloth of gold?"

To answer this question simply, real cloth of gold consists of gold either beaten or worked into long strips and wound around a core (such as silk) and then this thread is used in weaving a very rich fabric, which is relatively stiff, heavy, and expensive. Today, we don't see "real" cloth of gold much, although there are some places where it can still be purchased. Unfortunately, we do see a lot of lamé fabrics, which are "gold" fabrics made out of synthetics, with a bright metallic sheen. There is also "cloth of gold" that's made from imitation gold.

It's much more common today to find gold threads used for goldwork than it is to find real cloth of gold! It's really interesting to see how gold threads are made. The passing threads you couch in goldwork or the purls that you cut and sew on like beads are all made essentially from the same material - the material produced from the stretching and thinning process of the gold is just treated in different ways to make typical goldwork supplies. Gold is mixed with other alloys to make it strong enough, and often, especially in the older goldwork supplies, the other metal it is mixed with is silver. Hence, real gold used for goldwork can tarnish over time - in fact, it does tarnish over time. So besides the expense of real gold, the fact that it tarnishes was also an issue when manufactures sought methods to produce imitation varieties.

To show you the difference between real gold threads and imitation, here's a photo. You can see how, over time, the read gold threads in the trim at the base of the photo have tarnished (they're decidedly darker), but the imitation gold has not.



Anyway, if you'd like to read about how gold threads are made today, check out Benton & Johnson's website. Click on the "history of gold wire" link at the bottom of the page, and you'll find a rather interesting explanation of how Benton & Johnson still produce gold threads.

Another interesting article can be found in Issue 31 of Complex Weavers' Medieval Textiles. This particular issue discusses medieval linen weaves, cloth of gold and goldwork, as well as twills and their designs, among other things. It's a neat little newsletter. You'll need Adobe Reader to read it, which you can download free here.

Hope that helps answer your questions!

Labels: goldwork, historical needlework

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, February 22, 2007
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Historical ecclesiastical embroidery is a pet fascination of mine. Have you ever seen magnificent pieces of embroidery or goldwork in museums and wanted to get up close to them to check them out? I have! But we don't often get the opportunity to handle them and to get up close with a camera, and even if we did, it's not always likely that we'd be allowed to photograph the piece.

This is a chasuble from a sacristy at a Catholic church, and the goldwork is stunning! It's still in use, actually, so it isn't in a museum, but rather serving its intended purpose.

I was able to photograph it a few weeks ago for a presentation I put together on pieces of historical church embroidery. I thought I'd share some of the photos with you so that you can appreciate the beauty of this work of art, and to inspire you to think about the type of work which must necessarily have gone into such a glorious piece, created for a glorious purpose: worship of God. They just don't make 'em like they used to!



Above is a view of the majority of the back of the vestment. The design includes the central motif, which is the IHS surmounted by a cross, and then the rest of the vestment is worked in scrolls of grapes, wheat, and roses.




Here is a a relatively close-up shot of a bunch of grapes. Notice the sheen in the leaves at the top of the photo. Also note the damaged area on the scross at the bottom of the photo, where you can see the brick-colored padding under the gold. It would be difficult for anyone but the most skilled professional to repair a piece like this, especially considering the coloring of the gold.



Another close-up on a bunch of grapes - the vine is worked in gold purl, and the inside of the wheat kernels is worked in folded gold plate.




The goldwork here is fantastic! This central motif is mostly worked with gold passing, couched over padding in such a way to create this texture. I cannot imagine the skill it takes to create something so precisely stitched as this part of the design. The gold looks liquid and catches the light beautifully.




This goldwork rose is lovely, as is all the surrounding embellishment. You can see the wear on the goldwork fairly clearly in this photo - note the area on the top, back petal of the rose.




And finally, a very close-up shot of one of the bunches of grapes. Note the precision in the purl work on the vine, and the purls that surround the individual grapes. Also note the spangles - how smooth and flat they lay, and that the purl used in attaching them looks fluid. Absolutely incredible!

I think this is a stunning piece, and I could spend quite a bit of time pouring over different elements to study the goldwork on it. In the relatively short amount of time I spent studying it, I could not find a flaw in the stitching. It is absolutely precise. The ground on which the goldwork is worked is cloth of gold.

So, what do you think? Amazing, isn't it?

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, goldwork, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Wednesday, February 21, 2007
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Here are a few more photos of embroidered eyes, this time on a few different animals. Some of these are "stylized" - that is, they are just representative of the particular animal's eye, without being a perfectly natural reproduction of it.

Still, you'll notice the care and detail that goes into a realistic-looking eye, even if it is a bit stylized. There isn't much difference in the techniques between these animals' eyes and the embroidered faces and eyes that I showed you earlier (here and here).



This is a pelican as typically used in religious motifs. The shot is taken at a bit of a distance. The way the threads pick up the light in this shot make the eye look rather glassy, which it isn't. It almost has a gold shine to it. Here's a close-up of the very same eye - note how important the glint is to achieving a realistic effect:



The next eye is from the same motif, only on a baby pelican:



Besides noticing the eye, it's interesting to note the amount of stitching in this bird's body. The bottom layer may be padding created with yarn - it's difficult to tell. In any case, it is padding (whether in bunches of yarn or a layer of stitching), as the bird stands out in relief from the background fabric. Over the padding, vertical long stitches are worked in a fine thread, which is then stitched over in long lines of split stitch, which are worked in the appropriate colors to provide shading.



This is the eye of an eagle, stylized, but the eye itself is rather impressive, considering the head of the eagle is only approximately an 1.5 inches high (from neck to crown). The variation in the color used in the iris - the light brown and dark brown, with two tiny stitches of white on the left side side - is delicate and detailed for something so small.



This last one is the eye of a lamb, whose head is in profile. It looks rather flat - there's no variation in color and no glint.

I have a feeling I'm the only one who finds these eyes so very interesting, but I hope that they come in handy for anyone doing any kind of figure embroidery, or even jacobean or crewel work, where animals are often part of the scene. One thing that I've learned from looking up close at this kind of work is to remember the glint!

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, needlepainting, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Tuesday, January 09, 2007
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The eye is the window to the soul, some poet said at some point, and embroidered eyes, I think, are a window to the soul of the artist - we see the artist's skill and creative genious in the creation of just the right expression, in thread, on the face of a person or animal. Here are a few more examples of embroidered eyes for you to examine.

These eyes are an element of needlepainting - that style of embroidery that achieves a painted look with the medium of thread.



In this particular set of eyes, you get a good view of how a gleam is created. The pupils, irises, and the whites are created with straight stitches, with the whites and pupils worked in the same vertical direction as the rest of the face. Note, however, that the iris is stitched around its curve, and the gleam is added with a lighter blue, stitched on top of the darker blue, following the curve of the iris as well. Notice that the shading under the eyes is achieved with alternating darker flesh tones (more like brown), and that the edge of the top lid and the top of the lid itself are set off with stem stitch. Notices where the shadows fall underneath the eyebrow - in towards the nose. This stitching is perhaps not as fine as some of the eyes in the previous article on embroidered eyes, but it is effective enough that from far away, the result is a smooth, painted effect.



The camera picked up the gleam on the top edges of the stitches, but here is another fine set of eyes. Notice the lighter blue in the iris, and the glints (in a couple tiny white stitches) on the left sides of both pupils, extending into the irises.



These eyes are mostly closed - looking down. You can get just a peek at the eyes underneath the lids. Unlike most of the other eyes here, these are bedecked with fine lashes created with long straight stitches. In context, on a face that's no more than 2 inches long, the eyelashes are a nice effect. The dark tips of the stitches are again a result of the photographing of the work. They are the points where the stitches split. There is very little shading done in this face - only a bit around the nose. Notice that the eyes are created solely with lines of stem stitch, with the slightest shading on the very edge of the lids.



The stitching here is much heavier than in some of the other figures, but again, in context and from a little distance, the stitches fade into each other and create just the right effect. In this sense, these last two images remind me of impressionist paintings. They look rather splotchy up close, but from a distance, the picture is smooth and clear.



And finally, these eyes are in the same style as the previous photo, yet they are open. The heavier looking stitches make the work seem as if it would look thick and bulky, but, on the contrary, from far away, the result is a perfect expression. Note the glint in the left eye, and the variety of colors used to provide the shading. These two last sets of eyes belong to faces that are approximately 2 inches long.

Labels: ecclesiastical embroidery, historical needlework, pictures

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Posted By: Mary Corbet on Thursday, January 04, 2007
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