Wednesday 24 October 2007

Old Samplers and New Embroideries

I first met Sue on a Japanese Embroidery course and since then we have kept in touch by email/text as well as meeting up each year on the course. This weekend Sue came to visit and we went to see an exhibition. Every year by Witney Antiques and host a themed exhibition of their extensive collection of Samplers and Historic Embroideries. According to their catalogue they hold the largest stock of high quality antique needlework samplers in the UK along with an important collection of 17th and 18th century raised and silk work embroideries. Certainly the examples in the exhibition are extremely high quality and I could only marvel at the workmanship, especially when you consider that the embroiderers had none of today's advantages like prescription glasses or daylight bulbs. Many of these samplers were worked by very young girls and their workmanship is to be marvelled at. Sadly I cannot share any pictures with you, as they are copyright of Witney Antiques but you can get a taste of what they have on show here.

I've done hardly any stitching this week, my evenings have been spent spring cleaning the guest bedroom in preparation for Sue's visit. The room used to a be guest room but for the past year it was re-occupied by number one step-son and his girlfriend. Naturally, they wanted their own pictures on the walls but now that they have moved elsewhere and the room is cleaned, my embroidery can come out of storage and go back on the wall. For the first time my Phase I and Phase II Japanese Embroidery hang side by side on view.

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

On a side wall is a small embroidery called Tempus Fugit, my attempt at design. It was inspired by a sampler shown in the Embroiderer's Guild magazine, Stitch, Issue 5. Their sampler was stitched by Aethelwynn, a young girl in one of the Wessex convents in AD1000. I began mine as a millennium project but put it aside for a couple of years before before finally getting around to completing it.

Happy Stitching

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi,
I am a first time visitor to your blog,and really loved it.I love crocheting,knitting,embroidery.
it was very nice rowsing through your blog.
Regarding this embroidery post,I have a question,like how/where did you get it framed?If you did it yourself,Could you please tell me how to do it so neatly:-)
Regards,
Ashwini

coral-seas said...

Hi Ashwini
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your comment. Your name does not link anywhere so I hope you drop by for this reply.

The two Japanese Embroideries were framed professionally but I put Tempus Fugit in a frame that I purchased at Habitat. Before framing, I stretched the embroidery on a piece of mount board. I use a piece of wadding between the board and the embroidery to absorb any bulkiness on the back of the embroidery. Hope this helps but if you would like a more detailed description, email me with your email address.

CA

Unknown said...

Hi Carol,
yes,yesterday I was searching through the embroidery blog,and fortunately
vistited your blog and I dropped in for the reply.
Thanks a lot for the information,but I was hoping to frame a piece of my
embroidery artwork by myself at home.Is it possible to do it with,though not profession quality,but still a neat one?
Thanks,
I was trying to send you private mail,but it failed,so posting a comment here.

coral-seas said...

Hi Ashwini

I have activated my email on my profile, please email me

CA

Embroidery Digitizing said...

Great job Coral... I like your new samples and fan of your skills. Thanks a lot