Heraldic display

I had a dream of making an heraldic inspired dress sleeve, after looking at the so called Schwabian dresses as depicted in the family tree of the Babenberg family. I had found a picture that I wanted to use as a starting point, with minor changes to make it my own. It is a painted tournament shield with a woman in a green dress supporting a painted shield with arms. It is now at the Metropolitan Museum.

I started with remaking the design to fit an embroidered piece suitable for appliqué. The embroidery is done in silk with split stitch on linen.

As the embroidery was finished, the scary bit of cutting it down and prepare it for appliqué started.

Looking at extant examples of appliquéd embroidered pieces, they are often framed with a couched gold thread, like here. So I decided to couch some gold thread to frame my piece as well.

To give the sleeve that extra wow-factor I added spangles, and the effect on the dark blue wool was very satisfying. Like a stary sky above the lady and the shield.

entury 

What sources do we have for embroidered sleeves like this then? Well during the late 15th C the display of embroidery seems to be a fashion for both men and women. 

The portrait of Hemma von Gurk by Siebald Bopp, around 1510,

is an amazing example of an embroidered sleeve.

This man has an embroidered sleeve with spangles.

The double portrait of Jacob Fugger and his wife Sibylle Artzt

by Thomas Burgmair around 1498 is another stunning example of an embroidered sleeve.

This pcture is where I found the main inspiration for the cut and shape of my dress.

And one can definetly interpret the golden dots on her sleeve as spangles.

I wanted a dress with a high neckline and something rather warm, for use on late nights outdoors or really cold events. So I used a really nicely fulled dark blue wool, cut it really simple in four long panels and with a high neckline and a large slit in front so that it will be easy to pull over my head wearing headdresses. The closures are replicas of a late 15th century one, with acorns, alluding to the ones in my arms, and a small oakleaf.

Ah to be done at last!

This is by far one of the longest UFO´s I have finally finished. Or at least I hope it is, not sure what else might be hiding in my boxes and baskets. Here is how it once started, more than three and a half years ago: 

http://renikasanachronisticadventures.blogspot.se/2012/01/fiddeling-with-small-scale-embroidery.html

I chose to make my almony purse with two differing embroidered sides, but with an overall theme of music and the Seasons of nature. This side was the first I finished, and is thought to represent Autumn. The little guy playing the fiddle is inspired by an Italian manuscript and one of the main inspiration for the overall motif is an extant almony purse presently at the Metropolitan Museum: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/466693

Motif done

Markings for the layed work covering the background

The post stamp

For the opposite side I found the inspiration in a poststamp left in a little trinket box I bought at an auction.
I made some enquieries on where from the motif came and, with the help of friends I found the original image, a church painting from Råda church, Närke in Sweden. 

Church painting on wood from Råda, Närke

When both pieces were done I went on to assembling the little purse with a white silk lining, cut to also form a top edge so that I wouldn´t have to pull the strings through the embroidery itself, even though that seems to be a common feature in extant aumonieres. Then I covered the edges with an embroidered braid in the two silks I used for the backgrounds, to tie it all together.

For tassels I chose to make them out of the same silks as the background and edging. A quick look through pictures of extant pieces shows there is a great variation in tassels, but five is a good and often used number.

 And since this has all been about challenging myself to do new stuff that I have always considered nearly impossible, I just had to try do make some turkish knots out of metal thread on the tassels to bring some extra glam to it all. I am very grateful to have friends offering to teach me stuff like this, because no matter how good instructions you can find in books and online, I depend on seeing it be done in order to get the hang of it. So here it is, all done! And now I fear I will never use it, just look at it every now and then. And I have learned so much during the process, sadly also that the silks I have used are not the best for this kind of work, and I would love to do better with the shadings and details in the split stitched motifs. But it still deserved to be finished!

To hide the mundane

When playing the game that is SCA we strive for things to look and appear medieval, some of us aim for as much authenticity as possible. But sometimes I am truly grateful that the SCA gives allowance for creativity as well and to makes some shortcuts. Especially when trying to get your kids involved.

My kids really like their waterbottles and want to bring them with them. So I started with some nice embroidery for some bottlebags:

http://www.renikasanachronisticadventures.blogspot.se/2015/02/doodeling-with-needle-and-thread.html

Soon after finishing that post I was done with the embroidery for the eldest son:

And since he was coming with me for a crafts-event this weekend I finally got around to actually making a bag out of it. During the event I also finished his brothers bag. I am sure they will be put to good use!

Doodeling with needle and thread

I truly suck at drawing, it just never turns out the way I imagine it. With a pen on a paper that is. But give me a needle and thread and the doodles just comes to me. I can look at an image and then make my own interpretation of it and I love this process. On the other hand I cannot for the life of me follow a line properly when filling it in with embroidery, my fingers just follow their own mind. Hence, counted embroidery is my big nemesis. I love the look, the symmetry, the patterns, but my fingers do not.

The project of making a bag for the youngest son, to keep his waterbottle and such in at events, was a challenge until I decided to go for free embroidery instead of a counted border. My main inspiration for doodle embroidery is this wonderful shirt/shift from the 17th C:

With this in mind I searched for animals to draw on a square piece of linen hemp, and then I draw some outlines in pencil. Then I embroidered one little animal per night, using a dark ambercoloured silk and using stemstitch for the outlines and stabstitch for effect. This is the result:

The only animal I haven´t found an example of in period art, embroidery or manuscript illuminations was the polar bear, but the youngling insisted on having one since it is his favourite animal. They were of course known in period and friendly people have pointed out that there even was one living in the court of Henry III and it was allowed to swim in the river Thames to catch fish. 

Now my next project is a similar piece for the eldest son, who has decided on having only flying animals on his. So far I have drawn a collection of birds, a fly, a dragonfly, a butterfly and of course a bat and a dragon. This is so much fun spending my nights doodeling in front of the telly.

Embroidery madness strikes!

This New Year´s I stepped up as Guild Head of the Dragon´s needle embroidery Guild, and started a Facebook-group for us so that we can share projects, ideas, tips and tricks and inspire eachother. Well, it for sure seems to do the trick on my behalf. That, and getting to visit Petronilla in Germany and looking through some awesome books, museums and such.

I have embroidered like mad since I got home! And mostly for myself (and the family). The first project is going to be a cushion for me, with the elements of my heraldic arms (within the SCA that is), the green sun on golden background and the three golden acorns on green background. I wanted to try some appliqué and had some very nice wool at home, meant initially for a miparti-dress that never happened (the wool is a bit too heavy for a dress). First I cut all the pieces, using small paper patterns for the sun and acorns. Then I stitched all the pieces onto the ground fabric with thin linen thread and then finished it with strengthening edging in thicker linen thread in white, as can be seen in some period examples. When all the patches were done, they were pressed with a hot iron with a damp cloth inbetween, and they shaped beautifully.

Then it was assembly time, I sew the patches together with overcast stitches, small ones, they were folded out and pressed again and then on to the next patches. This was also done with the thin linen thread. And it was a very neat little project to bring with me while traveling, so my fellow train passengers looked a little puzzled for a while. No one dared ask me what I was making though, sadly. I have been getting into really interesting discussions with other travelers on other occasions, both on the long ferry rides to the mainland and on boring trainrides across the mainland.

As all the patches were assembled I started cutting thin strips of the gilded leather in order to cover the seams. And since the leather is rather stretchy you do not need to cut it in straight lines, you can follow the natural curve of the hide and it will still shape nicely when stitched down.

The leather strips were sewn down with a rather tight overcast stitch with linen thread covering the seams. Now I just need to cut some backing and make it all into that soft and pretty little cushion to

sit on. I am pondering either a nice leather so it will stand some wear, or a nice wool. 

Done with that I moved on to try something completely different, the freehand blackwork (or in this case dark green...). Immensly inspired by a post by a very talented member in the Historic Hand Embroidery group I decided to stitch a little owl for the eldest son. He asks for a sewing kit of his own for his upcoming eight birthday and I wanted to make a pincushion. He loves owls, specifically Harry Potter´s owl, so the motif came naturally. This is made in stemstitch in silk on linen and I drew the little critter free hand.

  

For the back I took some leftover green wool from my heraldic project and stitched it together and then I covered the seams with some reversed chain stitch in bright yellow silk. I hope he will like it!

And this technique was so much fun that I decided to fulfill my promise to the youngest son and make him a linen bag for his water bottle, so that I will allow him to bring it to events. One has to give them something to keep it all fun and interesting. And for this project I even tried my centereyed embroidery needles and it works beautifully! More updates to come when this is all done.

Better late than never

I started on a new hemd in January. It didn´t get done in time for the Carnevale in February. Ah well, I thought and brought the pieces on my journey to Finland, thinking that hours and hours of dreary ferry-travel would do the trick. But alas, no.

Now it is finally done and I´m pretty pleased with myself.

It is sewn in a rather heavy nettle fabric, a bit golden white, and is mainly inspired by the german-swiss embroidered smocked hemds seen on both men and women in the late 15th and early 16th century.



Dürers portraits is the main inspiration for the undergarment




This is the result, however it will look a lot less bulky with the tight overdress

 I wanted to try the techniques with letters and fancy patterns in white on white but had to give it up. The fabric is too heavy and the pleats in the inserted front panel is just to coarse. So I settled on a more easier counted geometric pattern in golden silk and some rows of white stitches to keep it all together. The back and side panels are flat so that they do not take too much room under a tight fitted bodice. The front is made of a panel out of the full width of the fabric (150 cm) folded in the top and then pleated it in rather big pleats (1 cm). This will show in a rather deep V-neckline.



I haven´t given up on the idea of a more elaborate embroidered smock but then I need a finer linen and time and patience that I do not have at the moment. This is however a lot more elaborate than my first attempt as seen on my profile picture, so with time I will get there for sure.

Embroidery for the masses!

This weekend has been a joyful and inspiring one. My home barony of Styringheim hosted an embroidery event for all interested in historical embroidery. We were 12 people that gathered on saturday morning, shared some breakfast and then the four teachers each gave a short introduction to their embroidery techniques before the actual workshops begun.

First out was Helwigs blackwork, and for the likes of me that hates counted embroidery this was an epiphany! It suddenly got comprehensable and I actually got quite far on a small acorn border on rather coarse linen with easily visible thread count and some lovely orange hand dyed silk that I bought a couple of years ago.

After this I did my bayeux stitch introduction and the ladies seemed to enjoy the fact that it is an easy way to fill surfaces with colour and texture.

Lia got us all to appreciate the fine elisabethan couched embroidery and we saw acorns, seashells and flowers take shape. It reminded a lot of naalbinding but with a very fine needle and silk thread.

We had lunch and dinner as well in splendid company and continued on sunday with patterned darning embroidery that Åsa has made wonders with on pillows after originals now stored at the County Museum of Gotland.

So now I have, on top of all old projects, three new embroidery projects and a bunch of ideas for stuff I want to make for my self.

My new blog!

So, finally I´ve gotten around to create a new blog where I will try to document and show ongoing projects, mainly in the textile arts. As a member of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) I aim to create beautiful things for my self, my family and for the society in general. My main interest is embroidery, which soon will show in the blog. Just now I try to get started on a new challenge by the Dragons Needle, the embroidery guild of the kingdom of Drachenwald where I´m a member.

The challenge is named "We have dragons" so the theme is quite obvious. My first task is to assemble the materials I will use for the first patch I´m making, a dragon on its hoard of jewels, goblets, coins and other precious things. Pictures will be posted!

I also have a number of unfinished embroidery projects, and in an attempt to find the inspiration to finish some of them, I start publishing pictures. Here´s one, supposed to become a pillow for my husband who got it for christmas some years ago. The technique is Bayeux stitch in a one-ply wool thread on dark green wool. What´s missing? The dog of course, that just won´t agree with me in how to sit...