Laurel wreath cloak project applique

I am part of the embroiderer's guild of Lochac  ( http://lochac.sca.org/lochac/guilds/index.html ), and volunteered to do a piece of goldwork applique as part of a group project. The second half of last year was absolutely atrocious, with serious real life issues consuming my family. As I wrote a New Year's list of things I needed to achieve in the first quarter of 2014 I was horrified to realise that I hadn't completed the piece. I was also really nervous about starting it because it is not a technique that I am very good at or confident with, and that can be really intimidating (especially when the article is for someone else.)

However, procrastination has not won me any awards lately, so I took advantage of the public holiday and just started. Nike really is on the right track with their little motto. Once I got into the project, it became less intimidating. Perhaps it was the sparkly sparkly twist braid lulling me into a false sense of security, but I quite enjoyed working the piece. I did the laurel outlining on the first day and was pleased with the result.

I was more concerned about offsetting the two pieces of braid when doing the circles surrounding the laurel wreath. It is not perfect, but not absolutely awful either.

The finished piece still in the hoop

The double twist of gold braid was couched onto the silk with a single strand of yellow silk sewing thread.

I couldn't iron or block the piece - I will leave that to the experts in the WCoB

The piece has been sent to the designer to be added to the cloak. This piece was researched and designed by the talented Mistress Rowan Peregrynne.