As promised - catching up and pics (long)

Life is finally calming down to the usual speed of fast (versus the recent marathon of autoban speedway) so I'm taking a quick break to catch up with my blogging.

12th Night was rushed but went very well. I was able to enjoy and participate in a friends laureling (more on that later), the Arachne's Web display went well thanks to Caiterina who sat table most of the day, the Guild Leader installation in court went smoothly, 5 pieces of kneeling carpet were turned in, and the Golden Poppy/Kingdom Artisan ceremony went smoothly (and my personal token is lovely). One unexpected nice thing happened, the husband was made a Man at Arms to the Knight who is currently Princess of the Mists. This is sort of a step toward squiring - a testing period for both. All in all it was a long day.

Sunday I was up early to go to Phillipa Turnbull's crewelwork class at Needle in a Haystack in Alameda. Phillipa is the one arranging the class in England in May with Jane Lemon and Jacqui Carey - Make an Elizabethan Swete Bag . Yes I'm going as are a couple friends.

Managed to make it through most of the Oerthan Trip before getting sick. Taught 2 classes on Sunday anyway. I've blogged over on LJ if you are interested on more of the details -- Stitching Along with Friends. In short it was a lovely trip.

Now for the backlog of pics and descriptions:

Bodice front for 12th Night - the gown is a cranach style gown in gold silk brocade trim on brick red velvet (a nice rich heavy cotton velvet). Since last year I did The Sleeve (see Archive for this blog - January 2006) to commemorate my stepping up into the Order of the Golden Poppy, I decided to do this bodice front to commemorate my completion of the year as Kingdom Artisan.


Next up was completing the leaf for Christian's Laureling cloak. Her laurel gathered some friends to make leaves for the laurel wreath on the back of her personal cloak. The ideas was to partially cover the silk (provided with shape delineated) in the technique of your choice. I opted for pearls and silver metal thread couched in a period pattern in the style of the work done on the Palermo robes.


Lastly I completed a project started several years ago. Linn Skinner charted for me a geometric pattern from Quentel's pattern book (1527) and a blackwork leaf pattern with verse space from Jobin's patten book (1596). The verse Vida Brevis Ars Longa (translates roughly to Life is Short, Art Lives/Survives) is how I signed my self for the 2 years I was Kingdom Arts Minister.

The plan was to do a bodice front similar to the gown in the Portrait of Barbara Schellenberger by Hans Bergkmair the Elder – 1501. While I wore the gown to step up, this inset piece was not finished and I was "trashed" by a negative laurel when I displayed it (2/3rds of the gold done) at an Artisan's display. Since then I've learned that I CAN document the technique for a cope - I've never said it would have been used on a dress. I have said that since the original was probably gilt brocade and I don't do such weaving, this is an instead. Having said that, I managed to face the piece and finish both parts in time to have it put together for display at this 12th Night. The gold is 10" wide on 40 count silk gauze - some rows are over 300 stitches. The blackwork is over 1 36 count done in Pearsall silk. The picture does not do it justice - it glows.


Lastly, I've been wanting to play with metal thread gobelin. My upcoming column is about the historical application of such. I had lots of problems finding a thread that would cover. Historically I was told that 371 or its gold equivalent was used. It doesn't cover. So many tried later I ended up using Kreinik very fine braid. Still don't like the thread, but it did work well. This is a pic of the flat. Now to make it up into the pincushion with mini tassels then photograph it for the column. This is 36 count - silk is tent over 1 and of course the gobelin is over 2.


Lots more in the works. I"ll update again soon.

Quick Update

German goldwork band - Done!
Blackwork band to be combined with German goldwork band - Done!

In process the gobelin pincushion - half done.

Pics next week
Now back to the needle

PS my new 12thNight Cranach is really hot hot hot!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Eyes are Crossing

Aside from the holidays and party preparation, I've been spending lots of time with needle in hand. First up was the plackett for the bodice front on my new German. Lots of pearls and coral on gold silk. I opted for slightly larger pearls and coral as the tiny seed size looked too small even at the 3' range. The large gives a better eye catch whether across the room or up close. The downside is the lack of detail, but... Yes I'll post pics, but right now the piece is at the dressmakers.

Next up was the surprise for my friend who is being laureled at 12th Night. Since she reads this blog, I'll talk more about it after 12th Night. Hope she likes it. It sure has bling!

Meanwhile car rides were dedicated to doing some filet lace. I have hemstitched the handkerchief. The lace is on 9 count net with #12 pearl cotton. I'm doing a pattern from the Vinciolo modelbuchen. At this point don't know how many pieces I'll get done before 12th Night. I do want to have at least 1 pattern done and inset to display. I'd really like to do it finer, but I can not find finer netting commercially. Did some looking at some period pieces. The number of thread passes is similar even if the count is larger (sigh).

Now I'm doing the blackwork band for my older german front piece. I also need to finish the goldwork band that goes above the blackwork band. The goldwork is on 40 count gauze and some rows are 300 stitches - a pattern from Quentel's modelbuchen. The blackwork band is on 36 count linen over 1. The blackwork pattern was adapted for me by Linn Skinner from another modelbuchen pattern.
I hope to finish them this weekend.

THEN I need to stitch the pincushion for my column - tent stitch in silk, 36 count, and silver metal thread gobelin for the background. I also want to do period style tassels with wooden cores and a fingerloop braided cord.

That said - back to stitching. Hope 2007 is a wonderful year for all of you and a peaceful one for the world.

Catching Up

I know that I've been bad and not blogging a lot lately. Most of my time has been spent juggling clearing out more the of the estate stuff on ebay, craigs list, etc, hearing a few cases, doing the EGA thing at the local and region level, and working on my column. As promised here is the goldwork piece which as been the focus of the last few columns.

The outline is jap which is brick stitched with an added couple lines of twist. The silver circle is jap - brick circular couched - outside to inside. The copper was supposed to have been undersided, but since I backed the 28ct linen... Upper left panel is the OrNue piece - Needlepoint Inc silks over gold passing. Upper right panel is also gold passing with au ver a soie 100/3 silk in a very renaissance pattern. Lower left is the same with a different pattern. Lower right is jap from a different manufacturer with gold 100/3 for the sides and purple regular au ver a soie for the pattern which is also renaissance in origin.

I learned a lot doing each of the areas. 2 major problems occurred. The first is turning 2 threads - with the 28 ct, even backed, doing the plunge the outside thread DID NOT work cleanly. The second problem is the packing of the threads, especially in the Or Nue section, but you can see my prior post on that issue. One unanticipated problem was that the silver section is too big to my eye now that it is in the box top. It looked fine when the piece was surrounded by white linen.

I am currently working on:
beading the front placket on my 12th Night dress
finishing the project for my next column on gobelin (16th C pincushion)
finishing the german brick stitch piece into a pouch (versus the needlecase in the column)
finishing the pattern darning piece into a box top
finishing a handkerchief with lace inserts - the hem stitching is done (handkerchief linen - about 50 count)
finishing a secret project for a friend
putting together a display on period lace for 12th Night

Plus working on arrangements to bring Jane Nicholas (Stumpwork) to the states in 2007 and Sharon Boggins (Encrusted Crazy Quilting) in 2008. Plus designing a needlework piece to be made into kits for people waiting in hospitals for our wounded servicemen. Plus designing a 1 day workshop or freebie for the 2008 Regional.

Off now to finish planning our holiday party, visit to the relatives, and getting ready for tomorrows SCA event.

Awesome textile vacation

Back from a wonderful vacation. It was good to get away and it really felt like I was away - far away. The cruise portion was quite standard. If you want more about the ports, etc. check out the personal portion of our webpage - Panama Canal. I had lots of fun seeing the different arts and crafts where ever we went.

Mexico - Cabo (plateware, silver), Alcapulco (a wasteland), Huatalco (embroidery, silver, clothing, wood carving)
Guatemala - the most incredible weaving and embroidery - ladies working on backstrap looms and doing the most incredible work - mostly brocaded weaving, but I did buy a pattern darned blouse. Cotton primarily with some silk. A little wool from the higher reaches.
Costa Rica - more leather and wood craft than textile
Panama - the molas are incredible - quilting and embroidery art
Aruba - (no crafts)
St. Kitts - batik
San Juan - a little bit of everything

Good food in the ports. Barely tolerable food on the cruise ship. Have decided I don't function without decent coffee - fortunately there was some great coffee in Guatemala and Costa Rica and San Juan had a Starbucks.

Off to go through the 2 buckets of mail from the post office....