“The Making of the Bayeux Tapestry” is an extensive article on History Extra, the website for BBC History Magazine and BBC World Histories Magazine.
The article, which is written in a question & answer format interviewing Alexandra Lester-Makin, PhD Medieval Embroidery and professional embroiderer, answers all kinds of questions about the tapestry, from how it was made and who made it to what the future holds for the tapestry
It’s a thoroughly insightful article, more so than the brief glimpses that have surfaced in the news over the proposed visit of the tapestry to the UK.
Mary Corbet of Needle N’ Thread posted information on this article a few days ago. I thought that you would be interested in hearing the latest research. There are answers to questions in the article that have never crossed my mind.
It is easier for you to connect with the original article than for me to reprint it here. It is fascinating reading being full of information about and explanations on what really happened in Europe and England in the centuries after the Romans left and William invaded in 1066. There was definitely lots of action.
Of interest to those who make large, and even larger embroideries, creating it in sections and joining them is as old as the Bayeux Tapestry. (Maybe even older!) Section joins are specifically located so that they are concealed by action which detracts the eye from a fabric seam. It requires planning and organization for this to happen. This article postulates that the Bayeux Tapestry was designed and planned by professionals and stitched in a workshop environment for this to happen.
The Stamford Bridge Embroidery is using this method. It was used in the making of the Toronto Historical Embroidery. This large embroidery is at least 40 years old and is in impeccable condition.
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