Large 'slip' appliqued to velvet

A large 'slip' appliqued to velvet
(A 100+ hours project)

This panel measures approximately 11" x 11", and depicts a red-throated loon rising from water. In size it is comparable to the cruciform shaped panels of the Oxburgh hangings attributed to Mary Queen of Scots (and friends). This slip is appliquéd to blue cotton velvet, which is a wall hanging in progress, and it will be outlined in gold cording. The rest of the panels will depict emblems chosen from 16th Century English and French emblem books as well as my full heraldic achievement. This loon is a European bird that doubles as an unofficially badge for a group of friends in Windmasters Hill who have the habit of going to 'loony' lengths to complete historically accurate project. (Red-necked loons, get it?!) I could not find a suitable period illustration of this bird, so used a modern photograph as the basis.

I am unsatisfied with the look of the grassy area, which seems too modern to me. However, I also don't like the ultra-simplistic blocks of color often used for backgrounds on the Oxburgh pieces, so I don't know how else I might have solved the problem. The Oxburgh pieces often contain a banner naming the animal depicted, as this slip does. I have also hidden my initials (KR) amid the grass.

Materials & Methods used:

· Spun silk floss (2 strands, twisted) and naturally dyed lambswool crewel. In period, the silk used was "slightly twisted, corded silk is rare, and floss silk is the rule for laid and couched work." (Nevinson, xxii). Mary Stuart's panels (Oxburgh hangings) use "a rich, heavy, lightly spun floss silk" whose high quality probably accounts for the embroidery's good survival. (Rhodes, 50) I did not have enough green silk to stitch the grassy background, so used wool dyed in period colors instead. Both the silk and the wool are from commercial natural dyers (Aurora Silk and Renaissance Dyes, respectively).

· 20 ct linen canvas. Surviving canvaswork exhibit a wide range of stitch counts from 16 to almost 36 ct. (see below). However, aside from the Oxburgh pieces I havn't found published stitch counts for slips, but they most likely also vary in canvas size. Most surviving canvases appear to be natural color linen, but they may have originally been whitened & have discolored over time.

Historical pieces, published thread counts:
· Calthorp Purse, 35/36 ct (1250 stitches per sq inch) (Rhodes, 36)
· Bed valences, 16-20 ct (Rhodes, 39-40)
· Gifford Table Carpet, 20 ct (Rhodes, 41)
· Bradford Table Carpet, 20 ct, which equals Digby's 400 stitches per inch (Rhodes, 43; Digby 33)
· St. John of Bledstow Carpet, 400 stitches per inch (Digby, 33)
· Oxburgh Panels worked by Mary Stuart, 18 ct (Rhodes, 50) NOTE: stitches are worked over 2 threads, so the number of stitches per inch makes it look like an ever lower ct fabric was used.

· Stitches used: Predominantly two versions of tent stitch (needlepoint)--the continental stitch, and the half-cross stitch. The half-cross causes a slant to develop in the canvas, especially with large pieces, and a number of surviving embroideries exhibit this type of distortion. Without being able to see the backs of period pieces it's impossible to know if the continental stitch was used at the time.

To see illustrated instructions on how to work these stitches, visit http://webstitch.designwest.com/needle_stitch.html

With period canvaswork, patterns were always drawn or painted on the canvas, and the modern counted stitch method was not used (Nevinson, xv/ Rhodes, 39). This type of canvas was/is too loosely woven for the pricking/pouncing method to work. Professionals were often employed to transfer designs to canvas, but private individuals could do the same for themselves. I drew the outlines of the design directly onto the canvas using a light table and a black ink pen. The picture below shows the outlines on canvas, and partially worked design. I kept the original picture near-bye for reference. Strictly speaking, I probably should have taken a more systematic approach to completing the design, but I would have found that boring.

· This panel was worked on a frame (a "tent", in period phrasing).

Sources Consulted

Beck, Thomasina (1995). The Embroiderer's Story: Needlework from the Renaissance to the Present Day. Newton Abbott, Devon, England.

Digby, George Winfield (1963). Elizabethan Embroidery. London: Faber & Faber.

King, Donald and Santina Levey (1993). Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750. London: V&A Publications.

King, Donald (1956). "Textiles" in The Tudor Period 1500-1603. London: The Connoisseur, 101-112.

Levey, Santina (1998). Elizabethan Treasures: The Hardwick Hall Textiles. New York: Harry N. Abrams.

Nevinson, J.L. (1938). Catalogue of English Domestic Embroidery of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. London: Victoria & Albert Museum.

Parry, Linda (1987). A Practical Guide to Canvas Work from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Pittstown: Main Street Press. Introduction by Santina Levey.

Privat-Savigny, Maria-Anne (2003). Quand les princesses d'Europe brodaient : broderie au petit point, 1570-1610. Paris: Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux

Rhodes, Mary (1983). The Batsford Book of Canvas Work. London: BT Batsford LTD.

Swain, Margaret (1986). The Needlework of Mary, Queen of Scots. London: Ruth Bean Publishers.

Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), http://www.mfa.org.

Victoria & Albert Museum, http://www.vam.ac.uk.