Sweet Bag!

So, my copy of the book arrived. It's helpful, especially the finishing details at the end, describing the drawstring and tassel construction. Jacqui Carey does a nice job of describing the pieces she's looking at, but I would have liked more explanation for some of her conclusions, particularly when they conflict with "accepted" scholarship. Also, I think some of the embroidery diagrams are a bit confusing, especially when it doesn't illustrate how to start the stitch.

I decided to go with a 5 flower motif- one in each corner, and one in the center. This is found on extant sweet bags, as are the flowers I've chosen. I'm using two strands of silk floss, and the flowers are outlined and will be filled in using tent stitch. I drew the design freehand from period images, and transferred it to the fabric using a lightbox.

The same image is repeated on both sides- there is a fold on the bottom, and the sides are stitched together, so right now the top and bottom halves are opposites. I used a water-soluble pen to transfer my design, so I could alter it if I was unhappy with the placement of the motifs. In period, the design would have been inked onto the fabric.

The flowers are honeysuckle, rose, borage, pansy (viola), and a carnation (pink, gilliflower). I plan to do the borage, gilliflower, and pansy in blue and purple shades, and the rose and honeysuckle in pinks and roses.

Spiderweb 2.0

I was very unhappy with the first version of the spider web, so I re-visited it. Based on observations from my apprentice sister, Lady Mairghread Ghear, I did indeed length the spokes, and use more couching stitches to create a more bowed line between the spokes. I'm much happier with this version:

Now I just need to decide if I'm adding anything else to the embroidery. The original examples have some satin stitch leaves, so I may add those, or just leave it as it is, although it does look like Halloween.

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In other news, I'm also investigating period applique. The extant 16th century examples are mostly couched on, either cut fabric or cut needlework slips. I did receive my copy of Digby's Elizabethan Embroidery, so I need to read through that, as well as the Levey's catalog of the Hardwick Hall embroideries, and possibly the Bard exhibit. I'm excited about it this, which surprises me, because I never thought applique was all that exciting. But considering there are many 16th century English hangings and furnishing which use these techniques, it looks like I might really be able to make some beautiful things.

The sweet bag remains the top priority, as soon as Customs lets my book through.

Couching

I also decided to give couching a try. I was inspired by seeing a detail of this image in Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd

In color, the tree is obviously done with metallic threads, but in the black and white image in the book, it's also obvious that the tree is couched down. I decided to do everything with couching, and this is the result:

I decided to do the whole thing with couching, even though the original seems to incorporate padding or stumpwork. I especially enjoyed couching the spiral of the spider's body. I'm disappointed how the spider web turned out- I need to pull that out and try again, and re-examine my inspiration pic. I think I didn't make the spokes of the web long enough, but I might also need to fuss with the couching, to get the more rounded feel of the web in between the spokes.

I have not yet decided what to make with this, perhaps some sort of small bag or purse, maybe to carry some sewing supplies.

This is done using silk thread on a wool flannel base.

Owl

Since I'm still waiting for my Sweet Bag book to come in, I figured I would use this time to do some more embroidery, perhaps trying some new things. I decided to try and pick up some more competencies for Athena's Thimble, the East Kingdom Needleworkers Guild. The list of categories is found here. I already have a competency in Counted Work, and Period Competencies in Canvaswork and Blackwork.

So I decided to finish a needlebook I started last summer, which features the emblem of the Guild. Here's the finished embroidery:

It's silk floss on silk-satin; I used chain, split and satin stitches. I'm pretty happy with the way he came out- he has a bit of personality, and I like that. I do think that free embroidery is not my favorite, or my strong point, but I need to expand my repertoire of stitches and skills, so that's always a good thing to try something new.

Sweet Bag Research

Whenever I begin a new project, the first thing I like to do is read and see as much as possible about the project. I use my grad student access and librarian skills to find as many images of extant items online as I can, and I try to find as many books and academic articles as possible.

My recent interest in sweet bags has led me to examine the images in ARTstor. Of particular interest were two sweet bags housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art. The WONDERFUL thing about these images is that they are, indeed, the FRONT and BACK of each sweet bag. A double check of the accession numbers and a careful examination of high resolution photos indicates that the same accession number is used on two different images, indicating a back and a front. (And before one suggests it's just two photos of one side, there are subtle differences between the sides to indicate the difference).

The items are 1944.283 and 1946.416 . On 1944.283 the difference is easier to see: one side goes "flower, bird, flower" and the other was create "bird, flower, bird". 1946.416 is very similar on both sides, but the color of the pansy in the center bottom changes from image to image- including the very center of the flower, being yellow in one image and rose on the other.

At least on these two items, both sides were embroidered to be similar, although 2 is hardly a representative sample number.

So now I know when planning that it is plausible to create to similar, and yet different sides to my bag, and also that there is evidence of embroidery on both sides of bags.

Progress

The sweet bag project has been slow going. I needed to order metal thread supplies, and then I found a book, Sweet Bags by Jacqui Carey, so now I don't want to start until it arrives.

But I decided to try some new stitches. Obviously, gobelin for the ground, but I'd really love to add some plaited braid. I'd also like to get detached buttonhole down.

So while home sick, I practiced detached buttonhole. It continues to elude me. I just can't get an even tension. Either I pull too tight, and make needlelace, or it's too loopy and just looks sloppy.

But I did try some plaited braid, using this youtube video: Video.

And here are the initial attempts:

I tried a variety of threads, and finally thought of using upholstery thread, as I hoped it might mimic the weight and stiffness of metal thread for practice. I'm pretty pleased with myself, although the pic is a bit blurry.

New project

So, I'm waiting for supplies for my Jupiter piece to be finished. And my coif is done, and has been displayed, so now I need a new project.

The Mudthaw A&S theme is "All Things Spring". What jumped to mind was an Elizabethan sweet-bag: they're small, and pretty, and usually have flowers and bugs on them, and flowers and bugs are spring. Plus, they usually incorporate metal thread, and that's something I haven't worked with before, so it's a good opportunity to try something new.

I'm particularly curious to try the plaited braid stitch. I have a sneaky suspicion the learning curve might be a bit steep, but then it should go very smoothly.

More Jupiter

I wanted to fill in the bottom two corners with Floral slips, based on extant Oxburgh Hangings, which predominantly feature plant slips in the corners of the uncut panels.

I was inspired to do a violet/viola after spotting one in a Hardwick Hall textile.

I'm happy with how it turned out, although I'm debating turning the flower a bit, so it's not so "squared" in the image.

Jupiter update

So, I re-created the Jupiter Panel of the Oxburgh Hangings about a year or so ago. I really enjoyed this project- I charted the pattern from the original, and I thought it was a good experience to re-create an existing item, trying to match colors and techniques.

Although, I did the panel in tent stitch, because that's what the V&A Museum website said. Then I spoke with Mistress Cellach, who said "No, those are all cross-stitch- the Museum hasn't updated the website." And sure enough, looking at the high res photo, it's clearly cross stitch- which was a valuable lesson for me: Look with My Own Eyes. Not that I doubt museum professionals- they have far more experience than I do, but in this case, the website didn't include all the relevant information.

So I now have this odd, cruciform panel. Reading through "Emblems for a Queen" by Michael Bath, I noticed some uncut panels, and I decided to incorporate corners into this panel, and turn it into a pillow, so it's of some use. I'm creating my own emblems for the corners- spiders for the top two, and flower slips for the bottom two. This mimics the corners of some of the existing panels. Although no panel includes spiders in the corners, panels do include butterflies and snails, and spiders are a completely legitimate 16th century embroidery motif (as well as being a part of my heraldry). However, I haven't noticed any uncut panels with "insects" in all four corners, so I will fill the bottom two panels with floral slips, which seem to be a reasonable accompaniment to the insect corners.

I plan to complete the corners in tent stitch- this will match the body, as well as serve as a reminder to Look with My Own Eyes.

Finished Coif

Here is a pic of the finished coif on display:



I have a pdf of my documentation, available at: My Rutgers Site.

I'm very pleased with how it turned out, but I'm already thinking about the next one. I need to get my stem stitch satisfactory, and I'd like to work with Blackwork fills on the next coif, and possibly metal thread, or more smaller, silver spangles, for contrast.