Sleeve embroidery finished!

Here are shots of the sleeve embroidery completed! YAY!

Self portrait

So, I am an avid photographer. Its one of my greatest loves in life and brings me so much joy. I have worked professionally as one in the past shooting weddings, portraits, of course SCA events and family gatherings. Its very rare when I find a picture of myself that I or someone else has taken that I am willing to allow to be seen in public or post. Here is a rare self portrait I took this morning and played with effects.

Cloisters

So I went to the cloisters today with several friends and took many, many pictures of carvings and stained glass and reliefs and such that could be all used as possible embroidered trim or designs. Also found book chemises in some of the paintings too (SQUEEEE!!) So I wanted to share the link to my photo album with you all to see all I surveyed and what I am considering using in future projects.

Big news to be released soon, though! :D Has to do with these two lovely people in this pic!


Anyway...here is the link for the album where all my photos are!
Enjoy!!

https://picasaweb.google.com/107530822403255590361/Cloisters

Viking Hood

So, I mentioned sometime back that I'd made a viking hood. Here it is.
100% wool in a rust color (which this photo is making it look more orange)
The stitching is done in cotton thread for durability. I tend to use cotton thread on garb especially if its going to be washed. I do work in silk but, seriously for men's garb and how hard they can be on it sometimes, experience has proven that silk thread doesnt hold up.
The seams internally are machine sewn but all hems and such are hand stitched.

Pleased with how it came out though I think ill try another and line it with linen.

New Project

Blackwork cuffs for my friend Matt's tudor shirt. Will most likely do a collar too. :)

Its very tiny count linen...not even sure what the count is but I think I need one of those hang around the neck magnifying lenses to work with. Oh! And one of those daylight lamps. Worked on it outside in the sunlight at the bus stop and it was SOOOO much easier!

Pics later when they are done!

Crown Tourney Garb

It was a splendid day! Beautiful weather, though a little cold, but clear sunny skies! I was able to finish all the garb for my two friends that I had intended to. I would like to add a little embroidery to her red over gown, but otherwise they looked marvelous. Here are the pics:

The rus tunic he is wearing in the first image is a party colored blue/black heavy 100% linen. The colors are what is on his heraldry. There are four patches appliqued onto the tunic on the front and back on either side of the center color split. The embroideries are a grey scorpion and a blue spade, also on his device. I DID NOT embroider the patches, his lovely wife did (in the red and gold). Two of the patches were from his old fighting tunic which, in a period fashion, we removed and reused on the new one and she embroidered two more.



Her gowns are a gold fitted sleeve under gown and a bell sleeve red linen bliaut as her over gown. She chose these colors because they are on her heraldry. I did a split stitch in gold thread around the neckline, with plans to do the same around the sleeves and add some more detailed embroidery around the neckline.


Now im just deciding on what project to start next. The day after crown i was complaining that my hands felt idle and needed something to do. LOL! They, needless to say, gave me crap for that statement.

Ill keep ya posted!

Fighting Tunic

Friend needed a new fighting tunic as his was.....ahh...well saying "shot" wouldnt quite cover it. LOL! Pics later of him in it when some embellishment is done.

Coming soon....

Ive had this project in mind for a little while now, an idea given to me by my friend Adhemar regarding a badge for myself. I thought, I would have to have custom made a piece of jewelry to complete the project but...while parusing through the Michael's, I found this (cue angelic singing) and my problem is now solved.

Finished project coming soon.... *snickers*

Embroidered Apron Dress

My friend made the apron dress she wears in this picture:

She asked if I could embroider it for her. Her choice of colors were red and charcoal grey. There is a blanket stitch along the top of the dress and herringbone stitch down all the seams to reinforce them. The hem has a split stitch to cover the machine stitching.

Having finished it moments ago, here are the pics of it. I will take better pictures of her wearing it at the next SCA event she attends wearing it. :D

Brown Rus Tunic

So I made and embroidered another rus tunic for my friend. Its 100% brown linen and the pattern is applied with split stitch. I again did a running tight split stitch over all the seams as well, in black thread. Here are the pics of it.



And..since I was there and it was a better backdrop, retook a few photos with him wearing the black tunic i made. Here are a couple:

Its finished!

So sometime back, I posted a comissioned group of embroideries for a friend's husbands dalmatica. Here was that post. Well, the dalmatica is finished and he was wearing it at Coronation today. Here are the pictures.



Im so very pleased with how the dalmatica turned out. Very much "squeeeeing" done on my part...and apparently his too! ;)

Oh...THEY have the buttons!! ;)

King Gregor Queen Kiena
Today at Coronation, I took a couple pictures of the garments the buttons I made were sewn to and wanted to share the end results. Awesome!

Buttons, buttons who's got the buttons...

So...I was making buttons for coronation garb over the weekend and here are pictures of them.

The gold buttons are two layers of fabric: one linen and one unknown to me but feels metallic.

All are self stuffed buttons and about the size of a pea.

I love making buttons..they are quick, adorable and make for a nice touch and show of handwork on a piece of garb.

So at Wrightstown Renn Faire today...

So a wonderful woman named Cassandra was teaching a chainmail class. I looked over to my friend Edmund, who was wearing a necklace made of this fashion (Byzantine??). I asked if i could borrow it for a short and walked over to the class. Asking Sandra if she knew how to make it, she said..."I can figure it out" and we sat down together and did just that (well mostly her). But...Now i have this lovely chain and the knowledge of how to make it again. Thanks Cassandra!!

Whipped this up yesterday

I know this isnt a historical embroidery, but I wanted to share anyway.

It was my Mother in laws birthday yesterday and being an avid book reader (and adamant about no presents) I whipped up this cross stitched book mark for her.

I thought it was cute! :D

Recent Project: Embroidered Rus Tunic

This tunic was part of a barter deal. My friend below did some woodworking for me and I returned the favor in kind by making a tunic.

Being 12th century Rus', a little research into the style (most of which he had done already) I made this tunic out of 100% black linen (also gotten from fabrics-store.com).

The embroidery was done in DMC cotton thread (as it is what i had on hand and due to financial constraints was unable to get silk or wool, at present time).

All the seams were tacked down with split stitch in contrasting colors.

His households colors are black and red. His personal device is blue and white/silver. I decided to incorporate these colors into the embroidery to make it just a bit more personalized for him.

It all pulled together nicely and he was quite pleased with it, as am I.

Recent project: Embroidered Bliaut

So, my good friend says in passing "Ive always wanted an orange gown..."

Well, guess what I did? :D

Fabrics-store.com has a great selection of linen. So, after some searching of their site, i found this gorgeous linen called "spiced pumpkin". The color, online looked more muted than when it arrived. I washed and dried the linen, which lightened the color only ever so slightly. In line with my friends persona, I made her a non gathered bliaut and embroidered the neckline. I am really quite proud of how it came out and she loved it. She says its going to be called the "cozy cone" gown! :D

Delivered at Pennsic, she decided not to wear it till this weekend at The Feast of John Barleycorn in NY.

The gown is made from 100% linen.

The embroidery pattern was actually taken from a stencil created by DMC specific for embroidery. Upon inspection it is actually very close to a period reference i have. (let me find the book and Ill post an image from it) The embroidery was done with cotton thread (for stability and with funds being snug I have DMC cotton thread on hand) and worked in split stitch. Since the fabric and thread were prewashed and dried, it makes it a very easy gown to care for. Im very happy with how this came out and so was Mathilde.

My Studies

So I am researching embroidered book covers. I have decided to post each book and the information I find out about it here so that I can keep track of it and share, for others interested in book bindings. I by no means know everything so if anyone has more information on any cover I post or if I post any information that may be incorrect, please let me know and give me the source as well.

Felbrigge Psalter early 14th Century (linen thread embroidery on canvas, surface couched gold ground, also called Opus Anglicanum)

size: 7 3/4" by 5 3/4"

This is the oldest surviving book from England to have an embroidered binding. It takes its name from Anne de Felbrigge who was a nun at Minoresses at Bruisyard in Suffolk. It is also believed that she was its embroiderer as it was said she had an artistic background.

Though I havent found an image of the back embroidery, this description of it by Cyril Davenport (taken from English Embroidered Book Bindings) :

On the lower side, on a groundwork of gold similar to that on the upper cover, is a design of the Crucifixion. Our Saviour wears a red garment round the loins, and round his head is a red and yellow nimbus, his feet being crossed in a manner often seen in illuminations in ancient manuscripts.

The cross is yellow with a green edge, the foot widening out into a triple arch, within which is a small angel kneeling in the attitude of prayer. On the right of the cross is a figure of the Virgin Mary, in robes of pale blue and yellow, with a white head-dress and green and yellow nimbus. On the left is another figure, probably representing St. John, dressed in robes of red and blue, and having a nimbus round his head of concentric rings of red and yellow. This figure is unfortunately in very bad condition.

It is currently in the British Library under the reference of MS Sloane 2400

I know its a bit late but...

Here is the pics of my yurt door. I wanted to include my mom in this project since she was wonderful in always watching the boys for me when I had to go to the yurt building weekends, which were many and all in a row.

Here is the blank door. Freshly made and put together. I painted it a primer white then a pale sky blue. (oddly those two pics seem to have disapppeared. )

I absolutely love how it came out! Just wanted to share.