Stitching with a Shimmy

Shimmying through life with needles and thread…
June 17th, 2011

Unknown Needlework…

1/2 of the Runner

Runner spread on my art table

Back months ago, when I bought the Society Silk Needlework piece at the local antiques shop, I also found another that I didn’t’ think I could justify buying. The EO had other ideas and we went back for it the next day.

I would really love some help in identification. It’s an interesting piece. I suspect it came from the same estate as the society silk, as the woman said the house had many many needlework pieces, most of which had been purchased on the owner’s travels through her life.

I’ve been through all my references, and although I can find similarities to this piece in many different locations, I can’t find enough that I can confidently say “this came from this area” or even “this was inspired by this area’s work…” I want to say Pakistan, Afghanistan, somewhere in that area… shisha mirrors, heavy flat silk on orange (faded) cotton…

Any ideas? Documentation sources you want to recommend?

In any case, it’s another very interesting, unique and striking piece, and I’m glad to have it in my slowly growing collection.

Closeups follow:

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December 10th, 2010

Jacobean Design – Ivory Embroidery Step 2

Three petals stitched

Three petals finished

Wow. Friday already. I didn’t realize that it was so late in the week! Where does the time go?

Note: You might be interested in the first post in this series.

Step 2 – Filling the Large Petals

Last week I stitched the larger petals with geometric stitch patterns from Weldon’s.  I used two different patterns, alternating them between the petals.

They are as follows:

Pattern 1: Star and Lattice Filling

Star and Lattice Filling

Star and Lattice Filling - every chart line = One fabric thread

This is created by stitching the lattice pattern first. It’s stitched over THREE threads of the linen, using backstitch to make the squares.

Then the little star shapes are stitched over one thread at each intersection.  Use the same color floss for all stitches. I used different colors in the chart for ease of reading.

Pattern 2: Cross and Lattice Filling

Cross and Lattice Filling

Cross & Lattice Filling - every chart line = one fabric thread

This is created by again stitching the lattice pattern first. Again, over three threads (three over, three up) I stitched it with backstitch a well, although Weldon’s suggests stitching little “V” shapes and going row by row, horizontally left to right, then returning right to left. I haven’t tried it that way.

Then the crosses are added in the middle of the lattice work, crossing over two threads (two over, two up).

On both of these patterns, you will need to compensate the pattern slightly at the edge of the design. It’s not difficult, and there are closeups in the Gallery below.

As usual, click on any of the images for a larger view.

Enjoy! This is becoming a fun excercise for me. I’m going to move on this weekend, so I should have new filling stitches for you next Friday.

Stitched Examples

Star & Lattice Filling

Star and Lattice Petal

Cross and Lattice petals

Cross and Lattice Petals

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June 24th, 2009

The Sad, Sad, Sampler

Sad Sampler

Sad Sampler

I thought I’d written about this before, but I don’ t seem to have – maybe on a forum or rec.crafts.textiles.needlework usenet or somesuch.

So here goes again.

Years ago I was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (that’s also where I got the name Romilly, but that’s another story). I don’t fight, so I needed something to do with my hands — I started a sampler, taking historic motifs from various patterns I owned and mixing them up, adding a few of my own and such.

It was also a way to use my stash of Gentle Arts Sampler Threads and Weeks Dye Works threads.

What I learned, the hard way — they mean it when they say “don’t wash.”

How I learned it. Squirrel pee. Or bird. Whatever it was, it’s three drips on the sampler. In retrospect, these were not thread or fabric choices I should have made for a piece I was going to be carrying around in the woods with me!

deadsamplertopI tried to wash out the stain – it’s still there, though I can’t get a good photo of it. I think it melted some of the fabric threads. And the red threads (aren’t they always the culprit?) ran. All over the old-formula lugana – the stuff with NO cotton or natural fibers in it at all (OK, so it was also a way to get rid of a fabric I hated stitching on…) so it stains easily.  It’s sad. Both the situation and the sampler.

The sampler sits in my UFO (unfinished objects) box to this day. I keep meaning to try overdying it in a tea color to antique it a bit – or just cut it up and use it in a crazy quilt as is. I never seem to get around to either of them, though. And so it sits. Waiting for me to do something – anything with it.

Details below. As usual, click to see closer.

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February 16th, 2009

Ivory Embroidery…

As I’ve noted here before, I collect historic needlework books, including the facsimile editions of Weldon’s practical needlework that Piecework put out several years ago.

In these volumes (and in the early 20th century Weldon’s Encyclopedia of Needlework that a friend gave me) is a canvaswork style they call “Ivory Embroidery.”

Weldon’s says, “The work is known as ‘Ivory Embroidery’ fom the fact that its being entirely executed in white, at least as far as the filings are concerned. Silk is used in preference to cotton as being more glossy, and filoselle is more useful than any other make, as being readily splet and used coarse or fine to suit the requirements of any particular portion of the pattern.”

It goes on to describe various canvas stitches – mosaic, byzantine, etc. that we use in modern needlepoint. They never mention if you stitch the background: indeed some of the partial patterns they show indicate that you might not…

It sounds absolutely beautiful. But I’ve got a problem. When it talks about designs, it says they are available for sale. there is no image of a finished project (at least not that is easily interpreted.) I haven’t been able to find a clue as to the type of design considered suitable in the day. (Or that nagging question about background, either). In addition, the only reference I can find for this type of work is IN Weldon’s. No one else seems to talk about it, nor have I found even one extant example.

Has anyone seen an actual design for one of these? Or an extant example you can point me toward? I’m fascinated by the idea and I’d really like to see an original.

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January 23rd, 2009

Vintage Needlework

flowerdoily1.jpgI bought two little pieces of needlework at the antique shop the other day. one is just very beautiful in a simple way – and the other I just felt sorry for. Yet the one I keep looking at is the cross stitch piece – not the pretty, well-stitched doily. Click the images to see them closer.

sampler.jpgI find myself wondering who stitched this piece of uneven crosses and questionable color choices. And, of course, it will be the one I post detailed photos of here! The crosses aren’t even real crosses in that they don’t cover a symmetrical number of threads in many areas. The brown stitches are carefully begun and ended, yet there is a 3 inch float of the pale pink across the back between the two ladies.

sampler1.jpgThe silhouette at the top, which could be beautiful, is done in such a pale pink that I can barely see it against the linen (which is high-quality) yet it is this piece that makes me wonder about the stitcher –

  • was she very young?
  • was she very old?
  • was she limited in her thread choices?
  • was she actually a “he”?

sampler2.jpgIt just goes to show that imperfection makes for character. I wish I could meet the stitcher. sampler3.jpgSo much care and love is obviously put into this piece… and yet it isn’t nearly what we would consider perfect. This ties into my newfound personal work of art journaling it’s not an end result of perfection I should be striving for, but just enjoying the journey!

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