Embroidered Order of Defence Heraldic Panels

Here are the devices I worked on the Lochac Order of Defence cloak for some of the local members of the Order. The devices are worked in black DMC cotton thread in pre-worked shield shapes in a variety of stiches including double running, split, stem and seeding stitch. 

(In case you were wondering why the embroidery isn't fancier (e.g. goldwork) for such a prestigious peerage Order, this cloak can be used on the rapier field and so needs to be very hard wearing. It has a wool outer layer with black-on-black embroidered decoration, and a linen lining with black embroidery.)

 

Making an Embroidered Meerkat Device

I finished this large embroidered heraldic device last year. It is worked in wools, predominantly in split stitch.

I traced the heraldic design out in  pencil, and worked the piece in a hoop

I had an earlier attempt at the design but was unhappy with the stitching and texture of the thread

Adding in the details of the 'weasels'

Blocking the panel

Adding tacked lines as a sewing guide

Stitching the ermines 

Backing the piece with felt and adding twill tape belt loops

I added a band of purple trim around the edge to finish it off
 

Isolation Embroidery Challenge

I've started a hand-embroidery challenge in my SCA group to try and help keep everyone feeling connected and motivated during the suspension of activities. The idea is that all the participants will work on one or more hand embroidery challenges over the enforced break, and share our progress on the baronial Facebook page. Then, when events resume, we display our finished items in person.

The tricky part was accommodating various levels of expertise and confidence, while still offering a theme that had something for everyone. In the end I settled on an open theme and open technique. People can work on heraldic items, UnFinished Objects (UFOs), items for upcoming competitions or largesse, or even those big projects that have been on the Wish List for some time - whatever they like. Sounds super exciting, doesn't it?

What it means in real time is that I’m faffing around deciding what to do for the Challenge (i.e. wasting time being overwhelmed by the possibilities of doing All The Things). In the mean time I decided I need to stop wasting time and that I really should try and finish this embroidered partlet I started for the baronial Heraldic Challenge.

Normally partlets are my favourite thing to embroider but I’m hating on this one because the pale lilac thread is really hard to see, so my stitching is sloppy, plus it is reinforcing how much my eyes have been impacted by medication in the last couple of years.

DMC stranded cotton seahorses done in split and double running stitch on a base of leftover cotton broadcloth due to financial limitations.

Split Stitch Heraldic Weasel Badge

I recently finished this large (approximately 15 cm long) heraldic split stitch badge for a friend.
The design is traced onto calico that has been reinforced with iron on interfacing. I started in the middle of the design and worked out to try and keep the tension even.

I find that lining my inner embroidery hoop with bias binding also helps to maintain an even tension.

The embroidery is split stitch worked in wool. The weasel (meerkat) features and chevron outline are also worked in split stitch but I used a fine crochet cotton.

I rinsed the completed piece, and when it had dried a little I stretched out any tight patches using a hot steam iron on the back of the damp piece.

I trimmed the excess calico away leaving about 1.5cm around the edge.

I roughly sewed down the edges of the calico to the back of the piece.

 

Next I couched some silver gilt cord around the edge.

Finally I whipped a piece of felt onto the back to cover the stitching.

Embroidered Pouch with Split Stitch Badge

In August I made a heraldic pouch as a 'gift bag' for a present for my friend. The bag itself is red linen, self-lined. The general shape is based on Elizabethan sweete-bags.  I made little tassels for the bottom corners.

The heraldic design is executed in various types of cotton floss in split stitch. The design was traced onto calico base fabric with a pencil and the panel reinforced with a small piece of iron-on interfacing to minimise warping of the base fabric. After the colours were blocked in, I worked the details. I used a small hoop to maintain the tension.

After the embroidery was finished, I trimmed the interfacing and calico back and whipped the calico down onto the back of the piece.

The bag has eyelets at the top for the cords  to pass through, and the cords are plaited cotton threads in the recipient's heraldic colours.

Seahorse Banner for a feast hall

Looking through my list of 'Draft' posts tonight, I feel a bit ashamed of how little I have been posting! Doing a dress diary or detailed post about things I have made often seems to be very tedious once all the hard craft work is over, and all too often doesn't happen. So I must try harder.

This post is about an indoor banner or gonfalon that I made in May this year. It was designed to be displayed in a feast hall and features my SCA heraldry. This was my second try at making an indoor banner. An introduction to Gonfalon can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonfalon

Making the banner: 

I bought some purple cotton velveteen to be the background of the device. I found a patterned white bedspread at the op shop that I decided to use for the sea horse and the backing fabric.

I enlarged the design with the help of a photocopier.

My design was then traced out and pinned to the fashion fabric.

In this photo (above), I have cut the fashion fabric out, but the tracing is still pinned on top. To mark the details, I used a pin to prick the line into the tracing paper. Then I drew over the pinprick holes with a removable embroidery pen. This told me where to add accents and details later on in the process.

The fashion fabric with the pins and paper removed.You can't really see the lines that I have marked in this picture because of the low light level.

Pinning the applique securely to the backing is very important so that you don't get bubbles. Whether you use modern applique methods such as machine sewing the edges/needle-turning the edge as you hand sew it down, or use the more period technique of sewing the edge down without turning it under and then embroidering over the top, it is crucial to keep both pieces of fabric snugly together and well-pinned. I think I sewed the edge down by machine to ensure that it would stay stable as it was rolled up and unrolled (and save time as I was working to a deadline.)

I added an interlining layer of strong cotton to support the weight of the velvet and stop it being pulled out of shape by it's own weight.

Once the seahorse was stitched down, I went over the machine stitched edges with chain stitch for extra strength (and to make them look pretty). Chain stitch is an SCA period stitch with many applications. On the fin-areas like the mane and tail, I angled some quite large single satin stitches to give an illusion of movement. The ermine and eye details are black felt with embroidery over the edges, and the collar is a bit of pretty ribbon. I hand sewed these details.

The lining of the quilt cover made the lining of the banner. The edges were hand sewn with black bias binding.

After I made the banner up, I decided it was out of proportion, so I folded the top edge over to make a large rod holder and hand-sewed the edge down. Normally I would add a separate rod-holder, but this solution solved two problems.

A slightly wonky photo of the finished banner. It was too dark in the feast hall to get a good shot at the event. I feel that the seahorse could use a bit of darker embroidery to add definition to areas like where the mane meets the body, but that will have to wait until I make the next one.

Falcon Device Banner

My Barony has a series of banners which show the registered devices of the populace. I recently made this device for a friend:

A lot of the devices are made of felt, which works well as the banners get rolled up for transport and storage. I like working with felt because it doesn't fray.

I printed the heraldic device design from the computer and traced the design onto tracing paper. I built up the background colours from the appropriately shaped pieces of felt which were just whip stitched down.

The falcon was cut out from white felt and whipped down. I didn't cut the legs and feet out of felt because the pieces would be too small.

I did split stitch in a thicker cotton around the edge of the red felt and then couched down some gold cord as an accent. I used split and stem stitch to outline and do details on the bird. The eye was a shiny black bead. The legs and feet were worked in split stitch. I used some black thread as a highlight.

 

When the piece was finished, I ironed it from the back and whip stitched on a second piece of white felt for strength.