I started the day by half an hour of driving lessons. Adam is getting pissed at me that I still don't have my licence and they I wasn't even taking lessons, so I bit the bullet. I think I remembered everything from the last time I was practising. I spent half an hour driving around my suburb, lots of stopping and starting. Didn't bunny hop the car once. Definately getting the hang of the whole gear changing thing.

With that out of the way I sat down for roughly six hours of stitching on the Masters Device I am working on. Got all the fiddley white lillies done. All I need to do now is the green background. Hopefully, I can get it done by this weekend, then I will have finished all the Guild stuff I have volunteered for and I can start working on my own stuff.

This is progress at 10hrs total.

Today was National Scrapbook Day. This was a day started several years ago by Creative Memories. They are a party plan that sells scrapbook stuff. I used to be a consultant for them but because I never had any customers, it was costing me too much money to keep up with the minium orders. Anyway, NSD has spread to the wider scrapbook community and it is basically another reason to get together and scrap.

I was picked up by a consultant who lives in the same suburb as me and we headed to the club. Nice small club, not too busy. The tables were all set out, including our goody bags. There is always a theme for NSD and CM put out special packs of merchandise for consultants to give away. They were quite cute this year. Very pastel.

I managed to get 8 pages (12x12) done. I would've done more but I ran out of black paper. Being the naughty person that I am, I don't always use CM stuff, I am the Contraband Queen!! So I got 6 pages of wrestling photos done and 2 pages of SCA stuff. I am keen to do more but I have embroidery that I need to get finished by next weekend.

Well, looks like we had some problems with the links to medieval German embroideries that I posted yesterday. So I have deleted them and will put them back up once I can get the links working properly. Sorry for the inconvenience.

And some more extant examples:

• Heraldic Badge, 15th C
  
• Whitework Antependium, 13th C
• Whitework Hanging, 13th C
• Whitework Hanging, 13th C
• Whitework with Lattice, 13th C
  
• Church Heraldic Wallhanging, 14th C
• Heraldic Hanging with Animals, 14th C
• Whitework Hanging - Passion of Christ, 14th C
• Tristan Hanging, 14th C
• Prophet Hanging Fragment, 14th C
  
• Fragment of a Tristan Hanging, 14th C
• Hanging, 14th C
• Antependium, 14th C
• Antependium Detail, 14th C
• Tristan Hanging III, 14th C
  
• The Thomas Hanging, 14th C
• Border Fragment with Heraldic Elements, 15th C
• Border Fragmenet with Star of David?, 15th C
• Jagd Hanging, 15th C
• Jagd Hanging II, 15th C
• Speculum Hanging, 15th C
• Mitre, 15th C
  

For more, visit: Historical Needlework Resources.

Here are some things that I have found today:

• Embroidered English Shirt c.1600-1620
• Italian Pillow or Bag 16thC - Holbein Stitch
• Italian Pillow Case, 16th C - blackwork
• Italian Panel Fragment, 16th C - Holbein Stitch and voided work
• Italian Border Fragment, 16th C
  
• Polychrome English Smock, 16th C
• Embroidered Venetian Needlecase, 16th C (more images)
  
• Embroidered Portrait of Elizabeth I, 16th C
• A Portrait with Embroidered Cover, 16th C
• Sweetbag, 16th C
  

Looks like the V and A have just done another update. Search the site for the following:

V and A website - http://images.vam.ac.uk/

* T.17-1957 - sweetbag (16th C English)
* T.92-1969 - Icon Panel (14th C Venice)
* T.141-1969 - altar frontal (16th C Spain)
* 673-1864 - Clare Chasuble (13th C English)
* 225-1893 - sleeve - beading and couching - (16th C English)

I am getting soft in my old age, here is one for the knitters (I know your out there!). Knitting Together is a site about the East Midlands knitting industry. It includes a brief history of the beginnings of knitting in Tudor times.

Common Threads is a partnership between the West Midlands Regional Museums Council and dataVista Ltd plus eight regional museums in the West Midlands. The project has captured digital content relating to costumes and textiles to make it available on the internet using a purpose designed, interface. There isn't a great deal there at the moment but there is an embroidered shirt that I haven't seen anywhere else before.

For those interested in historical textiles, it might be worth a visit to this site: Scottish Textiles Heritage Online. It has some great images and also texted based articles about most aspects of textiles history as it relates to Scotland. Mostly post-16th Century (bummer!).

Are you one of those people who are dangerous when bored? I am and I think I inherited it from my Dad. It was not unknown to come home from school to find a wall knocked out or a floor missing. But I have to say, there was always method to the maddness and all damage was fully repaired or project finished (not one of these guys who decides to renovate the bathroom, pulls everything out, then it stays that way for 6 years!!).

Anyway, I've been wanting to make a Central Asian Hat after seeing the finished product and instructions over at The Renaissance Tailor. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you can see why I got hooked, all that great embroidery. So anyway, I grabbed one of the old blankets I got at the Salvos recently. It was slightly the wrong colour, a bit too bright a yellow, but I figured it would be OK for a test run for the pattern size. It was a good fabric as well, since it was old and had fulled up quite alot. So I cut out the pattern in the wool and linen lining. I got basically the whole crown done in about two hours (with a fair bit of pfafing about). All I have to do now is put on the fur brim and decorate and I have a cool hat!

This is a very easy pattern to make up and if you want something modern, I've seen these made with polar fleece and just a turned up brim. You could knock one up in half and hour.

I did another couple of hours on the Masters Device last light. The split stitch takes a while when working with such fine thread but it does give a subtle but noticeable depth to the work. The phoenix in the middle is now finished. I plan on starting on the lilies tonight. Once they are done, I just have to fill in the green background.

Today was the Baroness's Birthday Tourney. I made some quiches last night for the pot luck lunch. There was an Arts and Sciences competition that I had to organise. And then I had to do some Lady in Waiting stuff. I took some embroidery to do but I never got to sit down. Except for a few minutes here and there when my back started to hurt. Everything went well, the fighting seemed to be over quickly.

Oh yeah, I hurt my back a few days ago. I then agrevated it by doing too much at the gym. The other night I was having trouble sleeping cause it hurt so much to lay down. But its much better today.

We went and saw Hellboy today. I like it when the Nazi's die. Not a bag film, a bit flat but another good story based on a comic. We went and grabbed some lunch at Charlestown Square and then Adam finally bit the bullet and we went clothes shoppping. You really would think it was a form of torture they way he carries on when I say he should buy clothes. We ended up with 2 short sleeve linen shirts, 1 long sleeve cotton and 1 long sleeve going out shirt. Next pay, jeans!!

I started a new project today, a Master's device for the WCOB banner. It will be done using the same technique as the previous device I did, that is split stitch, using single strand of Maderia silk. This is the progress at 2 hours.

First up, in the "oh if I was one of the obscenely rich" category, an embroidered portrait of Elizabeth I. Sold via Sothebys, with a pre-auction estimate of $12,000. Final price at fall of hammer? $155,000 USD

I especially like the details shown in the dress and the sleeves.

Another one for the super rich, this lovely portrait in an embroidered case. Lovely example of both clothing and handicrafts in this one item.

I love this delicate Venetian needlecase. I've never seen one embroidered like this before. Here is a detail of the flower on the side.

I found this while wondering the web. This site, Textile Arts of Central Asia, is a site at the Powerhouse Museum, set up to help Year 12 HSC (Higher School Certificate) students with their studies.

Another site, To Have and To Hold, is an exhibition by The New England Rug Society. This exhibition displays a large collection of Central Asian embroidered bags.

The following site also looks at bags from Central Asia - LAKAI The Bad Beys of Central Asia again looks at bags, while Turkoman Embroidery and Women's Magic looks at a variety of objects created by Turkoman women, it specifically looks at only a single element of their embroidery tradition, the protective and magical functions of embroidery in birth, childhood and marriage.

I spent about half an hour sewing the braid to the sheath (while watch Suzanne Balogh win Gold in the women's trap shooting!). So it is now officially finished! Yah! Just wish I hadn't lost the scissors. I will have to buy a replacement pair.

Did alot of cleaning in my room, a bit of reorganising. Still need to clean out some stuff, which I am thinkin of moving into the shed. It's stuff I don't need access to all the time, so it could happily live there.

In the evening I finally got around to doing the fingerloop braiding I needed to do for my Elizabethan scissor sheath. It took me about 2 hours to do. It wasn't as tight as I would have liked it but it will do the job. It's approx. 70cm long.

We went to the Woodworkers and Craft Show today. Lots of nice stuff. Lots more scrapbooking stuff this time. Found a place selling the Crop in Style paper tote. Gotta save up and get myself one of those!! Bought a moss green chalk stamp pad, some polish for my target arrows and a wooden bowl and plate, so hopefully I won't burn my fingers next Festival!!

After the show, we washed the car and went and had a nice lunch at Finnigans. Did a bit of cleaning up when we got home and a bit more handsewing on my tunic. I also managed to finish off the heraldic banner I was working on. I knew that the banner was too wide, so I cut a 4 inch strip of each side. I sewed along the edge to make a tube. Then turned inside out and ironed down. Each strip was then cut into three strips. These are going to be the hanging loops for the banner. I got some cheap backing material, pinned the loops in place and sewed it all together. I left a small hole at the bottom to turn the whole thing right side out. Ironed all the seams. There as some sagging so I sewed all the outside seams down, closing the hole at the bottom at the same time. This took another 3 hours. One banner is complete.

No more sewing on the banner. I have been doing the handsewing the finish the seams on my Anglo-Saxon wool tunic. The seams look much nicer when they are finished, but it's starting to hurt my fingers. However, I carry on because once the seams are finished, I get to put the embroidered collar onto the tunic. I also have to get the cuffs started.

I finished off the decoration on the banner last night (old gold cord around the sun rays). I sewed the banner into my slate frame to give me some support so that the lines would be easier to do. It didn't work very well. When I was doing the pearls around the rose design, I was able to put it into one of my quilting frames. But this wasn't quite big enough for the rays on the sun. I have another banner to do and I am seriously thinking of investing in a slightly bigger quilting frame to make that job easier. Anyway, all I have to do to finish the banner is to make some tabs for along the top for hanging and sewing a backing on. I will pick up the backing this weekend. Now to decide if I will do the other banner. I can probably get the work done in a couple of nights, which would mean both finished by the end of the weekend, which would be great. So yes, I will try and get the other one done by the weekend.

Sometimes here at work, there are a few different people who set up stalls in the courtyard in front of the Library where I work. There is a book guy, a jewellery guy and a couple of different people who do second hand cloths and blankets. I like the blankets, cause I can use them to make clothes for the SCA. Today I picked up a nice lightweight, cream single bed blanket and a heavyweight, fulled (almost felted) dusty rose pink blanket. I plan to use the cream for a tunic and the rose for a cloak. The cream one may be dyed at some stage, I was thinking a red variation. The cloak can just be cut out (half circle cloak) and some bold wool embroidery done on it.

Today we had a tourney on for my group, so I got to play dress ups. I don't drive, so I have to get the ferry and bus, then walk to where we have our events. I fair dinkum reckon that I would get less people staring at me if I was walking down the street naked!

Watched the tourney, did some more hand sewing on my wool tunic. Finishing the seams really does make a difference. Had a chat is Lucia about designs for the cloak she was embroidering.

When I got home, I started the banner I am making for the competition in a couple of weeks. I finished the background, murray and blue. Cut out the rose and sun motif, ironed onto the background. I then outlined the rose in pearls. Looking good. I will post some pics tomorrow. Got the rose done, just need to do the sun rays in cord.

We went and saw the Chronicles of Riddick today. I am a big fan of Pitch Black, the first Riddick movie. Some great horror elements with only a moderate amount of blood. A nice, intimate character study (as all good horror should be!). The sequal is very different - bigger budget, bigger effects bigger stars. Very similar to the difference between Alien and Aliens. Both movies work on their own terms and the sequals work because they don't try too hard to be the first movie, they use the first movie as a starting point and then go in their own directions.

I think that the character of Riddick changed slightly in this one, ruthless is the wrong word, more blase about killing than in the first one, perhaps? Not a turn of character that I particularly liked because I don't think it shows a proper understanding of the character as portrayed in Pitch Black.

However, a good movie. I will definately watch it again when it comes out on DVD.

We also got some MDF to make a box for me to sit all my totes on (one for sewing machine, one for overlocker, one for Sizzix stuff and one for vacuum cleaner). It has tidied my room up considerably.

We also got a new water pump for Pharaohs' water bowl and a laser pointer for both of them. Boy, they love chasing that little red dot. Now every time Bubba starts nagging cause she is bored, I'm putting that puppy out!

The cover of this new issue of Inspirations shows the first project in the magazine.

Bird of Paradise by Helen Stevens is a lovely threadpainting project featuring a magnificant peacock surrounding by delicate orchids. The project is work on silk, with silk with some cotton and gold thread work as well as some beading. Despite its size a, I think this project would work up quite quickly and uses fairly basic surface embroidery stitches such as variations on satin stitch (which they give some weird names to!), couching, seed, stem and straight stitch.

First Blush by Julie Graue is another needlework accessory project, this time a needlecase. This is a large needlecase (finished product is 15cm x 10cm or 6" x 4"). The ground is silk, worked with mostly stranded cotton and some silk. The main stitches used are again surface stitches (bullion, knot, couching, fly and whipped chain) and beading. I quite like the design, but its a bit "girly" for me, but I like the structure of the needlecase.

Sahara by Jenny McWhinney is a wool blanketing project made using mostly different types of wool with some cotton, rayon, gold thread and beading. It was inspired by a previous project, Arabian Nights. The project is medium size (worked on a 76cm or 30" square of wool), worked in surface embroidery stitches (back, blanket, couching, fly, knots, satin, split and stem stitches). While I am not a big fan of camels (the central motif of the design), this is a lovely bright project, I love the border.

Best Friends by Helen Hardman, is another blanket project. This cat based design combines several techniques, including patchwork, stumpwork and surface embroidery using mostly fine wools with some cotton and beading. Many motifs are worked over padded areas and are slips which are attached separately to the blanket. The cats in the design are goregous, as are the flowers, but I'm not sure about the window idea.

Belle Fraise by Lesley Turpin-Delport, has designed an interesting stumpwork project, worked on linen using cotton thread. The design shows the various elements of the strawberry plant in this botanical study. Various traditional stumpwork stitches are used (bullion, knot, detatched buttonhole, feather, fly, satin, stem stitches). I like stumpwork but I find this one a bit boring, a little too green and flat.

Fil d'Or by Tanja Berlin presents the first in a series of four goldwork projects, which when complete will produce a goldwork sampler. This first project introduces you to the basic techniques of goldwork, including transfering patterns to fabric, working with felt padding and basic couching techinques for gold thread. The project uses gold thread (gilt twist, imitation Japanese gold, gilt pearl purl) and silk as well as felt and silk noil ground. This is a good starter project for a beginner.

Penny Squares by Anna Scott is a great, quick little redwork project that uses a few, simple surface stitches (blanket, detached chain, satin, seed and stem stitch) to produce a lovely little sachet (which could also be adapted to a number of other purposes). Worked using cotton thread on quilters muslin, this is a fantastic starter project for someone new to surface embroidery. Would also make great little gifts.

Gilded Rose by Carolyn Pearce is a delicate silk ribbon box lid project worked on silk using silk ribbon and cotton thread using beading, knot, detached chain, fly and whipped straight stitch. Roses and leaves, very pretty, but a bit fussy for my tastes.

General Comments - As always, the posing of all the designs is fantastic, the instructions are clear, however, the very detailed stitch diagrams that I usually associate with this publication are noticably absent. I have to say I hope this is not the start of a trend. The one great selling point of this magazine was it being self contained. The loss of the stitch diagrams (for what I assume is more advertising - there are ALOT of ads this edition) will hopefully be revisited. Don't get me wrong, I love the ads, but not at the loss of one of the best selling points of the mag.

Free Gift - on the front cover is a packet of Madeira stranded cotton thread, colour 210 (scarlet red).

Publisher: Country Bumpkin
Location of Publication: Australia

Well, put in a few hours last night and got the Lochac device finished. A picture of the finished product is below. It's much large on screen than in real life, where it is only about 2 inches wide. But I wanted to put up a big image to show the details.



So all up it took about 18 hours to do. Just to recap. The device was made using one strand of Maderia silk, done in split stitch. I now have to do another one, slightly bigger, for one of the Masters devices. I am not going to make this a priority though.

I have made a couple of large (as in they cost a lot of money) book purchases recently. So I thought it might be a good time to think about a proper catalogue of my books. At the moment I have none. So I started looking for software that would do this. I had Readerware recommended to me. I have downloaded a trial, and so far it's been pretty good. I love the fact you can just type in the ISBN and then do a search on the web and it inserts all the details, including a cover picture. I think that for the price it isn't bad and I can buy an add on that lets you convert the info for use on a Palm Pilot - this could be quite helpful.

So, I know there are plenty of readers and a few librarians out there, so does anyone else have any recommendations for software I could use?

Did another couple of hours on the Lochac device last night. Got all the blue done, now just the white in the opposite corners to do. I should get it done tonight, which will be good, as it looks like the embroidery on clothing competition that I was making my Anglo-Saxon collar for, might be held in another month. It was supposed to be held at mid-winter, but because there were no entries, they are thinking of holding it again. So if I want to enter, I need to get the cuffs done, which might be pushing it a little, cause there is alot of work involved in those. I will give it a try anyway.

Below is the current status of the scissors sheath. Nearly finished. My big decision at the moment is whether or not to do the covered beads to finish of the handle braid. I'm not sure how to do this technique. I know a couple of different ways of covering beads but not a way to get the pattern. Might have to do some more research.

Had a pretty quite Saturday, boys were over for a network weekend. Did a bit more on my Lochac Banner piece. Will post progress shot tonight. Went shopping at Spotlight on Sunday. Checked out the leather off cuts as I always do and low and behold, two pieces of glove weight in the tan I was looking for and two in light buff, darker than I wanted but close enough to grab it. So now I have the leather, I can get started. I have to work up the designs first, but that shouldn't take to long. I bought the silk for the cuffs as well, so just a matter of working out the construction and I can get started.