While I'm waiting for new reveals....

My current projects can't much be talked about -- either because I've said what there is to say so far, or because they cannot be revealed yet -- so here's a look at some prior work.

One of my favorite forms of embroidery is German brick work.  It's a nice, regular stitch of the counted type, typically done on canvas.  (In the East Kingdom embroidery guild Athena's Thimble it typically panels under the Canvas category.)  When I first came to the SCA and Athena's Thimble I was very much a "counted" girl -- so much so that when I entered an item in the "Free Embroidery" category for the first time the judges' comment was "set it free."  Nowadays I do as much free work as counted work, maybe even more -- but I do still love the rhythm of doing counted work.

Two pieces that I have done in this form are a pouch and a pillow.

The pouch was a gift for one of the Queens of the East. It was executed in black, red and white, using the recipient's household colors; and was opposite on the two sides. It is executed with silk threads on linen congress cloth (sadly, this is no longer made).  Congress cloth is a close approximation to the stitch count of some of the original brick stitch pieces found at the V&A.

The brick stitch is an upright stitch, in this example it is executed in pairs, with each pair "stepped" down or up from the one beside it, creating strong diagonal lines.

The bag is lined and a decorative stitch was added to the outside seams.  A fingerloop braid cord and tassels complete the bag. 

The pillow is one of my favorite ever pieces.

Using a chart I found of the pillow found in The Embroiderers and in Schuette, I made a couple of color changes from the chart-maker's choices.  

Worked on linen Congress cloth with silk thread, and interrupted by other projects, the pillow took quite a while to finish, and when I finished the last pair of birds I was very happy to be done with it.  

More brick stitch work is certainly in my plans for future projects.  It is ideal for household goods (like the pillow) and accessories that will see some hard wear (like a pouch).  The density of the stitching covering the entire ground makes the finished piece strong.  The pillow goes with me to events and has helped with comfort level on more than one occasion.