Heraldic Seahorse Napkin

I got the opportunity to take part in a couple of excellent online classes yesterday, and was able to practice my double running stitch. I finished embroidering my device on a napkin during the classes.

Linen collar and cuffs in blue

Recently I have been working on some projects for friends, one of which is a set of collar and cuffs for a linen shirt.

The pattern was adapted from a design in the sixteenth century publication Modelbuch aller art.

I traced the design out on tracing paper and traced it onto the linen with water soluble pen. Ink would have been used to draw or trace out designs in the sixteenth century, but I find that many of the old patterns have inconsistencies in them (probably due to the woodcutting and printing techniques) and so water soluble pen allows for a certain amount of adjustment during the embroidery process.

I did a couple of 'test' motifs on the linen that I had to work on. The one on the left is done with two threads of DMC floss worked in a double running stitch, and the one on the right is two threads of DMC floss worked in chain stitch.

I wasn't happy with either, so I compromised with three strands of DMC floss worked in double running stitch. The centre of the flowers is satin stitch in gold DMC floss.

The back of the finished pieces

Knots are usually avoided on the back of embroideries, but I do knot on pieces that are likely to be subjected to vigorous or machine washing.

The completed panel. You may notice that the blue of the flowers is slightly darker than the blue of the vine

The completed pieces after ironing

After completion, I passed the work onto a friend who used them to complete a linen shirt.

The shirt was made by Toni Abrahams, and photos of the finished shirt are courtesy of Phil Abrahams.

Blue Scholehouse chemise panels

Today's post relates to one of my earlier chemise projects. I saw the image (below) of the goddess with an embroidered chemise, and decided that I wanted one.

Queen Elizabeth I with Three Goddesses by Hans Eworth -http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/elizagoddesses.jpg

I decided upon a motif from Shorleyker's 1632 Pattern book 'A Scholehouse for the Needle' -

Image can be found at feelingstitchy.com

The motifs were embroidered in stem stitch in a blue DMC cotton floss. In the image below, the fabric is draped over my ironing board, which makes the ground fabric look slightly checked. It actually isn't checked; the ironing board cover is showing through the fabric.

Although both sleeve panels are complete, I never made this chemise up because the ground fabric seems to be a poly-cotton blend. I find that poly-cotton doesn't wear well, doesn't last as long as natural fabrics, and is a bit of a fire risk with candles and other flames. When I started this project, I was on a ridiculously tight budget. Now, although I am still on a tight budget, I will pay the extra for natural fibre fabrics. I have learnt the hard way that it is false economy not to.

Blue vine partlet

Here's another one from the 'finished' pile. It is an Elizabethan style high necked blackworked partlet made out of cotton fabric with dark blue DMC cotton floss embroidery that I made to go with my blue loose Elizabethan coat/gown.

The pattern is one that I developed myself and was inspired by several 'band' patterns from sixteenth century embroidery pattern book reprints. 'Band' patterns seem to have been very popular in period as they would have suited a range of garments and textile products. The monochrome stitching on this partlet is done in stem stitch with two strands of embroidery cotton. I tend to wax my floss lightly to minimise tangles.

Here is a photo of the embroidery on the body of the garment prior to making up, The pattern runs in four bands down the back of the partlet too.

The collar has a very small ruffle pleated into it. The ruffle was cartridge pleated and hand sewn into place. The garment was hand sewn. The lucet cords which tie at the neck were made by Heather (Queen of Luceters), and the pattern for this partlet was adapted from one that I created under advice from THL Katerina da Brescia. (You can see her site at http://katerina.purplefiles.net/). Many thanks to both ladies.

Elizabethan wasp smock

Here is another project from the to-do pile. It is a low necked Elizabethan smock, made out of rectangular and square panels of natural linen. The panels have not been assembled yet, but I plan to finish each panel separately (after the embroidery is finished) and then whip them all together.

I would have to check, but I think I started this project in 2007 or 2008. The motif is adapted from an extant piece in Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd (page 292). It is a flying insect drawn in ink onto linen and embroidered in black silk, circa 1585-1600.  Here is a scan of the image:

The original is in the Museum of Costume in Bath. I decided to change the insect a little bit and also include a stinger. Also, some of my wasps have smiley faces. Mine are embroidered in two strands of green DMC cotton floss.

As you can see, there are several types of stitches used here, including double running stitch.

Honestly, I had forgotten all about this project! I am glad that I wrote it up for today's entry. I will try and finish this smock this year - the little wasps make me smile.