From the Stash Sale and meeting Faith and I then went to Denise’s house for the annual summer picnic. We set up a spot for stitching in the sun-room with wonderful daylight and the stitchers just kept coming for their turn with Faith. Occasionally we would angle Faith towards the sun so the full glory of all the gold could be appreciated. She is really dazzling then, sort of the Vegas show girl of her day!
Wendy
This July Faith went on an outing and the day began by visiting with the MayFlower Sampler Guild. Generous supporters of the jacket project and donors to the Plimoth Plantation Textile Conservation Fund, the members were eager to help us stitch on some of the “oes” that are sprinkled over the entire surface. When we arrived the “stash sale” was getting underway and while members shopped others sat with Faith and applied the “oes” all the while Ooing and ahhing at the embroidery, the plaited braid the 3-dimensional butterfly wings and peapods.
Wendy
I am working to expand the colors of silk purl available – I received Purple and a cream color called Pearl Pink (think cream with a pink cast) this week. Bill Barnes and Access Commodities were kind enough to make them for my newest teaching project. This project is based on the techniques I have been investigating on caskets, stumpwork pictures and other cushion covers. The ‘fantastic’ Jacobean flower design is outlined with a heavy twisted gold and filled with five different techniques for silk purl. The piece will be taught at A Gathering of Embroiderers in Williamsburg, Virginia in February. Full details of the class will be coming on their site soon. When I know the dates, I will post them here. Meanwhile, I am making the two new colors available on my site for purchase.
For those who were waiting for the Silver #4 Passing to get back in stock – I have some now. Also Gilt 9drm Tambour just arrived.
During the time we were at Plimoth working a number of staff who were shepherding the project and our army of volunteers, kept us going with food, breaks, directions to new places, stories of the Plantation and encouragement . Do you remember in the beginning after the very first session when each frame had only one or two tiny bits done, Gilt Sylke Twist was a but a dream and the thought of plaited braid made your toes curl? Time has certainly flown and we are in the home stretch with assembly on the horizon.
It was with this in mind that some of these special people came and visited with Faith and stitched “oes” for several hours while we chatted and reminisced about the beginning of this adventure. Linda Combs, Jill and her daughters who are growing like weeds and Penny who showed such patience in the midst of our commotion.
We of course couldn’t leave out the littlest one ( she is as old as Faith) so while we took turns she worked on her “project”!
Wendy
(Ed note: Jill’s oldest daughter now has the distinction of being the only young person to work the lace AND embroidery on the jacket. Congratulations our young apprentice!)
The E.C. sampler was purchased at auction by Jill Hall and Karin Goldstein a number of years ago ( aprox 1994 or 5). There is no history on who E.C. was, the only information on the sampler other than her initials is the date of 1664. A wonderful example of the period, E.C. has a large section of very fine and exquisite whitework along with numerous colored bands in pattern work, an alphabet and numbers all done in a variety of stitches including Holebein. One section was used as the inspiration for the commemorative needlebook given to each of our volunteer stitchers. This needlebook and its design was the springboard for the development a scissors case done by Carli DeFilio and published in SANQ.
The E.C. sampler was purchased because it fits the time period of the museum. Theodora Oxenbridge, circa 1669 is the other sampler of the same period and was given to the museum by a descendent. Theodora is also in need of conservation. Karin Goldstein wrote an article about Theodora that was published last year and was able to provide a number of details about Theodora’s life. The third sampler in the collection is from 1821 and tho not in keeping with the Plimoth period, it is important in its own right. Stitched by Eliza Standish, a 5th generation descendent of Miles Standish, it is a wonderful schoolgirl style sampler and is also badly in need of conservation. ( I’m still working on her story!)
Wendy
(Ed Note: Funds for conservation of the other two samplers can be sent to Karin Goldstein, Plimoth Plantation, PO Box 1620, Plymouth, MA 02362. Be sure to mark “Sampler Conservation Fund” on the check and letter)
One of the many wonderful parts of this project has been the incredible out pouring of generosity. During our time at Plimoth the needs of the museum in the current economic climate became apparent to many of us. One of the areas of concern for our embroiderers was the textile collection – it is a small group of three samplers but important none the less and they are in desperate need of conservation. A restricted fund was put in place so that donations could be accepted and the first sampler for conservation was chosen- E.C. 1664.
As Jill often said “its like having your finger on the electricity”- in a very short period of time enough donations had been received that E.C. could be sent out for her “spa” treatment. Just prior to our last session at Plimoth I met up with Karin Goldstein, Curator of Permanent Collections and got to see the conserved E.C. She is much cleaner than before and while the small “rust spots ” are still there they seem smaller, she has been conservation mounted and looks great. A big thank you to all the Guilds and individuals who contributed to the fund.
Generosity also has been represented by the knitters in our midst and afar. When it became known that the interpreters at Plimoth had a need for hand knit stocking, gloves, mittens and garters to keep them warm, the hands of volunteers went up and the emails poured in. So any kits were sent out that the Wardrobe department ran out of yarn!
As of early this summer Plimoth has received back 10 pairs of gloves, 2 pairs of mittens, 4 gunnister purses, 15 pairs of fancy stockings and 22 pairs of plain stockings. An incredible effort ! If you are one of the volunteer knitters and haven’t finished or just can’t, don’t worry about it – send your kit back, it will get finished and there won’t be any frozen Pilgrims!
Wendy
Many have known that there is a video of the Sudley Castle casket playing in the gallery in their latest exhibit. There is a lovely snippet of the video on-line. There have been enough requests for the full video that they have made it available for purchase. Write Sian Nelson (Sian.Nelson@sudeley.org.uk) to get the order form or info you will need to send them for the correct processing of a credit card. The video is 5 pounds and shipping to the USA is 3 pounds.
We should thank them for doing this and encourage more museums to make the collection available in these ways. We all can’t travel as much as we would want. After my experience with this project – I am convinced that we have to stand up and be counted to ensure that our historic textile collections stay accessable. I will be talking about ways we can do this in the next few months – I have been conversing with others who are of like mind and we are coming up with plans to get the attention of museum administrator and to help the textile departments we so depend on. Keep checking here for ideas on how to make a difference with small gestures. One small one is below:
The Twixt Art and Nature video was requested hundreds of times during the exhibit and there have been thoughts to work through the permissions tangle to get the video up for viewing on-line or for sale. If you are interested, send email or letters in to the Bard Graduate Center to encourage them. As time goes on, it will become less likely as other projects get in the forefront. The video was almost half on the MET jacket and Plimoth Project and so is of great interest to this group of readers. On the video you can see Mark making the spangles, lace making, and the different parts of the embroidery underway. It is full of close up’s of historic 17th century embroidery and was just wonderful. It was so engaging that a bench in front had to be installed. One visitor, Isabella Rossellini was so taken with the film that she watched it twice!
Suzanne Churchill saw the post eariler this month and sent me an update – she has made allot a of progress on the coif. Fantastic!!! I know because I keep sending her threads! (She is racing us – I bet) Sometimes I can tell really neat things are underway as I keep getting orders for lots of gold or GST from people over and over.
For those of you who keep asking if we will ever publish the project – I am talking to a publisher now about the ‘Glossy’ story book and I am working on finishing the ‘How-To’ book. I want to include the finishing of the jacket and so we need to wait until that part is done. But I expect we will have that book ready before the end of the year. And then those of you who have been debating on if you should do some sort of mini-project or opus can have the guidance of our instructions.
Tricia
Mark showed up at the session in June with his versions of Hooks and Eyes after we had spent awhile looking up info on period pieces. He made them from brass wire and tinned them too! They looked fantastic. All the people in the room who make historic costume were drooling over them!
Mark said he might be convinced to make them for those who want to have appropriate version for their own costume. Drop me a line at tricia@alum.mit.edu if you are interested and I will put you in contact with Mark.
Tricia
The jacket we are making needs a closure means. There were two ways found on the antique examples, hooks and eyes or ribbons. But it is possible that there were hooks and eyes with those jackets also as the tight fitting jacket might gap if it was only closed at a few points.
Susan North alerted us to the new jacket that she had placed in the British Galleries in place of the Laton jacket. The photos that have been posted in the picture archive show the inside of the jacket (as it had been in a deconstructed state before mounting). Go to the VA Collections site and enter T.106:1-2003. You will see both sides of the front of the jacket showing the original hooks and eyes in place. There are 20 pairs showing. This has given us a guide as to the size and spacing of the hooks and eyes we need.
Now where to find references to period hooks and eyes…
Tricia
Recent Comments