“An Unstitched Coif…” getting ready!
So this week I have been busily getting everything ready for the “An Unstitched Coif…” project. The introductory Zoom meeting is on the 26th April, so I need to have everything ready to begin stitching by then.
We have about six months before the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (not that mine will be in that) and the Sheffield exhibition (which mine *might* be in) is at the end of the year – date TBA.
Fabric:
I have a length of 56 count Kingston linen that I have been saving for a special project, and I think it will be perfect for “An Unstitched Coif…” To prep the fabric I tacked 1/4″ double folded hems on all sides to give me something nice and sturdy to lace into.
Thread:
Silk of course! I’m sure I have a couple of hanks of black silk in my stash somewhere, but it seems to have gone missing. If I can’t find it in time, then I’ll begin stitching with black Au ver a Soie – soie d’Alger.
I have ordered Kreinik Japan Thread #5 thread in both gold and silver from https://alisoncoleembroidery.com.au/. I could not decide which to use at this stage – who knows I might end up using both!
And spangles, one must have spangles, so I have also ordered 2mm gold and silver spangles from Alison Cole.
Stitching Frame:
I have a scroll frame that is the perfect size for this project. I also recently found a perfect pre-loved frame holder that will sit neatly on my lap so that I can sit and stitch with my feet up.
I don’t know how old the frame is, but they are still in production, and you can buy them from here: http://www.kscreations.com/lapframes.htm
The very best thing about this frame is that it is fully adjustable to hold most of the frame sizes that I would use.
I then stitched the top and bottom edges of my linen to the tapes, and side laced with a sturdy mercerized cotton thread.
Tracing the Design:
I thought about doing “prick and pounce” to transfer the design, but decided that while it might be historically correct, it would take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to prick such a busy design, so I opted for the light pad and pigment ink pen method.
I used a Staedtler pigment liner pen 0.05 in black. It says that it is indelible and waterproof on paper. It made me wonder why they specified paper, so I made a test tracing and soaked it in plain cold water for 2 hours. No bleeding or fading. So I then soaked for another 2 hours in hot soapy water. Still not bleeding or fading, so I am sure that I am safe to use it for the tracing.
Of course, my linen is now tightly laced onto the frame. How am I going to trace the design? I certainly did not want any movement whatsoever while tracing, so I ended up using tape to stick the design to the back of the fabric and the frame. It worked a treat!
Several Hours Later…
And now the hard part begins…. I need to work out how to stitch it! So I’m hitting the books and trolling the internet looking at what stitches were done in period and for ideas that inspire me.
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Needleworkes 