Latticework purse - embroidery complete!

120 hrs 50 min later, here's the complete embroidered rectangle that will become a purse sometime soon. There are 545 (count 'em!) eyelets. Also included in the picture is a sample for the suspension loop. The side-stitching will be worked in the crimson color as well. Looking forward to seeing this finished!

Latticework purse progress: 116 hrs

No pictures today, just a quick update. I'm getting to the end of the surface embroidery; I'm guessing maybe 6 to 8 more hours to go on that. And then of course the side-stitching, and all the little tassels and other bits and pieces...

New brickstitch patterns for your enjoyment

Redacted from the 14th C. altar frontal at the Cloisters Museum in NYC (which I recently re-visited). This time I've included photos of the original along with my patterns:

Cushions - almost finished

Here are a pair of cushions that I'd been working on in my spare time. I call these 'functional experiments' because they were made quickly and relatively easily, using cheap materials (i.e. cotton thread), and not really meant to be portfolio pieces. Even if I did have a portfolio. Anyway, I had wanted to try out these patterns, and decided to make little cushions to rest my longsword upon. I will finish the seams like I do my purses. I haven't decided whether or not to add tassels to the corners yet.

If anyone wants to know, the sword is by Albion Swords, the Crecy.
The cushion under the tip of the sword you may recognize as being based on the Westphalian cushion (see images of original here). The other is based on an ecclesiastical stole. See some similar work at Marta's blog Acus et filium, particularly this post and this post. She does some lovely work!