#16: Forepart and Sleeves
My first Elizabethan garb – including corset, bum roll, partlet, farthingale, ruffs and hat. Annoyingly, I made the sleeves too short – fixing them is somewhere on my “to do” list.
The forepart and sleeves were of delustered satin. The gown, blue veveteen.
The golden “petal” shapes on the forepart and sleeves were embroidered using a gold Mettler Metallic thread #2108. This is a very fine, smooth gold wrapped thread.
The stitch used is broad chain stitch.
I stitched the pearl “flowers” using a metal 5 petalled flower bead, and then surrounded it with two sizes of pearls. In all there are 142 embroidered gold petals, and 261 pearl flowers.
#9-15: Seven Pelican Cloak Pieces
One of the Worshipful Company of Broderers (WCOB) of Lochac’s projects is the creation of the Pelican Cloak – a ceremonial cloak worn during the investiture of new members to the Order of the Pelican. It features the devices of all the members of the Order, with pieces worked by the members of the Company, the Order of the Pelican and other willing hands.
They are done in tent stitch, worked with Madeira silk on linen canvas. I have been delighted to have been able to help with this project, and so far have stitched seven devices for the cloak.
#8: Heraldic Tent Stitch Cushion
This cushion is worked in contentintal stitch with basket weave back. I used DMC Tapisserie wool with 14 count canvas. The wool was a tight fit on that canvas, but it made a firm, dense and durable cushion.
The design is based on my personal heraldry:
“Per chevron purpure and argent, a chevron counterchanged
between three thimbles in chevron argent and a rose proper”
#5,6,7: Three Bobbin Lace Handkerchiefs
OK… bobbin lace is not “needlework” per se, but I’m counting it in my challenge! I don’t have photos of the completed handkerchiefs, but I do have one of the edgings.
The top edging was mounted on superfine linen as a gift for Queen Constanzia. I also made two hankies using the edging on the bottom left – one for Baroness Jane Grenville, and one for Baroness Branwen of Werchesvorde.
The one on the bottom right is still a work in progress.
#4: Anglo-Saxon Embroidery
This is worked with Appleton’s wool on felted woollen fabric. It comprises a neck piece for a keyhole neckline, and bands for the sleeves and hem.
The pieces were stitched in split stitch using one strand of the Appleton’ woollen yarn. They were then cut out and applied to the garment.
The design is from In Prayse of the Needle.
I am very happy with how the embroidery turned out, but the garb itself is desperately ugly and I do not wear it. (I will probably recycle the bands onto something much more flattering).
#3: Blackworked Chatelaine
Gold spangled, blackworked needlework set comprising a needlebook, scissors keep and fob, and pin keep, given to Baroness Jane Grenville (the Barony of Aneala).
They were worked with one strand of Madeira silk on linen, with real gold spangles. I made the tassels in Madeira silk thead and added faux ‘gold’ beads to the tassels.
The blackworked embroidery design was taken from the Jane Bostocke sampler, 1598.
#2: Split Stitch Needlebook
This needlebook was worked with two strands of DMC stranded cotton (floss) on silk. The design is “Norek” – the mascot for the Shire of Dragon’s Bay (Lochac).
Here is a pic of the inside of the needle case. The “pages” of the book are made of felted woollen fabric. I added a little pocket to hold a needle threader or packet of needles.
This was my first piece of split stitch. I found that two threads were too thick and the embroidery ended up looking a bit “clunky”. It was also really hard to get a nice smooth surface to it.
Learning Curve: Don’t use two strands of thread, and if I’m going to all that effort… use silk thread next time!
#1: Viking Woolwork Cushion
This embroidery was closely worked with rows of fine chain stitch using one thread of Appleton’s wool on a beautiful red woollen ground.
It was to be one of a pair of cushions given by the Worshipful Company of Broderers (WCOB) of Lochac as a Royal Presentation gift to Alfar and Gudrun
The design was by Mistress Leonie de Grey.
Greetings!
I’m Rosamond de Montfort, from the Canton of Dragon’s Bay, Barony of Aneala, in the Kingdom of Lochac.
This blog was originally set up to record my progress in the A&S 50 Challenge – which involved doing 50 things in the Arts and Sciences between May 1st 2007 – May 1st 2015, in honour of the SCA’s 50th Birthday. My challenge to myself was to complete 50 pieces of needlework. Happily I did indeed complete the challenge.
Now it’s 2023… eight years have passed and I had almost forgotten about this blog! So I’ve decided to resurrect it and to add some of my more recent projects. Hopefully I’ll not forget about it again!
(PS: And in the normal world my name is Anne and I live in Western Australia)
Needleworkes 
