01.27.10
Posted in General at 7:00 am by deRomilly
Because I am an overly ambitious woman, I decided some years ago (OK, around 20) to attempt to replicate a set of Dragon Robes, despite the fact that even in professional workshops, working with multiple embroiderers, full-time, a full set of robes often took 7 years of work to complete.
Did I mention overly ambitious?
I got part of one sleeve cuff completed before I gave up. There is already over 50 hours of work in just this area, not including the time to design the thing (yes, the entire robe is designed. It’s NOT going to be made in its current incarnation!) I was, for the only time in my life, actually keeping track of how much work I put in, because I was curious.
Click to see MUCH more detail
The gold is size #1 japan gold by Kreinik (I couldn’t afford the real stuff then, even less so now) Very fine. It’s about the thickness of flower thread, to give you a basis for size. The dragon is, from tip of tail to tip of that finished front claw, about four and a half inches. The satin stitch and split stitch are done in two strands of Eterna filament silk, and the entire thing is stitched on unbacked navy-blue dupioni. If I were starting over, I’d back it with muslin before stitching. (I’ve learned a LOT about goldwork in the intervening 20 years!)
It is, if I do say so myself, a pretty piece of work. And I decided today while scanning it that I DO want to finish this cuff. I’ll frame it and give it to its original intended recipient at some point. Maybe. If I can find the time for the fiddly. I’ll keep you posted when I do it. 
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01.20.10
Posted in General at 5:35 pm by deRomilly
Dragon robes fascinate me. Not only from an embroidery standpoint, though they are gorgeous, but also from a symbolic standpoint. Think about it: all that time, effort, and sumptuousness, and:
they were never meant to be seen!
They were usually worn under a plain robe with the rank badge of the courtier on it. Rank badges are also gorgeous pieces of embroidery, but they are more reasonably sized! The idea was that you kept a humble appearance and the glory of your soul and talents was truly a personal and interior achievement: the clothing was meant to remind you of that.
Dragon robes consist of a standard format: mountains and waves at the hem keep you grounded. There is a large central dragon at each center front and back, smaller ones on each shoulder, and two at the base of the central dragons. The ninth dragon is embroidered also on the center front, but on the underlap of the robe, so it is hidden under yet another layer of fabric.
The dragons play with flaming spheres – the “sphere of wisdom” that we all look for in life. Flying among the coulds around the dragons are often bats, a symbol of happiness, and if you are the emperor, the symbols of your power as well. The color of the ground fabric is determined by the birth rank of the noble in question.
Wonderful things indeed, dragon robes! You can see some in the following links, and explore a bit further.
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01.06.10
Posted in General at 7:00 am by deRomilly
I’ve been fascinated by this for years – specifically the later centuries – 18th century and later.
Part of this is probably due to the fact that the University of Oregon Art museum has one of the largest collections in the US, and I got to spend hours and hours there when I was in school (and after) just looking at it. Especially interesting to me was the huge wall hanging of peacocks done in #1 japan silver couched down, and flat silks. And when I say huge, I mean it’s at least 8 by 12 feet.
The museum has changed a lot since I lived in Eugene – it’s expanded dramatically, and added to its Asian collections, making it even more tantalizing to me to get back there! (I think it may also have been renamed – or is finally broadcasting it’s name: the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.)
At the time I was there you could get very very close to the some of the stitching. I don’t know about now, but sometime this year I aim to find out! 
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12.31.09
Posted in General at 2:12 pm by deRomilly
Zahra - A New Series Start
This has been quite a month for me, as you probably noticed, I didn’t post a lot.
My day job was getting stressful, and it culminated in a layoff at the beginning of December. The day after that, my 4 year old Dora-cat was in the Emergency Vet being diagnosed and treated for kidney failure. I’ve spent the last few weeks nursing her, thinking a lot about where I want to be in the next year, and recovering from a cold I’ve been suffering with as well. Dora is doing much better, thank you, and I should be soon.
I have, over the course of this year, wanted more time to work on designs, and on trying to make things more interesting here on the blog. Some of the things I want to provide you require stitching on my part! and as you’ve seen, that just hasn’t happened. So the extra time, is welcome, if the extra paycheck is missed.
Things I’d like to happen for 2010 around here:
First, I’m going to post regularly here. I’m planning on once a week, at the very least. I’ll try to get a button up soon so that you can have the blog sent to you via email or RSS feed if you would rather. I suspect once a week will become plenty, since I can’t keep up with the blogs that I want to read daily! One that went monthly, very apologetically and I sent her an email thanking her, because now I’ll get to not only read it, but probably even have time to use the information she posts!!
Second, the newsletter. I want to try to get one out to those of you who have asked for it monthly, at the very least. It will contain lots of information about things to stitch on, how to use your stitching in ways other than framing it on the wall, and possibly some free patterns.
Third, the business. I really don’t want to go back to work for corporate America. What I find myself living for is designing, drawing, making art, and writing. So I’m going to try to build that into a way to make a living. I have a lot of ideas, including translating the designs and art I have built up into more than one form of needlework: for example, offering both a cross stitch chart and a quality crewel kit or design…and I’m teaching – both shimmying and stitching.
Fourth: Myself. I want to develop my abilities as an artist, and to develop myself as well as everything else. To this end, I’m taking Kelly Kilmer’s “Life Made by Hand” art journaling class this year. And I’m taking more walks, continuing to practice ShivaNata, and trying to listen to my Spirit more.
Which all leads to: I’m excited about the New Year. I hope you are, too.
Happy New Year everyone!
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11.18.09
Posted in General at 7:00 am by deRomilly
I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit recently. Not only because I’ve been taking part in and watching more dance shows recently, but also because an acquaintance (who makes shorts for poledancing for fun & fitness or whatever) also brought it up.
There are performers in every performance art who are either “on” or “off.” Like Jennifer (warning – link to pole dancing blog, with a discussion of stage presence, blamed on… wait for it… strippers and gymnasts!), I always wonder why a dancer who doesn’t smile or interact with the audience is dancing at all — (before you email me to say “but so and so…”, there are some performers who have a transcendent, meditative quality — Sting in the early years of the Police always seemed to go into his own little trance-world when performing. The bellydancer who truly hooked me into this dance form did the same: in both cases it was like being included in a private religious ritual. These are NOT the people I’m referring to.
No, it’s the performers who seem to be concentrating so much on technique that there isn’t room for fun or audience, or spiritual experience that confuse me. (And I’m not really including first time performers in this — but really, professionals should be beyond the terrified stage!)
And here’s the comparison — needlework can also suffer from a lack of stage presence! There are some designs that just sparkle, and others that can make you go… er? and then there are some designs that you can spruce up a bit on your own to make them uniquely yours. If you love everything but the color — Or think two bands in a sampler should be reversed — or want to use a different kind of thread — Do it!
Stage Presence. No matter your art form, you need some.
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