I study Classics and Archaeology at school so the study of burial practices is really important to my field because they’re the best preserved form of material culture that remains for us of ancient peoples and their society. Burials are how people respect and remember their ancestors so studying how they chose to bury their dead allows us to learn about what sorts of things ancient people valued.

This is a creative comparison project between the three main burial practices of Bronze Age Greece. I had the option to pick between writing an essay or a creative project so the choice was an easy one.   hahaha!

(Just thought I would include a little explanation there so it doesn’t seem quite so morbid to stitch skeletons).

Grandma Marlene tells me that the professor was very happy with the creative media you chose for this subject.

Chloe’s introduction to stitching was a few years ago through Hand Stitch Recognizable Spring Flowers.  As you will see from the examples of her work, spring flowers is not exactly her choice of subject.  She took the information and used it in her own way.  Which is wonderful!  I totally approve of her individual creativity.  Here are some more examples of her work.

The subject matter of these pieces are all very different.  The last one is an animal skull (I think) which is unusual subject for stitching.

Congratulations Chloe.  Your work is different and refreshing.  Best wishes to you from myself and the readers of this blog.  I hope that they will send in comments so that I can relay them to you.

To give you more of an idea on content, here are two examples of the many individual plants and flowers that are included in this ebook.  After these, you will find the books’  Contents List.  Enjoy!

If you have started reading this book here at Daffodils, you have cheated yourself out of a wealth of information.  The earlier sections include the ‘tricks of the trade’. This is a short cut to being an experienced stitcher without spending years to actually become one.

Daffodils

The bright yellow of King Alfred Daffodils makes them the most familiar variety of the daffodils. As our goal is to create plants and flowers that are instantly recognizable, we will stitch bright yellow daffodils. Note that a daffodil has long straight leaves and stalks, and that the flowers have six petals and a trumpet. We will stitch them frontal view for now. Later, we will return to daffodils and add curved and bent leaves and the flowers in side view. See Basic stitches for stitching techniques.

Green: 320, 987, 989, 895. Yellow: 444, or 307, or 973. Gold: 972.

Leaves and Stalks (fig. 1 below): Use 2 threads each of 320 and 987 and 1 thread each of 989 and 895. These 6 threads of green are now stranded and mixed and make a blend of greens more like daffodil leaves and stalks than any one of them would be if used on its own. Stitch a few Straight stitches to indicate some stalks. The stalks need to be in proportion to the flowers and are about 1″ long in the sample pictured below. Start in the centre and stitch stalks first towards one side and then stitch the other side. Take the short cut between the stalks on the reverse of the fabric as in the diagram (this is the procedure for all the stalks for every plant). Store that thread by bringing it to the front of the fabric a short distance away.

Refer to Basic Stitches for directions and stitched examples for daffodil stalks, leaves and flowers.

Flowers : Four threads of any of the yellow threads, stranded but unmixed, to stitch the flowers.

Triangle Stitch: Stitch the inside triangle first with stitches about ¼” long (Fig. 2). Add the second and third triangles outside the first one (Fig. 3). Overstitch a Reverse Triangle the same size as the last triangle (Fig. 4). Note that the points of the reverse triangles are midway along the sides of the first triangles. Increase or decrease the number of the triangles to alter the size of the flower.

(Overstitch – stitch on top of previous stitching). Stitch a few flowers at the top of the stalks (Fig. 6). Store that thread and retrieve the green one. Add some more stalks to your plant or group of plants. Then, retrieve the yellow thread and add more flowers. Continue until you have enough flowers to please you. Using the same green thread, add more Straight stitches to fill out the plant with leaves. The leaves of daffodils grow taller than the flowers. Add a few short Straight stitches above the flowers to indicate this. Add more Straight stitches to fill out the plant with leaves.

These diagrams make stitching Daffodils look difficult. It is not. Just place Straight stitches as indicated and you will have no problem. It does take a little practice to make the flower the size and shape you wish, but that is why you have tried them first on your sampler.

Centres: Gold 972 using 1 or 2 threads.

Overstitch a small reverse triangle in gold thread for the trumpet of the daffodil (Fig. 5). You can stitch them as diagrammed here or look at the flowers on the cover photo for an alternative. Your sampler does not have to be a completed work of art. Stitch enough of each plant and flower so that you know how the stitches work, the length of stalks and leaves, how the flowers are created, and how their size can be altered.

Once you know this flower, move on to the next plant, Narcissi.

Magnolia Blossom

Ancestors of the magnolia tree have been on earth for millions of years. They even predate bees and were pollinated by beetles, which continues to this day. They can live for 100 years and are popular almost everywhere for their blossom, perfume, and shade. They are shallow rooters and can be relocated if they are not too old. The opportunity to do the research on all these plants and trees has been one of the pleasures of this enterprise.

Trunk and branches: Follow the directions for bare trees and branches including the thread numbers.

Blossoms: Cream 746, 3865. Pink 3350.

Place magnolia buds on the branches using Detached Chain stitches, making sure that the buds connect with the branches. Some of the buds can be a little crooked as you can see. The dark pink part of the bud is a short Straight stitch entirely within the Chain stitch or a longer one that overstitches the catch stitch and connects the bud to the branch. Refer to Basic Stitches for more information on this.

Mix the 2 shades of cream thread together to form a blend consisting of 3 threads. Place Detached Chain stitches on the branches of the tree using that cream thread. The catch stitch should blend with the branch or twig. Using a short Straight stitch, place a dark pink stitch (3 threads) within the cream stitch. Alternatively, place the Straight stitch so that it fills the central space and also overstitches the catch stitch. Refer to Basic Stitches, item 6.

CONTENTS

Preparation is Important
Pages 1 – 18
Supply list,  Fabric Preparation, Straight of grain, Bonding front and backing fabric together.
Frames and mounting fabric on a frame, Tools, Threads: Stranding, Mixing and Saving,
Needles, Threading the needle, Knots, Starting and finishing threads.
Tips for tightening fabric tension and supporting the frame on a table.

Stitches: Basic and Adapted and The Essential Sampler      
Pages 19 – 28
Straight stitch, French Knots, Detached Chain stitch and Buttonhole stitch.

The Essential Sampler.
Growing  Spring Flowers
Pages 29 – 72
Daffodils, Narcissi, Snowdrops, Crocus, Muscari or Grape Hyacinths,
Bluebells, Tulips, Iris – Tall, Dwarf Iris, Forget-me-nots, Hyacinths, Aconites,
Primulas, English Primrose, Star of Bethlehem, Pasque Flower or Prairie Crocus,
Crown Imperial Fritillaria, Dandelions, Daffodils side view, Concealed stitching,
Forsythia Hedge or Bush.

Trees: Bare Branches, Distorted Straight stitch, Blossom Trees, Magnolia Blossom.
Planning and Stitching Your Garden or How to Get There From Here
Pages 73 – 86
Planning Your Garden, Stitching Your Garden, Helpful hints, Broiderers Gardens,
Finished but Dissatisfied,  Learning goals You Have Achieved,
One is never too young to start stitching.

Suggestions for other Projects and More  Gardens            Pages 87 – 100
Name Tags, Artist Trading Cards, One Black Sheep, Happy Valentines Day,
Greeting Cards, More Gardens, Mobile Phone Covers.

The Cover Story: Come Stitch with Me                                         Pages 101 – 110
Planning, colours, part finished, changing plans and completed.

Mounting your Stitching on Foam Core Board
Pages 111 – 118
Removing staples and thumb tacks, Cutting the board, Covering with felt, Centreing, Lacing,
Mitreing the corners and completing, Framing.

Finally!
Pages 119 – 126
Research needed for other plants, Charts, colours, threads, Other Fabrics for Backgrounds, Teachers and Group  Leaders                           

Charts
Pages 127 – 135
Thread Colour Conversion Chart  Blank Planning Chart,
Completed Planning Chart for Daffodils.

Here is a comment from Jeri Ames referring to post 5.  Thank you Jeri.

If you cannot resist the urge (smile!), have the time (smile!) and want to learn glove-making (smile!), a book to locate that probably is out-of-print is: “How to Make Gloves – Step-by-Step Instructions for Beginners”, by Eunice Close, published by Charles T. Branford Company, Boston, 1950.  Close also wrote “Lace Making”, published by John Gifford, London, 1970.

To continue;

In the centre foreground are two more children,  The little girl has her hair in pigtails and appears to have a lace trimmed petticoat under her checked fabric skirt.  The little boy has a hobbyhorse.  Right behind the children is a hand operated sewing machine.

Finally, here are the family pets.  Notice how effectively the contours of the Siamese cat’s body are indicated with two lines of running stitches down his back.  This, and straight stitch  are useful embroidery stitches. Both are easy and infinitely adaptable.

The family Dacshound is another vivid portrayal of an animal. I wonder why a this breed of dog is featured instead of a sheep dog for instance.  Both these pets are more ornamental than are the women in the mural.  The portrayal of a metal chair or, is it a dog bed, to the right of the dog is worth looking at carefully.

These two last photos are better quality as they focus on a much smaller area.  The details indicated in the background add to the depth and the interest.  They also gives perspective and realism.  One does not notice them unless one looks really carefully at each cameo included in this huge piece of embroidery.

Finally, here is the entire mural again so that you can see how the sections fit together.  The skills featured were those used by the members of the Women’s Institute who have been the custodians of the mural for the last 60 years.  It is now in need of essential restoration.  It is a cameo of country life in the 1940s and earlier which makes it a historical record in 2018 and for future generations.

The designer, Constance Howard, was a textile artist teaching at Goldsmith’s College. She and her students were asked to create a mural that would extol the traditional skills of women.  They created a 3 Dimensional panel sized 4.5 metres x 5 metres (15 feet x 16.5 feet) approximately. It was so large that it was made in sections which were assembled on site.  It is also chock full of items and details that deserve a closer look.

To repeat, my contention is that Constance Howard, by designing this mural, started the movement of creating large textiles that record the history of peoples, places and history.  She was definitely innovative in textile design and the use if items such as wire, bark, tin cans which were prevalent in the decades following the creation of this mural.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Country Wife project in any way should contact Wendy Hickson at the National Needlework Archive, preferably by email: countrywife@live.co.uk

I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter on Embroideries that Record History.  If you know of a historical embroidery that could/should be included in this record, please contact me at ann@annbernard,com

The photos need to be of good quality and there should be both technical and historical information for it to be interesting to readers.

………………………………

I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter on Embroideries that Record History.  If you know of one that could/should be included in this record, please contact me at ann@annbernard.com

The photos need to be of good quality and there should be both technical and historical information for it to be interesting to readers.

In the front and centre are this little boy and girl with their toys which are a hobby horse and a doll.  Behind them is a sewing machine which looks to me to be a non electric model.

Each little section contains so much detail.  It must have been both fun and challenging to create it.

This lady is darning socks which has got to have been one of that era’s most time consuming activity for women.  By then, commercially made socks would have been at least ten years old and would have been mended many times.  Women knitted socks, gloves and pullovers all through the war years.  My grandmother and her sister knitted all day every day of the week making warm clothing for service men.  The number of sweaters they made ran into the hundreds.

The slim young girl has her hair in bunches

This lady is making bobbin lace.  She looks so calm but preoccupied which is realisti

The faces of the ladies are each so individual.  Age and personality are well portrayed.  This is in addition to the specific style of portraying faces that was developed by Constance Howard.  I would love to see a close up of one of them.

If you would like to be involved in this restoration project or make a financial contribution to the costs of the large undertaking, please contact Wendy Hickson at the National Needlework Archive.  She would prefer that you email her at countrywife@live.co.uk

These last cameos are of the cat and the dog.

They were both photographed individually and you can see the detail more clearly.  The eyes of the cat are so lifelike and I am impressed with the effect two lines of running stitch down her back.

I hope that you have enjoyed a photo tour of this iconic piece of textile art designed by Constance Howard.  She brought contemporary design to hand and to machine embroidery.  There have since been decades of innovative design and experimenting with new materials and threads.  I think that at this time, 60 years after this mural was created, that traditional and contemporary design coexist and we are able to enjoy both of them.

The centre of the mural is very busy.  I imagine that it is a weekday afternoon and the ladies of the Women’s Institute are gathered in the Church Hall where they will enjoy each others company, catch up on the  news, discuss topics of interest while all the time, keeping their hands busy and being productive.  I do not see any signs of tea but it will happen at the right time.

The lady on the left wearing the brown hat is knitting. Moving to the right, the next lady is tatting.  This was a popular activity around 1950.  Everyone was doing it including myself and I still have a shuttle in my tool box.  I do not think that I remember how to make the double knot stitches.  The lady with the fly-away hair is making leather gloves which was not as popular as tatting but more useful.  The next lady is making slippers or shoes which was something else many women knew how to do.

In the centre of the table is a smart pink blouse.  This was made by Mary  Quant who was  a student at Goldsmiths College at the time.  She went on to fame and fortune as the designer and founder of Mini-Skirts.

I do not know what the lady in the dark red top is working on. Maybe it is she who is making the shoes.  The next lady appears to be doing some dressmaking and the last lady at the table is crocheting.

The two ladies on the right might be making curtains. Despite 60 years passing by, there are people who continue to use the skills featured in this mural.  In fact, there has been a resurgence of many traditional skills.  I am thinking of hedge laying.  Churches and historical buildings have needed repairs and restoration and the old skills and trades have been resurrected because they have been needed.  The richness of talent out there is wonderful.  The skills are also being used in new and innovative ways.

The figures on the right hand side of the mural add more skills that were usual in country life.  The little girl, and my younger sister, has her hair in bunches which was fashionable for that time.   She is operating a marionette.  The lady in the front is making lace.  I find that the maid to be unusual for that time but maybe she is not a maid.

The next and final chapter will feature the foreground.  The children and the pets can be seen in more detail as they are smaller and easier to photograph.

The central area of the Country Wife Mural appears to be inside a Church Hall judging by the shape of the windows.  It is well lit and the ladies of the Women’s Institute are occupied with the skills that were normal activities for them.

Restoration of the mural is progressing.  The picture below gives us a better idea of the size of the figures and how they are 3 dimensional.  After 60 years, the mural needs cleaning and repairing.  This is being undertaken at the Old Chapel Textile Centre, Main Street, Greenham Business Park in Newbury. Professional Conservators are involved but experienced needlework volunteers are welcome to  participate.  This is a great chance to involved in an important project.  Their website is below.

www.nationalneedleworkarchive.org.uk/country-wife-mural.html

The red dress above is also in the forefront of the restoration picture and gives an idea of the size of the figures.  Although the mural was designed by Constance Howard and constructed by her and her students at Goldsmiths College, the Women’s Institute members provided  examples of the activities in which they were skilled.   Here, you can see embroidery in a hoop and canvas work being stitched loose in the hand.  The lady in the blue and green check dress has a tape measure round her neck.  The mural is full of details that one can miss unless one looks at it closely.

Included is a better view of the lady in the red dress.  Apologies again for the quality of the photos which are screen shots of screen shots.

P.S. Constance Howard taught at Embroiderer’s Association of Canada Seminar in St Johns, Newfoundland in 1984. I think it was that year.  Did a reader of this blog attend Seminar that year? I was not in her class but I have some vivid memories of that week. It was May and it snowed. The University opened up the underground tunnels for us to go from one building to another as we had not come prepared for snow. We had a magnificent lobster dinner one night. A few of us took a side trip to St Pierre and Miquelon Islands. The weather was still un-seasonal and we could not get back to St Johns by boat so we flew out on a 9 seater plane. I got to sit in the co-pilots chair and the co-pilot got left behind on the island. It was days later before it occurred to me that could have been a very responsible chair to sit in. Constance went on to teach in London, Ontario.

The ladies choir is in full voice.  Look at their faces, their expressions, their hats and their clothes.  Fabric was in short supply in those post war years so that it is possible that the different fabrics came from available stashes.  Make do and mend was still prevalent at the time.  Note the shoes and the different leg shapes.  The lady in the pink dress is wearing stockings that are not her skin colour.  I do not know how tall these ladies in the mural are.  I have a lot more questions than I have answers.

The group of ladies on the right hand side of the mural are different to the choir ladies.  They seem to be a little younger and are dressed differently.  The conductor? is a man but do not know what this group are doing.  The two younger ladies are not wearing hats.

Another cameo from the left hand side of the mural.  This appears to be a scene from a kitchen with Grandma and a young child.  But I am not sure what the young lady is doing.  There is a fish (Dover Sole or Plaice?) in this area of the mural that was attached to the background with Velcro.  During the Festival, the fish disappeared several times and had to be replaced.  Judging by her facial expression, the young lady is absorbed in her activity.  We will meet the cat again later.

The central area in the Church or Village Hall is well lit and much easier to see details.  This is the next blog entry and is where the action is.

Please send me comments and memories of Constance Howard.  She was very influential in the textile world and her design style was unique.  Note the shape and structure of the faces in this mural.  The facial expressions of the ladies are both graphic and full of character.  The mural is undergoing restoration at this time so it is not possible to go somewhere and see it.  It is possible to become involved either as a stitcher or a financial donor, or both.  There will be more information on this in another posting.

Starting at the top left hand corner of the Country Wife, the area is dark but, not empty.  It would seem to show women working in the garden.  It is unusual in my mind to have a dark area at the top of a piece of work but it works well here in that it does not detract from the central and well lit areas.  To the right of the garden is the village with the church, gravestones, and a barn in weathered wood.  The houses look large and grand.  The large tent would appear to feature a flower show.

The top right area is equally dark.  The church spire is included again for continuity.  There are more houses in the village plus farm animals and a horse jumping.  Maybe it is an orchard and the fruit is being gathered.   Although these areas contain a lot of detail they are still background for the main areas below.  I do not know what activity is happening in the second tent.  I look forward to a reply telling what is happening in this tent.

Included is another picture of the total mural so that you can place these sections in context.

The rest of the detail of the mural is much easier to see.

These photos are all screen shots, of screen shots, which affects the quality and the clarity of the pictures.  My apologies for this but it is the best option available to me.

There is a lot more to see in this huge mural.
Postscript: What I am always hoping for, has actually happened.  A reader has sent me extra information to share with you. Constance Howard visited with Peggy and Bernard Kimble at their home on Vancouver Island in 1989. This is a photo taken during that visit. Peggy is on the right and Constance, on the left. (You are not imagining it, Constance really did have green hair. It was that colour long before hair colouring became popular.)

Those of you who read the Inspirations weekly Newsletter, will be familiar with the wonderful embroidery that Peggy has stitched. Visiting her home in Thornbury, Ontario, is a visit to a sumptuous textile gallery.  Peggy has also visited Constance in England and remembers The Country Wife well.

“It was impressive.”  Peggy says.

Constance Howard visited Canada many times. She taught at Embroiderer’s Association of Canada Seminar and at the Canadian Embroiderer’s Guild, London, Ontario.  I hope that further details/anecdotes will be sent to me so that they can be included here. These six segments about The Country Wife Mural are really a tribute to her.  Researching for information about her career, pictures of the textiles she designed, and her life brought up very little information.  This would be a good research project for a thesis.

The Festival of Britain happened in the summer of 1951.  It was initiated  by the Labour government to showcase Britain’s industries, arts and science.  It featured the inventiveness and genius of British scientists and technologists.  Another goal was to boost the morale of the British people and to give a message of recovery to those living in the depressing post WW ll years.  Food was still scarce and it was cold.  We had some extreme weather winters in those post war years.  Many cities staged their own Festivals that summer creating jobs, entertainment and excitement.  Many overseas visitors came.  It was an opportunity to enjoy life again.  The Festival was a big success.

It was held on the south bank of the River Thames in an area that had suffered bomb damage and was slated for clearance and redevelopment.  The architecture and the layout were contemporary.  Today. the only remaining building is the Royal Festival Hall.  It was also the centenary of the the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Movies of the event show men wearing suits and ties and, women in dresses and hats touring the exhibits.  Nostalgia aside, it also looks formal and uncomfortable.  Those were the days when one dressed up to travel.  There  are several videos of the event on Google.  I found them interesting to watch as each one is quite different.

Historical background is now completed.

Constance Howard, the textile artist was teaching at Goldsmith’s College. She and her students were asked to create a mural that would extol the traditional skills of women.  They created a 3 Dimensional panel sized 4.5 metres x 5 metres (15 feet x 16.5 feet) approximately. It was so large that it was made in sections which were assembled on site.  It is also chock full of items and details that deserve a closer look.

I am including it now as it is my contention is that Constance Howard initiated the whole current movement of Embroideries that Record History with this textile mural.  That is, excluding the Bayeux Tapestry which preceded it by many hundreds of years.   Looking at dates, everything else that has been included in this series of blogs has been stitched later than The Country Wife.  It is not available for viewing at the moment as it is undergoing extensive restoration.  Thanks to computer technology, we can take an “up close” tour of mural.  I have not had the opportunity to see many of the historical embroideries that have been created in the ensuing years but in its concept and the techniques used, I think that this one is unique.

I would be delighted to hear from readers who have any knowledge of the mural and its restoration.   Maybe, we will hear from a stitcher who was part of its creation.  Perhaps a member of your family worked on it and you have heard all about its creation.  It would be wonderful to hear from you and be able to share more information than is available online.

Summer must be fading for you with the late summer flowers and harvesting in progress.  To be seasonal for you, I am sending you the instructions for Purple Coneflowers from Hand Stitch Recognizable Summer Flowers.  The book contains many different flowers and plants as well as different ideas for backgrounds.  When you ‘take a peek’ inside the book (to be included on this site very soon), you will see how many and what a variety there are.  Dandelions are included in both Spring and Summer Flowers as they are universal.

I think they are fun but not everyone agrees.

Purple Coneflower

The Purple Coneflower grows in clumps and reaches a height between 2′ and 4′. It blooms from mid summer into the autumn. Each flower opens with pink/purple petals and a flat centre similar to a Shasta Daisy. As the flower ages and the seeds in the centre ripen, the petals droop down to become vertical and the centre becomes larger and domed, eventually becoming cone shaped. One plant can have flowers in different stages of development. The birds and bees love this plant.

It is important to use the correct DMC thread colours to achieve a plant and flowers that are obviously Purple Coneflowers. Clarks or Finca threads can be substituted.  Refer to a Thread Conversion Chart to identify the correct thread numbers. Remember to strand your threads; it makes a huge and improved difference to the appearance of your stitching.

Stalks: Green 987(6).

Leaves: Green 702 (2) + 988 (1) + 987 (1) = 4.

Petals: Pink 3609 (2), 3608 (3), 3607 (1). Explained in Petal directions.

Centres: Brown 433 (1) + 938 (1) = 2. Orange 721 (1 doubled in the needle) = 2.

Stalks: Using long Straight stitch for some stalks.  Indicate the  centres of each of the flowers with a small Cross stitch in either of the two brown threads.

Petals: Stitch a few Straight stitch petals in each bloom using 3609 (2). Add more petals using 3608 (3).

Note that the petals are uneven in length and that they are darker towards the centre of the flower. Overstitch the base of the petals with one thread of 3607.

Centres: 433 (1) + 938 (1) + 721 (1) = 3. Overstitch a few horizontal Straight stitches across the central brown Cross stitch. Using 721 (1) doubled in the needle = 2, overstitch a few French Knots on the centres using a fine needle for this such as a Crewel 9 or 10.

Stitched size is 2″ wide x 2 1/4″ high.

Leaves: 702 (2) + 987 (1) + 988 (1) = 4. Detached Chain stitch with the catch stitch towards the stalks of the plant. The upper leaves are stitched with 702 (2) + 988 (1) = 3. The foliage on this plant is fairly dense with the leaves being an oval with a point at the tip of the leaf. The angles of the leaves vary considerably.

Briarwood Garden, stitched by Janet Sunderani

(original is 6 1/2″ x 5 1/2)

Wishing you happy stitching and a very Happy Easter.