Heraldic Embroidered Napkins

I made these napkins some time ago as a gift for a friend. They are embroidered with her heraldic animal in split stitch. There is a line of running stitch around the edge of each napkin. I find cloth napkins to be really useful, especially for covering plates of food at events.

Seljuk Lion Embroidered Napkin

 

In July I attended Polit Uni online and was lucky enough to see Mistress Miriam’s embroidery class. Mamluk and Middle-Eastern embroidery was a new area to me, and I suggested to my local group of embroiderer’s that we challenge ourselves to try some embroidery from this region.

I was particularly taken with this strange looking lion found on a 10-11^th Century textile which is now held in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston https://collections.mfa.org/objects/66368 (Accession Number 31.445, dimensions 11 x 9 cm).

It was found in Mesopotamia but believed to be of Egyptian make. The stitching is predominantly split stitch in silks, highlighted with metallic threads on a cream mulham (silk/cotton) base fabric.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use it as decoration on a pouch, or to decorate a tunic with the design, so I decided to work it in cotton on a cotton base fabric to see how it looked, and decide then. I used two threads of DMC cotton and the design was marked out in frixion marker. Originally I planned to use blue thread, but changed to classic black.

Even though the sample is unfilled, it worked up fairly quickly, which actually has done little to solve my dilemma. I think I might work the design as an outline on a tunic because the design is quite striking even as an outline.

I knotted the ends of my threads for durability as the sample is worked on a napkin which will get thrown in the washing machine.I also did a running stitch in black around the hem of the napkin to finish it off.

 

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Mistress Miriam for sharing her knowledge, and the MFA Boston for their excellent online resources.

Split stitch napkin

I've been really sick, and still struggling to get on with my work. I managed to finish another split stitch napkin. I added a running stitch around the hem as a little 'extra'.

Tackling UFOs - A Split Stitch Heraldic Napkin

I've been trying to keep myself  distracted with small projects that keep me busy but don't really matter. I have  a lot of work to do for other people at the moment, but don't really trust myself to do a good job.... so out comes the huge pile of Un Finished Objects (UFOs).

This is a simple commercially produced cotton napkin I picked up in a thrift shop somewhere. I tend to buy a lot of them when they are really cheap because they are so handy for events; wiping hands, covering food and cups etc. I never seem to have enough.

Embroidering versions of my device looks a bit nicer than just putting my name on the napkins, and I think contributes a bit to the over-all feel of the event.

I usually just trace a version of my device onto the cloth with a Frixion removable marker over a window or other light source, then embroider round the design in the stitch of choice. I like a small hoop because it is easy to use on the go or in front of the TV and keeps the tension even. I tend to prefer split stitch (as with this one) because it gives a nice even line, good coverage and goes around corners well. Here I have used two strands of DMC cotton floss for budget reasons. Silk would be a very nice alternative and is more authentic for the period. Similarly, a hand hemmed linen cloth would be more accurate for a sixteenth century noble lady.

Another one done and ready to add to the pile.

Embroidered Napkin - A&S Century Challenge

I took a break from secret scribal stuff & works for other people and finished off an embroidered cloth. The motif is embroidered in split stitch with two strands of DMC cotton floss.

Split stitch napkin

A lot has been going on in mundane life recently, but I did manage to get a napkin embroidered in split stitch: