10/14/2020 - I probably should update the information on this page....To be honest, I have not worked on this project in a long time. At one point I think I finally said, "I hate this project." Not that it isn't a pretty piece or at all challenging but I wasn't getting any joy out of it. I still have it, and it mocks me every day as it hangs on my wall where I can see it. I have used the skills I learned - I created a stomacher for Duchess Bridget and it was amazing and I loved it. Recently, I have been thinking I might get back to working on this piece. Why? I am not sure. Maybe enough time has passed and I am able to find some joy in it again. Will I start up this very instance...probably not. Right now I am desperately working on papers for Pentathlon and that is really taking up my time. I also need to redraw the pattern (a little) and re-watch the videos on how to complete the stitches. It will take time, but I do want to finish it. Eventually. Papa Giuseppe will be soooooo happy.
10/16/2012 -- What do you do in the evening? Since GWW I have been thinking about the challenge posed to me by His Excellency Giuseppe. This has been a very difficult task. Embroidery is almost second nature to me but this challenge has me wrestling with myself. He is asking me to push myself and I embrace this challenge. I spent the first few days looking at pieces (not early period - as directed)...and I saw a few pictures that I thought looked promising. The first was a picture of Mary Cornwallis (see picture below) in a dress with embroidered sleeves...and this was very inspiring. The second was a picture of Anna Meyer (see picture below) in her wedding dress. This one was a blackwork piece that was really interesting. I have never done counted blackwork and thought this would truly be a challenge. I was really excited about both of these ideas and so I went to speak with his excellency and was told that I was on the right track. Yeah me! ... So I have some pieces of fabric that are set up for me to practice on ... long before I do the final piece. Then I speak to His Excellency Giles to show him what I had thought of and he opened up my book and said, "this is what I had in mind for you" and showed me a picture of a beautiful 16th century polychrome nightcap. I then said that I thought that this piece would be almost too late in period and that it was very similar to the style I already did....they explained that while it looked similar, it was different enough to meet the challenge. And so, I am now looking at the polychrome pictures with a little more interest. The main inspiration for this is a picture I saw from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (see picture below). I have been looking through a variety of books and websites to help me with this project.
No matter what I choose to do, I have decided that I would make a coif. I figured that this was the best thing for me to make. I am not an expert seamstress and coifs are something that I feel comfortable with making. Through the start of this process, I find that I do a lot of questioning. Questioning about my skill, my ability to meet the challenge, my ability not to disappoint. I am truly honored that I have been given this challenge and yet I am totally scared that I will fail miserably.....back to researching.... 10/19/2012 -- Before I move forward on my challange piece (which I am leaning toward the polychrome coif)...I am practicing some of the stitiches that were used in the embroiedery. This stitch is called the detatched button hole. In working the stitiches in this picture, I actually relate it to macrame. It is definitly an interesting stitch that gives great deal of texture to the piece. I actually really like this stitich. the trick really is to watch the tension on the fabric. It when setting up the stitch you can pull to hard and then the back of the fabric will pucker. Since this stitch is actually only worked on the top of the fabric, the outline is the only thing that you will see on the back side of the fabric. One thing that I do like about this stitch is that you can easily change color to give a gradiation of color. You can see the back of the design in the picture below. The fabric that I am using in this practice piece is a light weight muslin and as you can see there is some puckering. The fabric that i have chosen for the final product is a heavier weight linen and I will use a pearl cotton thread (as silk is to expensive for me at this time).
The flower picture that you see in the photo above, is actually from a different picture (one I was thinking about doing before. So instead of throwing out the piece I was going to do, I am using it as a practice piece...no waisting here....the bottom picture is called a Pekenise stitch. This stitch is fairly easy. It is a backstitich that you then wrap with either another color or the same one. In the picture below, I chose to use two colors the see what it looked like. Depending on the look that you want, the two-tone could look really cool. In the pictures I ahve seen, it appears that the backstitch is done in one color and then wrapped in gold. But it is very hard to tell. |
11/6/2012 -- It has been a while since I sat down and worked on my assignment, not because I didn't want to but because I was completely overwhelmed with the project. I want to get this right and I had to step back for a while to make sure I understood what I was really trying to do. Also, I was very frustrated with the fact that I couldn't get some of the stitches perfected for the project. I have found that plaited braid is a pain in the butt....I still can't get this one. It is the one that is killing me the most. I still need to continue to plan this project. I will continue to work on this as it is important for me to prove that I can do more than one style of work.
Also, I spent a lot of time just looking at the pictures of the embroidered coif that I am using for inspiration. It took me a lot of time to review the pictures to review the stitches....The information kept saying that the birds and flowers were done in unattached button hole...this was very hard for me to understand as the first item I did looked nothing like them...then I sat down adn tried looking over it again...and I tried working the button hole stitch in a flower with a curve in it....and it is definitly a little tricky, it can be done and it looks pretty good....(see picture to the left). This is done on muslin using cotton thread.....definitly an interesting texture with some great appeal. 11/9/2012 -- Working on this challenge has been a test of my abilities. I have been practicing with the unattached button hole stitched...this stitch has a great deal of texture and look. The trick to this piece has been understanding the design of the polychrome coif. Ultimately, I have realized that this work was done using a great deal of attention to the design and layout. I have started to draw out the design of my coif. Using a coif pattern that I have I have been free-handing the design. It isn't easy trying to make sure that the designs are not too big or too small. Making sure to keep true to the design but realizing that the coif that they made was definitely rather large. The coif that I am making is small in comparison, so that the finished design will not be an exact replica of the original....just my interpretation of the piece.
In this picture you can see just a portion of the drawing of the pattern for the coif. I am trying to make sure that I get as many of the flowers and animals. A difficult task to say the least..... 6/24/13 -- It has been a long time since I have written anything on my blog. I have not stopped working on my challenge piece but it has taken me a while to get inspired to work on it. It has taken me awhile to purchase all the material to do the work and until I had at least enough to get started, I haven't had the heart to work on it. I finally got a good start on the materials so, I have a new sense of motivation to get started. I am excited to get moving on this and hopefully will finish it within the year. I am still writing this blog to help me keep track of my progress. So as I continue to work on this I will hopefully answer all of my questions for the documentation that I will need. My plan is to have this finished for the 2015 Pentathlon. This is my first stitch on my coif. I am really proud of it.
I have been working on the coif and am excited to see some progress. I am enjoying this piece very much but have found that it is very daunting. I pick it up and work on it only to feel like I am not getting anywhere. It is very hard to sit and work on the coif and feel like I am getting nowhere. I know that it will get done, I just have to be diligent and continue on my path.
Still hard at work on the coif and as you can see from the current pictures, I am getting to see some progress. I am excited to continue with this and I look forward to getting more done. I really need to spend time working on this piece but new things keep coming up. I have new things in the works but am finding it difficult to manage my time. I love the work that I am seeing and can't wait to get a true section done.
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