The class was focusing on an early 17th C sweet (swete) bag. A picture can be found here.
While the class was not doing an exact reproduction, we were trying for the essence. The petals of the rose were started near the center with a bar. Then from this bar we did detached buttonhole. You could have done trellis stitch or hollie point so long as after the first couple rows the edge was detached and long enough to curl. In the last row we added in a piece of purl pearl - or you could have whipped the edge to add the purl pearl. If we had wanted to add additional petals they would have been started the same way and made smaller or completely detached and then added as you would in stumpwork.
The Burrell Collection, from which this piece was chosen, has a number of beautiful stumpwork pieces. Most of them were done in a satin or long/short stitch. Not quite sure why when they were contemporaneous pieces.
Hope this helps
Friday, January 18, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Threads Woven not Sewn
Took the weekend off from working on my presentation and went south to Paso Robles. My MIL invited me to join her art guild in a workshop on Tablet Weaving with Diana Brenna.
I have taken tablet weaving classes in the past, but was frustrated with the lack of tension and real understanding of the process. Yes I know I have perfectionist tendencies, but I really hate it when I can't get the tension right on a project.
The class was small - 8 of us and it was great! Diana is not only a wonderful textile artist, but a really good teacher. As an artist she creates full woven costumes with a wide variety of threads. Each has a tablet woven element. She was trained by Candace Crockett and other top names in the field. She has studied with nearly everyone who is in the field of tablet weaving.
Needless to say 2 days was not enough time but we did cover a lot. On Saturday we took a diamond pattern, 14 cards and 3 or 4 colors and warped up. We wove the diamonds, chevrons, spiraling, and plain weave. On Sunday we did double weave, card shifting, and creating an angle (or "v") for starting or ending. We also spent time creating our own design for 4 sided cards and 24 cards wide; with varied threading.
Most of the class wove on "c" clamps but I used my inkle loom. Think I want to make a couple modifications to my box loom before I use it, but I have a much better feel for getting the tensioning right no matter what I use.
Good weekend. Wish it had been longer. Want to learn more! However, back to the grind stone for now.
I have taken tablet weaving classes in the past, but was frustrated with the lack of tension and real understanding of the process. Yes I know I have perfectionist tendencies, but I really hate it when I can't get the tension right on a project.
The class was small - 8 of us and it was great! Diana is not only a wonderful textile artist, but a really good teacher. As an artist she creates full woven costumes with a wide variety of threads. Each has a tablet woven element. She was trained by Candace Crockett and other top names in the field. She has studied with nearly everyone who is in the field of tablet weaving.
Needless to say 2 days was not enough time but we did cover a lot. On Saturday we took a diamond pattern, 14 cards and 3 or 4 colors and warped up. We wove the diamonds, chevrons, spiraling, and plain weave. On Sunday we did double weave, card shifting, and creating an angle (or "v") for starting or ending. We also spent time creating our own design for 4 sided cards and 24 cards wide; with varied threading.
Most of the class wove on "c" clamps but I used my inkle loom. Think I want to make a couple modifications to my box loom before I use it, but I have a much better feel for getting the tensioning right no matter what I use.
Good weekend. Wish it had been longer. Want to learn more! However, back to the grind stone for now.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Historic Needlework: Samplers
Happy New Year - may 2008 bring you lots of stitching joy!
I've decided that as part of this column I should highlight some fun and interesting websites that deal with historic needlework. This is the first of this series (and yes I will tag them).
This Sampler website highlights a collection and tour of Scottish Samplers. There is information on the samplers themselves, on samplers in general, and a fun interactive/design your own "game". The commentator on the website is Naomi Tarrant who has several books out on samplers.
Samplers have never been my "thing". However after seeing the collection as the Burrell and seeing a number of them in their natural surroundings in a couple of Elizabethan country manor houses in England and Scotland, I admit to becoming fascinated. Enjoy!
I've decided that as part of this column I should highlight some fun and interesting websites that deal with historic needlework. This is the first of this series (and yes I will tag them).
This Sampler website highlights a collection and tour of Scottish Samplers. There is information on the samplers themselves, on samplers in general, and a fun interactive/design your own "game". The commentator on the website is Naomi Tarrant who has several books out on samplers.
Samplers have never been my "thing". However after seeing the collection as the Burrell and seeing a number of them in their natural surroundings in a couple of Elizabethan country manor houses in England and Scotland, I admit to becoming fascinated. Enjoy!
Monday, January 07, 2008
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