Early Irish Tygers

 I was requested to prepare Tygers for the backs of the coronation cloaks for the East Kingdom Fall Coronation (October 4, 2015).  The "garb of the day" for their incoming Majesties was to be early Irish, and a design was provided, evoking the East Kingdom Tyger in a Celtic style.

It was decided that for His Majesty the Tygers should stand approximately 10 inches and for Her Majesty 8 inches.  I prepared blow ups of these designs using my copier.  I also used the copier to prepare mirror images so that on each cloak there will be two Tygers, facing each other. [In period, all of this work would have been done for me by an artist, since I do not have artistic talent myself...I need to give the copier a nice medieval artist name.]

The first plan was to prepare the Tygers in Applique.  Pre-washed wool was ordered from the same source that the cloak fabric itself was to come from.  Unfortunately, the wool did not arrive in time for my comfort in completing the project.  I quickly developed a fall back position -- Bayeux style embroidery.

Bottom left, yes that's all white linen

I selected some nice firmly yellow linen from my stash (remember those shelves full of linen?). New plan involved stitching the Tygers on the linen, cutting them out and appliqueing that to the backs of the cloaks when they're ready.

So glad Medici is available again!

I then selected some DMC Medici wools in three blues and a yellow nearly matching the fabric, burgundy for outlining and red and black for the finishing touches.

All ready to go. 

Since I had already prepared my designs, transfer was quick. Again, I opted for completely modern techniques for this.

First, I prepared the fabric by ironing freezer paper to the back (shiny side to the fabric). This trick, which I learned while working on the Plymouth Jacket keeps the fabric nice and steady while drawing on it.

No more sticky residue

Next, I taped the design down on the glass of my light box. I use painter's tape for this, having learned my lesson to not use packing tape (some day I'll get the rest of that residue off).  The use of a light box has roots in period methods, it's just a lot safer than supporting the fabric in a frame over a candle.

Ready to trace

Next, the fabric was taped down over the design.  I used a Pigma Micron pen. These are available in various sizes, quite fine pointed, and archival ink.  A period embroiderer would have used a pen and ink.

Not quite done.... 

The light box I have has a nice rocker switch with which I can reduce the level of light, so I can check progress.

All ready. 

I marked in each section a letter code to remind myself which thread I want to use in each.

Next I mounted the fabric on stretcher bars to be nice and firm. Time to stitch.

Not *quite* a stitch by numbers kit.

First, I used stem stitch for all the lines, using the burgundy thread I had chosen. The Bayeux Stitch portions were next -- body, face, legs, paws and mane.  Finally, the yellow detail and the tail were filled in with stem stitch, resulting in the first of the Tygers for Her Majesty,  Then I did it all again for the first Tyger for His Majesty.  Time was not on my side and only two (one each) Tygers were done -- and still late -- to be handed off for application to the cloaks. 

Photo by Brendan Crane

Photo by Brendan Crane

Temporary application was made by neatening up the yellow fabric and applying the Tygers on their fields of yellow.  Two more Tygers will be made, and all four will receive a different, more time intensive, application process -- but that, as they say, is a post for another day.

Photo by Brendan Crane

Below are some close ups of portions of the finished Tygers.  

Wait, something's missing

What a difference a tongue makes
(Yes, that's two different Tygers, at different resolutions, because I'm dumb and didn't take before and after shots)

A couple more close ups:

A bit of body in Bayeux and detail in stem stitch

A bit of everything

Round and round and round the tail we go.

Working and teaching

Saturday was the SCA event Mudthaw.  This year I participated as part of the "Artisans' Row" -- a gathering of artisans working on projects and teaching about their arts. I was set up with my Bayeux Tapestry inspired piece.  I only had one student for learning embroidery, but many people stopped by to talk about both my piece and the Bayeux Tapestry in general.

I discussed different aspects with different people, but there were some common points:

• My piece is the same approximate height as the original, per information in most of the descriptive books about the Bayeux Tapestry;
• my motifs are the same approximate size as those on the original, thanks to the fact that the David Wilson book provides information about their reproduction percentage (photocopy motifs in that book at 185% for approximate actual size;
• the woman in my design is actually larger than the woman she is taken from...all three women in the original Bayeux Tapestry are smaller than the men around them.  I am modern enough that that was not going to happen.

Here I am working on the piece.  Because of all the talk time (which was great), I didn't get a lot of stitching done, but some did get done.  (Later I also worked on my double running basket cover and did get a fair amount of that done, I expect it to be in the "done" column soon). 

The return of Medici

Several years ago, DMC disappointed us all by announcing they would no longer be producing Medici crewl weight thread.  This is the wool thread that many people (of which I am one) use for Bayeux style laid and couched work.  I quickly laid in a large supply of the colors I am using for my Bayeux inspired piece (first discussed in this post). 

Recently I learned that another company is making Medici thread.  According to the folks at Threadneedle Street, the thread comes from the same source that DMC used, is being spun at the same mill DMC used and is dyed using DMC's dye formulas. Threadneedle has a full page about the Medici, here.  Most of the original DMC colors are being made again, although some have been discontinued and some new ones have been added. The page lists all the colors and indicates which ones are no longer being made and which are new -- by color number only. Sadly, color charts are not available at this time and the photo they have up of 13 new colors is not in number order, and the colors are not necessarily accurate. 

Of course, I had to order some.  I called on Friday afternoon (for me, it was morning for them in Washington State) and spoke with Denise Davis.  I could have ordered on their secure ordering system, but I wanted to talk about the new colors a little bit.  I ordered one each of the colors I am using in my Bayeux piece, and then asked her to send me three of the new colors.  Based on the photo that is on their website I asked for the yellow, the medium blue and the lavender.

The threads arrived today.  (See, I knew there was a reason I didn't post yesterday).  Below are some comparison shots of the duplicated colors.  The three new ones are a bit different from the colors on their website, and I have not yet photographed them; they are lovely as well, though.

I think the colors are very close, with what difference there is being less than one might find in dye lot differences.  A couple are spot on and a couple are just that "little bit" different. That does not worry me, though.  As long as I don't mix skeins in one motif I don't the miniscule difference will matter.  Certainly having threads be slightly different is within the realm of possibility for period work -- I doubt that all of any one color used on the Bayeux Tapestry was dyed at the same time!

And now, for some pictures:

First, a shot of five of the colors.  The original on the left and the new on the right of each pair.












The next four shots are of each pair, in the same order, left to right.  Original on the bottom, new on the top.

 

Finally, some close ups.  



There are five pre cut strands in each 25 meter skein (approx. 27.3 yards)

Here, a comparison -- the new on top and the original below.

Finally, through a magnifier.  Again, new on top, original below. 

I'll do some stitching with some of the new this weekend and report back on my impressions, but so far, I think I'm going to be very happy.

A quick post.

This weekend I had the opportunity to do some teaching at an event in the Boston area.  I taught Introduction to Applique and Bayeux Stitch Embroidery.

A modified version of the Applique  handout is available at my website (see link to the right), and the Bayeux one will be put up there next week. 

The applique class was full (10 students) and everyone walked out with a needlebook well started.  The Bayeux class was about half full, and I think everyone got to play at least a little bit with each of the stitches.  I really need to re-think how I teach that class (again), to try to get everyone to the point of comfort with all the elements.  I found myself wishing I had the full time (hour and a half) with each person individually.

I firmly believe that studying historic needlework, and doing work based on that study are important, but teaching is also important.  It is not enough that we learn by studying and by doing, but we need to share what we have learned. 


The samples from my class

Below are some photos of students' work.  The class had 10 students, but as often happens, we ran right to the end of our hour, so I did not get photos of everyone's work in progress.





  One student provided these photos of her completed needlebook.  The "E" for the reverse side was her own design.

Bayeux Piece Progress

My major piece of embroidery for this fall, winter, and probably spring as well, is a piece based on the Bayeux Tapestry. It will be at the aprpoximate height of the original embroidery (but, of course, signficantly less wide....). It will have figures meant to represent my husband and myself (in our historic re-enactment personae), and our usual arts (needlework frames for me, cooking for my husband).

The piece is designed and has been transferred to the linen which has mostly been put on the frame (called "dressing" the frame) -- just have to do the lacing and final stretch. I also have all my threads purchased.  Tomorrow I should finish up the lacing and stretching.

Looking for more information on the Bayeux Tapestry?  My favorite book for photos is this one -- David Wilson's The Bayeux Tapestry. It is nice and large and the photos are very clear.