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Archives for February 2018

February 23, 2018 by Ann Bernard

Introducing free-style, creative Contemporary Embroidery

My thanks to the multitude of you who read the series of 12 blog entries on Embroideries That Record History. Your response has been most gratifying. Doing the research was both interesting and fun though I find the computer technicalities to be extremely challenging. My thanks to Beth and Alexis without whom I would still be adrift in computerland.

Your comments were also appreciated. To reply to one: what are the books you have written and published all about? I am happy to respond. Yes, I will return to Historical Embroideries, but while research wanders and mellows, here is an introduction to the books that you will find on this site.

The Royal School of Needlework taught us how to stitch with precision and speed. The techniques and design were traditional and we followed black lines printed on fabric. This is essential to stitch a design such as the one pictured below.

But my books are different!

They introduce you to freehand, creative stitching. The research is already done and you can enjoy the results.

Many years ago, I had this song on my brain: In an English Country Garden as sung by Nana Mouskouri. I pondered and experimented on how to stitch the flowers in the song using a wider range of stitches than lazy daisy and french knots. I experimented endlessly and from the many attempts to portray recognizable flowers grew the body of knowledge that is contained in my two books,

Hand Stitch Recognizable Spring Flowers and Hand Stitch Recognizable Summer Flowers.

All the stitches used in these books are traditional but are used in non-traditional ways.

Spring Flowers uses only four basic stitches, straight, detached chain, french knots and buttonhole.

Below are Dandelions which were added to our gardens just for fun.

Summer Flowers uses more stitches all of which are well known.

None of this is difficult. The experimenting resulted in simplicity.

What is different is that the stitching is freehand. No black lines to follow and cover so that they do not show up like ring around the collar. Stitching freehand is fun, it is liberating and it is the essence of creativity. Creating something uniquely individual has its own thrill.

But what about a design, you ask? Yes, there is a plan to be made before starting stitching but it does not rely on paper or pencil. Nor is it necessary to be able to draw. It is done with small pieces of coloured fabric or paper that plan the general layout. Photographing and recording this plan is part of the preparation for stitching freehand. I can guarantee that if you put pencil marks on your fabric, you will change your mind and there will be visible lines where you do not want them. With a plan, a concept to start from you can change your mind on specifics later. Changing your mind is all part of the process. Planning the colour layout allows you to start stitching.

This garden was stitched by a student. Look at it closely to note all the different spring flowers included.  Count and identify them.  I come up with between 10 and 12.

My books also contain technical strategies that I learned at R.S.N. or have gleaned over the years. There are tips for experienced stitchers and tips for beginners. Mounting fabric on a frame that is taut is essential. It makes every stitch easier and the results are far more professional than working on slack fabric that behaves like a trampoline.

Summer flowers uses photo printed fabric. I have my photos on file and will forward any of them to you for your own personal use. You may already have some suitable ones of your own. Here are Impatience, which bloom in many colours, and Lupins stitched on photo printed cotton fabric.

These books are published in ebook format so that they are affordable for everyone. You can print your personal copy on your printer or download it onto your Ipad or Kindle and have it close by when you are stitching. EBookIt (Archieboy) is a safe and reliable site.

Enjoy a post from the past

  • The conversation has led back to the Bayeux Tapestry! Now why does that keep happening?!
    The conversation regarding washing fabrics, marking the design on fabrics both now and historically has led to some ‘THINKING”.  Thinking is …

Here are the results of professional training and a lot of experimentation. You will receive the necessary information to be individually creative. You can then create a stitching that is uniquely yours.

Stitching freehand is relevant for contemporary embroidery.

Bravo, Go for it. Venture and discover what you can do when you follow your own ideas.

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February 13, 2018 by Ann Bernard

The medieval tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings is to leave France and head for England for first time in 950 years

Jan 25, 2018 Nikola Budanovic Reprinted from The Vintage News – Jan 26, 2018

First, an answer to a question. Magna Carta Panels; “Get out and get under” photo. Yes, it is unusual to have to do this. It is sometimes necessary when repairing old textiles that cannot be rolled onto the wooden frame bars. In the case of the panels, my guess is that there was something not quite right about some stitching in the central area that needed some attention.

magna_carta_boat

For the first time in 950 years, the famous Bayeux Tapestry will leave its home in France and head for England. The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the artistic wonders of the Middle Ages, depicting the Norman invasion of Britain, the Battle of Hastings, and the subsequent rule of William the Conqueror.

Notice the wind in the sails and the horses marveling at sailing on the sea. Also, that everything, in all these pictures, is proportionally correct and balanced. Then, go and take another look at the battle scenes. The picture below does not show the proportion distortions.

The 224-foot-long panorama, which serves as a priceless piece of history, is currently located in Bayeux, a town in Normandy. A recent announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron that the delicate artifact will be loaned to England has created much excitement and debate on both sides of the English Channel.

The tapestry was originally woven in Kent, in southeast England, somewhere around 1070, by the order of Bishop Odo, William’s half-brother, who intended to use it solely for its narrative potential―after William I made a foothold in England, he claimed the English throne. The tapestry was meant to justify his attempt as legitimate, as he was the victor at Hastings.

A segment of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, (with his bludgeoning mace) rallying Duke William’s troops during the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The Battle of Hastings was one of the turning points in British history; the defeat suffered by the Saxon King Harold marked the beginning of the Norman period in Britain. The landowning elite were completely replaced by Norman royalty, and so was the culture and the language―Old English was all but lost as a literary language throughout the 11th and 12th century.

William the Conqueror established his rule, but it was plagued by decades of rebellions, uprisings, and civil wars. Even though he crowned in 1066, it was not until 1072 that William’s grip on the country was firm.

The craftsmen who produced the work almost 1,000 years ago remain unknown, but their work is anything but. The tapestry is considered to have exquisite artistic value, as well as historic. The depictions of the horrors of war, which include headless soldiers, King Harold being shot in the eye with an arrow, dead horses, and Normans burning and pillaging villages might be the first ever to challenge the chivalrous image of the period.

It still uncertain which museum will take responsibility for housing the relic. The British Museum in London was cited as the initial host, while the English Heritage Museum, which owns Battle Abbey, built by William himself to commemorate the Battle of Hastings in 1066, claims that the tapestry should, at least temporarily, be displayed at the place where the historical battle actually took place.

The loan is scheduled for the year 2022, when restoration of the Bayeux museum in France will take place. So the tapestry would be sent for safekeeping, but the transport itself is a tricky issue. The millennium-old embroidered cloth is very fragile and the risk of damaging it during transport looms over Macron’s decision.

The current curator of the tapestry, Pierre Bouet, stated for the Guardian that, at first, he considered the news was a hoax, but when it proved to be true, his skepticism increased: “If you were to ask my advice, despite the regard I have for my English colleagues who I have worked with for many years, I would say no.”

On the other hand, both the Heritage Museum and the British Museum are thrilled with the prospect of the return of the medieval masterpiece to England. Rowena Willard-Wright, a senior curator at English Heritage, implied in her interview for the Guardian that the tapestry should be located outside London:

“The problem for the British Museum is what you might call the Tutankhamun effect: people end up queuing all the way into Russell Square. If people have to queue, where better than the Sussex countryside?”

The staff of the British Museum consider the 70-meter-long panorama too fragile to be moved from one place to another, and that it would be safest to keep it in one place. Michael Lewis, a curator, claims that conservation and practical difficulties would make the tapestry impossible to tour.

Related story from us: Off to the ‘holy places’: pilgrimages during the Middle Ages

Enjoy a post from the past

  • Jeri Ames started a conversation. I love it. Thank you readers.
    First, a reply from Ruth Briffett.  She and a group of ladies work at repairing and making ecclesiastical linens in …

However, the British Museum in London considers the artwork pivotal and would like to make it accessible to as many people as possible. The decisions on where it will be housed, and even if safe transportation will be possible, are yet to be made. Until then, the tapestry remains exhibited in the Bayeux city museum, in the picturesque countryside of Lower Normandy’s department of Calvados.

This is all very exciting and not even contemplated publicly when I started writing this sequential account of Embroideries that Record History. I will be taking a further look at the resurgence of Large Embroideries in future postings.

This is all very exciting and not even contemplated publicly when I started writing this sequential account of Embroideries that Record History. I will be taking a further look at the resurgence of Large Embroideries in future postings.

It is time for me to return to stitching which has been neglected lately. I hope that you have enjoyed reading and seeing these photos and videos. I have tried hard to be accurate but have undoubtedly made errors all of which were unintentional.

Comments are welcome, bye for now, Ann B.

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February 11, 2018 by Ann Bernard

THE MAGNA CARTA PANELS

The Magna Carta Embroidery Panels were commissioned by Runnymede Borough Council and designed and created by Rhoda Nevins, a member of the Royal School of Needlework.

They show the story of how the Barons persuaded King John to agree to the Magna Carta, arguably the most important legal document of our history, laying the foundation for justice and freedom, not only in this country but throughout the world.

The embroideries are works of art that tell that story, which is what this series all about.

Events that led up to the sealing of the Magna Carta occurred in the Charter Towns. Rhoda Nevins designed the panels to depict these events. Each Magna Carta Trust town has its own panel which are Runnymede, Bury St Edmunds, St Albans, the City of London, Canterbury and Hereford.

An additional panel shows the shields of the 25 barons who were present at the sealing.

Five more panels tell the story of how the Magna Carta spread law and order throughout the Commonwealth and former British Colonies. There are panels for the United States of America, Canada, Australia, India and South Africa. The following photo was the best reproduction I could find of a panel.

The fabric is heavy weight silk with applique and surface embroidery using silk and gold threads.

The panels are a lasting legacy to the UK in honour of one of the most important historical events in their history.

Enjoy a post from the past

  • Embroideries that Record History – San Diego
    This is not a record of an historical event that includes people but rather a “Snapshot in Time” of the …

I just had to include this final photo. When a panel is large and wide there is a problem in reaching the central area. If rolling the fabric onto the width bars is not feasible, then someone has to work from underneath.

“Get out and get under” with thoughts of Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. She looks to be as comfortable as she could be in a difficult situation.

https://magnacartaembroidery.com

Comments are welcome.

Tomorrow:  One final episode which is an update on the Bayeux Tapestry.

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February 10, 2018 by Ann Bernard

MAGNA CARTA (AN EMBROIDERY) with thanks to information on Wikipedia

Moving to more recent times, the Magna Carta (an Embroidery) commemorates the 800th Anniversary of the signing of this document by King John and the Barons. It is the charter of rights and freedoms and formed the base of the Constitution of England and many other countries,

Magna Carta (An Embroidery) is a 2015 work by English installation artist Cornelia Parker.

The artwork is an embroidered representation of the complete text and images of an online encyclopedia article for Magna Carta, as it appeared in English Wikipedia on 15 June 2014, the 799th anniversary of the document.

The making of and, the finished Embroidery, watch this video:

Magna_Carta_An_Embroidery.ogv

This is an introductory and very complete view of the Embroidery. And, it is fascinating.

The hand-stitched embroidery is 1.5 metres wide and nearly 13 metres long. It is a response to the legacy of Magna Carta in the digital era and Parker has referred to it as “a snapshot of where the debate is right now”, the result of all open edits by English Wikipedians up to that date.

It was commissioned by the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford in partnership with the British Library, after being chosen from proposals from a shortlist of artists in February 2014.

Cornelia Parker used a screenshot from the 15 June 2014 English Wikipedia article for Magna Carta and printed it onto fabric.

To read this article on line, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

Like English Wikipedia, the embroidery was created through the collaboration of many individuals.

It was divided into 87 sections and sent to 200 individuals who each hand-stitched portions of the artwork. Cornelia Parker sought the collaboration of people and groups that have been affected by and associated with Magna Carta.

The bulk of the text of the Wikipedia page has been embroidered in various prisons by inmates under the supervision of Fine Cell Work, a asocial enterprise that trains prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework. https://finecellwork.co.uk

The detailed pictures, emblems and logos that punctuate the text have been fashioned by highly accomplished members of the Embroiderers’ Guild, a national charity that promotes and encourages the art of embroidery and related crafts, alongside embroiderers from the Royal School of Needlework and the leading embroidery company Hand & Lock.

Enjoy a post from the past

  • Welcome to my new web site.
    Dear Readers, After a long rest from blogging, Stitching Idyllic is now alive again and has a new home at …

At least one embroiderer was selected from each region of the UK. Many celebrities and public figures also contributed, stitching phrases or words of special significance to them.

Cornelia Parker has represented the work as “echoing the communal activity that resulted in the Bayeux Tapestry but on this occasion placing more emphasis on the word rather than the image, I wanted to create an artwork that is a contemporary interpretation of Magna Carta.”

This piece of or nué embroidery is part of the Cornelia Parker installation. The lady who stitched this is featured in the first video.

It is difficult and time consuming to stitch this technique.

Tomorrow: The Magna Carta Panels.

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February 9, 2018 by Ann Bernard

The Hastings Embroidery.

For those who are unaware of this national treasure, here are some facts:

The Hastings Embroidery was commissioned by Group Captain Ralph Ward, or, the County Borough of Hastings. It was made by the Royal School of Needlework in 1965 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1966. It consists of 27 panels, each 9′ – 3′ and shows 81 great events in British history that occurred during the 900 years between 1066 and 1966. It took 22 embroiderers 10 months to complete.

This is the first panel and shows King William being crowned at Westminster Abbey. Crowd control was necessary as the Saxon inhabitants were not happy with his take over of England. He built a lot of castles/fortresses including the Tower of London.

The Hastings Embroidery was stitched before the Overlord Embroidery  (1968-69 -70 approx), and is also worked in applique. It uses antique fabrics, modern fabrics, cord, thread, leather and some feathers contributed by the parrots at the London Zoo. I have no information on the designer. It is bright/vivid/colourful and vibrant.

It was given to the town/city of Hastings who currently have two panels on display in the Town Hall. The first picture above is one of these.

Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales

This enormous historical embroidery needs to be displayed in a building that is climate controlled such as the one in which the Bayeux Tapestry is displayed. The Overlord will also be displayed in a climate controlled environment when the Portsmouth Museum reopens the gallery later in 2018.

Hastings says that it is unable to afford a suitable building for this and has been saying so for the last 52 years.

In reality, this is a National Treasure and should be hung in an environment that is part of the British National Heritage. I am thinking of London Museums such as the Victoria and Albert or the British Museum. Maybe there is a suitable venue for it in Windsor? Is there space in Hampton Court Palace which is also the location of the Royal School of Needlework.

Or, could a new building be located in the area of Hastings or Battle become its permanent home.

It is a dramatic and a graphic lesson on British History.

The Hundred Years War.

It would make a wonderful history teaching book both in the Coffee Table size and for School Libraries. For a publishing company, it would be a great marketing tool and some profits could go to helping establish a permanent home for the panels.  With young people already aware of the existence of these panels, it would be on the worthwhile outings list for every school.

Think about it world.

This is a national responsibility.  It is a shame that it remains in storage (apparently in London) rather that being available for the public to see  and enjoy. Maybe the upside of this is that it is stored in a climate controlled space and is not suffering deterioration.

King Henry VIII welcoming the King of France.

One of the final panels is of Sir Winston Churchill on the White Cliffs of Dover.  This makes it a continuous narrative with the Overlord Embroidery. His right hand is making his famous salute and his left hand  holds a cigar.

Enjoy a post from the past

  • The Country Wife Mural 3
    The ladies choir is in full voice.  Look at their faces, their expressions, their hats and their clothes.  Fabric was …

The photos are screen shots. My apologies for the poor quality which do not do justice to the originals.

A 45 minute film of the complete Hastings embroidery can be viewed at The Hastings Embroidery – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZbfbDvoEa8. It is worth the time to view it.

Feel free to forward the link to this series to friends and other interested persons.

Tomorrow:   The Magna Carta.

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February 9, 2018 by Ann Bernard

More recent news on the Bayeux Tapestry’s

Inevitably, there have been thoughts on why the Bayeux Tapestry finishes so abruptly with the death of King Harold on the battlefield of Hastings. It is thought that 8′ –10′ of the Tapestry were not completed. The ladies of the Channel Island of Alderney have created a four foot panel showing the finale to the Bayeux Tapestry. It was completed in 2013 and has been shown with the original tapestry in Bayeux.

Just finished!  You can see it all in this picture.

Lots of people had a chance to add a stitch or two and enjoyed the experience.  As you can see – because of its width, the top half had to be stitched upside-down.

The children were encouraged to add some stitches too.

The far right edge is finished with the same design as was used at the left hand edge of the Bayeux Tapestry.

It was a Community Project.

To see more go to ‘The Alderney Bayeux Tapestry Finale’ where you will find lots more information.

Reading Museum and their Bayeux Tapestry

The Victorian full scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry is on view at the Reading Museum. Creating it was the idea of Elizabeth Wardle of the Leek Embroidery Society. They thought that Britain should have its own Bayeux Tapestry. Sir Thomas Wardle, the developer of silk dyes, produced yarns to match the original shades of wool. 35 ladies, all well practiced stitchers, took one year to complete the project. It is a true replica except for a discreet concealment of some of the anatomy in the original.

The truth of the matter is that they used the hand coloured photographs of the Bayeux Tapestry owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum as their design source. Some of the printing had got a bit blurred, or, edited. I remember viewing this copy in the V and A in the early 1950s. I knew nothing about the Bayeux Tapestry at the time but was fascinated to roll the paper copy back and forth on its rollers. Age is a great corrector of ignorance. It is such a good likeness to the original that I have no photos to show you that would be different in anyway.

http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk

You will find more about Sir Thomas and Elizabeth Wardle and the development of dying silk earlier in Stitching Idyllic blog.

Andy Wilkinson

Meet Andy Wilkinson who is a history buff. Without any experience of drawing or sewing, he started on a 2:1 scale version of the Bayeux Tapestry. He is a London Underground engineer and a member of historical re-enactment groups. As of 2013, he had been working on it for 18 years, At that time it was 40′ in length. The original Bayeux Tapestry is 230′ long. More information can be found at the contact below.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305699/History-fanatic-spends-18-YEARS-hand-stitching-version-Bayeux-Tapestry-40ft-long.html#ixzz535XPoCDf

Enjoy a post from the past

  • Leaves to Love: Part 1
    Barbara Lee Johnson was a participant in the Creative Use of Stitches class in Guelph, Canada. She chose to use …

Ray Dugan

Ray Dugan is a retired Professor of the University of Waterloo in Kitchener, Ontario. He has stitched a full scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. He brought it to our Guild a few years ago and we were impressed with his workmanship as well as the enormous task he had undertaken.

Included here is a panel from his embroidery.  I chose a battle scene from the several he sent me. Please note his stitching skill.

Having raised the question about artist/designer differences pause and take a good look at this one.

What do you think?

It has been shown in many places including St The Evangelist Anglican Church in Kitchener. It’s permanent home is with Ray Dugan.

To read more, go to  http://dugansbayeuxtapestry.com

Tomorrow: Really will be The Hastings Embroidery.

It is another monumental piece of embroidery, and, it is an unknown National Treasure.

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