Thyra's Vigil Book

This latest book was made for Duchess Thyra as she was inducted into the Order of the Laurel. It was a lot of fun to do! After my foray into counted work, I retreated back into my love of shading and color for this book.

Thyra is a well know scribe who makes absolutely amazing scrolls, but I think many people outside of the dance community don't know about the passion and joy she brings there, as well. My goal was to make sure her book brought that aspect of her arts forward in people's minds.
I, of course, know nothing about dancing, so I looked to another expert: Philip White. He pointed me to a large variety of resources with many gorgeous images. The only downfall was that all of the images were people. Embroidering a person seemed like a lot of commitment.
(I'm sure you can guess where this goes.)

After some more searching around and back and forth with Philip, I decided that the first images he sent me were the best for my purposes. These were from Arbeau's Orchesography. The man on the right was chosen because apparently the move he's doing (a capriole) is one of Thyra's favorites. The woman on the left was because I wanted symmetry, and a woman, and there wasn't a whole lot of choice. There didn't seem to be any images women being active, which I'm sure could fuel a whole thesis.

The Felbrigge Psalter
Opus Anglicanum example, with split
stitch shading and underside couched goldwork

The arrangement of the cover is very loosely based on the Felbrigge Psalter, in that there are two figures interacting with each other with split stich shading used to embroider then. The laurel and heraldry are pretty serious deviations from the design, and are included because it's a vigil book. I chose this style of embroidery because I associate Thyra with the 14th century (for no real good reason, I admit) and split stitch shading was a very common technique in the more ornate embroideries of the day. Often it was combined with goldwork to make something truly spectacular...but I admit I didn't have that kind of time. A more focused recreation of the Psalter might be in my future...

The book that I was using was hand made by Marion. It's about 4.5 x 6 inches, and the embroidery is about 4 x 4 inches. Which, turns out, is pretty small for the detail, and I made some choices that don't align with the smooth lines of color you see in Opus Anglicanum. There are many small areas of color in an attempt to pack a little more detail into a small space. I also think I wasn't comfortable committing to the larger bits of color, and I need to experiment more with that in the future.

Completely unsurprisingly, hands and faces were very hard to get to look remotely like hands and faces.

 The fabric was a saturated blue (because it reminds me of some of the amazing dresses Thyra wore as Queen) but thankfully I was still able to trace the design onto it with a lightboard and pen.

All the embroidery was done with 2 strands of Splendor silk thread, except for some small details. One strand was used in the hands, for example. And for the faces I used Au v'Frenchname 100/3, which was still hard to get where I wanted it to go.

There are three shades each of red and green in the piece, and four neutral shades for the black, grey, and white areas of clothing. Two peach shades were used for the hands and faces, and two shades of brown for hair. In the picture to the right you can see that I spent a lot of time with a multitude of "parked" threads as I went between colors.


When I finished the figures and laurel, I realized that I had made the heraldic shield off center. And of course, the lines weren't erasable. You can see some white lines where I sketched in a slightly larger version.

And because Thyra loves scribes and embroiderers everywhere, her device was very simple to add. Hooray for geometric shapes!

Cassandra's Laurel Coat

Cassandra has been a leader and inspiration for the Worshipful Company for some time. She has guided many of us, and caused more than a few of our escapades, and I was overjoyed when I heard she was going to be receiving her Laurel.

Duchess Akaterine was in charge of her regalia - specifically, a coat. She handed out kits to all of the Company, and several more of Cassandra's friends.

It was a fun design, with a variety of techniques.

 I was initially happy with the metal work, but once it was on the coat things got a lot more wavy. That's a problem in the MoD gloves I made, too. I've since been told that Jap metal thread just likes to do that, and close, even stitches are the best way to stop it. I also learned that they usually used two strands of the metal thread side by side. Next time I will try it that way!

The coat was used to panel for Athena's Thimble for a number of people before it was handed off to Cassandra in court. The coat was very full. And Cassandra is not a short woman.

Me holding the coat for easy inspection.
Photo by Simona bat Leon

This was the first Athena's Thimble experience for many of the people who helped with this, and I'm glad they could get ushered in so easily.

I can't find a good photo of the coat in action, but will post one when it inevitably appears.

Rose Cloak 2

Thyra's rose cloak was such a hit that we were asked to make one for our current Queen, Caoilfhionn.
This one was smaller, with fewer roses, but this time they were blue!
I went with similar stitches to the last one, but the challenge here were the tiny leaves. I'm not entirely happy with how they came out - I was kind of making things up as I went - but from far away I suppose it's ok.
I forgot to take a picture before I handed it in, but luckily the Company is on the ball. Mine is on the left here.

Photo from the Worshipful Company

One thing that I screwed up is not realizing that one side of silk was significantly more silver than the other side. I was using the freezer paper on it as a stabilizer (someone else had cut it out), and by the time I peeled that paper off it was too late.

And the cloak in full!

Photo from the Worshipful Company

Photo from the Worshipful Company

Rose Cloak I

For Thyra's second reign, after the worst weather I have ever seen at a Crown, we made her an exceptionally warm, heavy cloak.

Marietta designed it. I think it was the beginning of her ongoing foray into designing things for the Worshipful Company. I watched her color in many blue cloaks before the design was settled.

One thing she knew all along was that it needed to have roses on it (what Rose doesn't need a rose cloak?), and that she wanted them small enough that she could get people all over the East Kingdom to embroider them. She created kits, including with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to return the rose in. And it worked!

I didn't need to use my envelope, since she's my roommate. She just comes home from Worshipful Company meetings (I'm always fencing when they happen) and throws embroidery projects at me. Sometimes literally.

The only guidance we were given for these roses was that we should applique the small silk bit on top of the larger wool bit, do something in the center, and use only the gold thread provided for us.

I prefer to applique with blanket stitch - especially with silk, which will fray. So that part was a no brainer. I then filled in the center with laid work, which I enjoy and don't have many chances to use. The outside edge is chain stitch, and that bit at the bottom will bother me forever, even though I know that you can't tell on the cloak.

So we made her this wonderful cloak and where is the first time she wears it? Gulf Wars, in 80 degree weather. Because she is the kind of queen who will do that.

Oh also, on the back of a horse.

Picture by Cecily O'Donell of the Midrealm

She later got an opportunity to wear it at the more weather appropriate Mudthaw. Here there's a bit more of a view of the decoration, too.

Picture by Raziya Bint Rusa

AoA Box

When the Worshipful Company of Their Majesties Underwear had a member getting an AoA, they started plotting. And if there's anything that is known about the Worshipful Company it's that when they start plotting absolutely ridiculous things happen.

It was decided that we would embroider a scroll for her. But not just any scroll - a box with silk embroidery on all the sides. Panels were pre designed and handed out to members, who could then embroider them in whatever style they wanted.

I ended up doing 1.5 panels - my initial assignment, and then the decoration on the top panel, with the words. I had a lot of fun with this project. It was my first time working with silk in any significant way, and the linen that we were given was absolutely divine.

A closer look at my piece of the top.

I did a way better job taking pictures of the other panel. Certainly not because the top was a rush job. Nope, not at all.

I tried to use a variety of stitches, although in the end satin stitch and long and short stitch generally won. The one requirement of the assignment (besides the design) was that the vine be a rope stitch with a particular gold thread. That gave me the most trouble out of any of it - I think maybe I was having Z/S twist problems, but I redid that over and over and I'm still not happy with how it came out.

Hedgehog Dress

Sometimes a king makes the mistake of disparaging the noble flamingo in front of his queen, and then decides to ask forgiveness in most epic fashion.

The Worshipful Company of Their Majesties Underwear was asked to create an apron dress with flamingos appliqued on the front, and a collection of hedgehogs around the hem, each representing a chivalric virtue.

My part in this was to create two of the hedgehogs: Wit and Wisdom.

I will be forever bothered that I forgot to put the ankle decoration on this one.

For Wit we have a hedgehog taking great joy in practical jokes.

For Wisdom we have Odin with his ravens.

The other virtues that were on display included knowledge, grace, generosity, and Nom. There were 9 in all, and you can find pictures of all of them on the website. 

Thyra Eriksdottir, picture taken by Camille des Jardins