Hail and Well Met! Here are projects I've worked on, as well as those in progress. I hope you enjoy what you see and please feel free to comment. This site is a work in progress and under construction – Thank you for looking!
Vienna
Residing in the Barony of Dragonship Haven, in the East Kingdom, Vienna de la Mer was apprenticed to Duchess Roxane Farabi. At Birka 2011, Vienna was elevated to the Order of the Laurel.
Vienna's main focus is Embroidery; however, she's also interested in Gardening, Folklore, Cooking, Herbology, Helping Newcomers, Sewing/Costuming, and Archery. Vienna is a Senior Member of The Keepers of Athena's Thimble, the East Kingdom Embroiderer's Guild: http://athenasthimble.com/index.htm. She is the former A&S Champion for the Barony of Dragonship Haven (2010-2011).
Please understand that due to certain circumstances, I will not be posting my documentation online. However, I may provide it if requested.
Original Source Information Source: British Library, Database of Bookbindings
Shelfmark: c24a34
Country of origin: England
Materials: Black Silk Velvet, Gold cord, silver guimp
Decorative Technique: Embroidered, metal work
Owner: Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1533-1603)
Title: Orationis Dominicae Explicatio (The Lord’s Prayer Explained)
Place of publication: Geneva
Date of publication: 1583
Original size: approx. 4.25’x 6.75”
Outlines are all in gold cord, most of the fillings are silver purl over padding, with some red and green silk on the roses and leaves. Traces of two ribbon ties on the front. The design is the same on both sides. The back is in bad condition, and is paneled with arabesques in gold and silver cord.
Materials Used in My Bookbinding
Fabric: Blue cotton velvet used as it was readily available. Embroidery: silk thread; Metals: purl, pearl purl, check purl, 1mm torsade, .5 mm torsade, spangles (all gold in color – I did not have enough silver metal for this project. The original is a combination of gold and silver metal). Wool padding under four roses.
Materials Used: Wool ground. Wool floss (DMC Medici in Gold and Green). Silk ribbon for neckline reinforcement. Stitches Used (Embroidery only): Split Stitch
Design adapted from the Lindisfarne Gospels-- Lindisfarne, late 7th or early 8th century British Library
I sewed the tunic and embroidered it.
This was a test piece.
Raven in Piety -- silk on linen, silk fingerloop braid.
Wool on Linen, laid work (bayeux tapestry stitch)
Materials used
Ground Fabric: Silk dupioni in bright white, over med. weight linen – adhered to wooden mirror frame
Embroidery Floss: Hand dyed silk floss, Japanese Gold thread, Splendor silk floss
Other: 14k gold Jeweler’s wire (28 gauge), wool padding, wool felt, evenweave 28 ct. linen
Stitches used
Stem, whipped stem, raised stem, satin, padded satin, buttonhole, detached buttonhole, buttonhole filling, long and short (brick), tent, chain, whipped chain, couching, ceylon, split and back stitch.
Much of the design was taken from individual elements found in 'Twixt Art and Nature, along with Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion 4.
Rose Napkins, stem and split stitch
Cross Stitch, using Dragonbear's pattern
Cross stitch, using Dragonbear's pattern.
Not used, because I didn't check the dye lots, and the Crescent side has a dye lot issue.
Cross stitch, using dragonbear's pattern
Not used, dye lot issue. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO CHECK DYE LOTS... ARGH!
Original Source Information
A Stitch Out of Time, 14th and 15th Century German Counted Thread Embroidery by Master Richard Wymarc (Timothy J. Mitchell) www.wymarc.com, Pattern A -- A Tasseled Bag. Date: 14-15th Century
Place of Origin: Unknown (possibly Germany, based on Author’s research)
Current Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Dress and Textiles Department, Frame I-9, Cat. # 8699-1863.
Original Size: 3 3/8” x 3 3/8”
Original Materials Used: Ground fabric: 28 count fabric, believed to be linen. Linen (white) and Silk (red, green and blue) thread used for embroidery, possibly three strands.
Materials used in Reproduction
Ground Fabric: 28 count Linen evenweave in antique white
Embroidery Floss: DMC linen floss (ecru) four strands, Splendor Silk four strands (red, blue, green)
The Method
German Brick Stitch, counted. I used Master Richard’s chart and matched it up to the visible seam in the extant piece.
Silk on linen.
Silk on 28 ct linen
Holbein stitch
reverse side
Stem stitch, detached, silk on linen.
My first attempt at Stumpwork.
Original Source Information
A Stitch Out of Time, 14th and 15th Century German Counted Thread Embroidery by Master Richard Wymarc (Timothy J. Mitchell) www.wymarc.com, Pattern D: A Fragment of an Embroidered Band (figs. 1 & 2)
Date: 14-15th Century
Place of Origin: Unknown (possibly Germany, based on Author’s research)
Current Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Dress and Textiles Department, Frame I-9, Cat. # 7048-1860
Original Size: Unknown (original is a fragment, possibly from church vestments, as indicted by the Author)
Original Materials Used: Ground fabric: 20 count fabric, believed to be linen. Linen (white) and Silk (green and red) thread used for embroidery.
Wool with wool/silk blend embroidery
(I made the hood too)
Wool with wool/silk blend embroidery
(I made the hood too)
Original Source information (fig. 1)
Source: British Library, database of Bookbindings
Shelfmark: c21f14
Country of origin: England
Material: Silk Satin
Decorative Technique: Embroidered
Owner: Henry VIII, King of England (1491-1547)
Title: Bedae Presbyteri Anglosaconis viri eruditissimi…
Place of publication: Basel
Date of publication: 1529
Original size: 8” x 12"
Materials Used in Reproduction Fabric: Red Cotton Velvet was used as it was readily available (and more affordable than the silk satin).
Embroidery: Japanese Gold #7 couched with gold silk floss. Japanese Gold (Kreinik) was used in lieu of real gold due to cost. Faux gold braid (Kreinik) and silk floss (Eternasilk).
3) The size is different than the original (to accommodate the notebook). I made mine 8 ½" x 11”Wool pouch, wool embroidery. Design based on the Codex Mannesse.
I made 14 of these (embroidery and pouches) for Queen Anna -- this was a project for the Ladies of House Bloodguard, everyone made some or made the fingerloopbraids -- some did the embroidery only, others sewed the pouches together. It was a fun project.
This cloud collar was made for Queen Jana for Mudthaw 2007. The scenes depicted are traditional for 16th century Persia – Phoenixes and flowers.
Running stitch
Silk on 38 ct linen
reclaimed antique silk and wool.
Applique with couching, split and stem stitch.
While appliqué may have been used in some Viking garb, it is not known if it would have been used in this manner – to adorn an Apron Dress. After having gone to Hedeby myself in 2008, I highly doubt that apron dresses were worn as they are in the SCA today. The curator at the Wikinger Museum Haithabu had an alternate theory, one that makes a lot of sense – the apron dress is just that. An apron. A dress that protected the garment underneath it as a woman went about her daily duties.
This dress was made for the Queen of the East, so a little creative license was taken. Certainly a Queen would warrant such embellishment.
I chose Their Majesties’ heraldry as the inspiration for the design. His Majesty Andreas has a falcon; Her Majesty Gabriella, a horse. The Falcon design is based on the Book of Kells (9th century). I designed the horse myself to match the style and size of the Falcon, as I could not find a comparable one in my research. The gold work was added as a second-thought, as the white on white was too subtle.
The embroidery is done using stem stitch and wrapped with a gold whipstitch using white wool and gold braid on white wool. It was appliquéd to a navy blue silk/wool blend (to match the under tunic) and to produce ‘cut outs’ in the embroidery pattern (modernly, to make the design pop better). It was pinned and whipstitched down on the apron dress.
Materials Used:
Over Tunic: Wool ground. Silk/Wool blend embroidery. Cotton ribbon for neckline reinforcement. Woven Trim for neckline and sleeves
Undertunic: Linen ground. Silk embroidery.
Stitches Used (Embroidery only): Stem and Outline Stitch
About the design
Wilhelm doesn’t have a heraldic beast on his device, just a ‘bridge,’ a sword and some Maltese crosses. While monkeys are not prominent in Viking or Celtic mythos or art, my husband loves them. I wanted to make him something that would make him happy. I found a period-style monkey from a later period piece and “zoomorphasized” it. The result: Wilhelm’s Celtic Battle Monkeys.
Close up.
Sorry Folks --
I tried to update my page, and in process, accidently deleted everything.
I hope to have stuff up shortly. Please bear with me, I'm usually not this inept.
Thanks!