Another reason why I have sore eyes is that I haven't been able to stop reading this blog about embroidery. There is so much there with videos and detailed information. I discovered a link there to this blog about sewing with beetle wings.
So, I've been asked to replicate a banner for the Mother's Union at Swaffham Church and have been beavering away at it. Here are some pictures of where I've got to so far. I'm using the blue silk that I managed to get from Watts; the symbols are for Saints Peter & Paul, crossed keys and crossed swords.
Here's the old and ...
new.
Plotting the design.
The gold lettering starting to take shape.
Here's the banner as it was. Old & really faded. The blue is hardly even blue any more.
Another bit of inspiration is this amazing Chasuble our buddy Jeremy dropped off the other night. It seems the vicar had taken it off rather hurriedly & ripped it at the neck. It's completely salvagable but I need to find some matching red silk damask.
Jeremy thought it was from the 1970's but we discovered a label inside from a French company that dates it somewhere in the late 1800's. The narrow fabric width helps date it back to when looms were much narrower. I love this kind of detective work. There are tiny sequins sewn on it to make parts of the embroidery sparkle.
The swirly pattern is all done in tiny chain stitches and I wish I'd seen these grapes when I did mine.
There are moonstones too.
2 comments:
Oh my goodness what a wonderful man I had a look at his site..You need to become his friend and find out all sorts of stuff!!!There is a whole nother world out there we didnt know about.
I know Thomsey. It's incredible. Life is short & there's so much to find out in it. I may have to breed silk worms next time round though.
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