tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51453944098479542292024-03-13T12:43:49.761-04:00TaschenMy exploration (and attempts at reconstruction) of Early- through Late-Medieval purses, pouches, and bags with a focus on embroidery and other methods of surface decoration.Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-58219530199845963732013-01-17T10:46:00.003-05:002013-01-17T10:46:33.345-05:00Tools of the tradeIn related news, I've also been slowly acquiring a small collection reproduction medieval tools. Here are some, below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc1f5p8fsM3FRiI-XybLh1L52wtzDo1ECA1oIubPSG5Nh5Top2Y-quB5QSmpYhlWdKLtlY6i0h4wqRjv6RvvWbIN4hMWOwigOLqEE5NXsIc1U5IDYVcpukex7VYbK091xno4GhWY-R6O5/s1600/101_7976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc1f5p8fsM3FRiI-XybLh1L52wtzDo1ECA1oIubPSG5Nh5Top2Y-quB5QSmpYhlWdKLtlY6i0h4wqRjv6RvvWbIN4hMWOwigOLqEE5NXsIc1U5IDYVcpukex7VYbK091xno4GhWY-R6O5/s400/101_7976.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pictured above are a pair of brass needles from <a href="http://medievalwares.com/" target="_blank">Gaukler Medieval Wares</a>, Canada; a bone awl and one ()of the two that I have currently) thread reels from <a href="http://historicenterprises.com/" target="_blank">Historic Enterprises</a>, USA; and a very nice brass thimble from <a href="http://www.lorifactor.pl/" target="_blank">Lorifactor</a>, Poland.</div>
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Before too long I'd like to add to this kit a nice pair of steel sheers, a metal awl, and perhaps a metal or leather needlecase. And a small decorative box to put it all in.</div>
Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-38730998518232245192013-01-17T09:24:00.001-05:002013-01-17T09:24:15.458-05:00Progress all aroundSo it appears that long swaths of time between posts are just going to have to be the norm. But, dear readers, I have been making progress (albeit slowly) on a few things:<br />
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First, the blue lattice-work purse, the embroidery portion of which I had finished late in August of 2010 (post <a href="http://medievalpurses.blogspot.com/2010/08/latticework-purse-embroidery-complete.html">here</a>), is now three-dimensional! All that's left to do are add the drawstrings (not pictured, but they're a brilliant red), and finish the tassels (tassel heads will most likely also be red).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZadUzNwk1c9uZfsFbdb8-pyBu0B9ynsnAhWl2yEnleTL5erOWzwhWaNw9Ko8PpEJxxn3r1J2GGHPvHgoECL7ZuQb41hyphenhyphen1_6UZ9AH8Qtfq-tJal37UwQ18jSdLlqpHHJAgiZkzo6aRxdgT/s1600/101_7988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZadUzNwk1c9uZfsFbdb8-pyBu0B9ynsnAhWl2yEnleTL5erOWzwhWaNw9Ko8PpEJxxn3r1J2GGHPvHgoECL7ZuQb41hyphenhyphen1_6UZ9AH8Qtfq-tJal37UwQ18jSdLlqpHHJAgiZkzo6aRxdgT/s320/101_7988.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0RdoKpKH8evBPp3ypxlBNNDc5IYM8y7lSzlk_xoA6RdOvuI4WggitX6M8Qgg_ngyY7esqYE0Ipm_DdHbuCK-BUVwUt7lzK0n2k_beqIEbdoua5Y2XMFdRpDzhIQQANKU5pZIKAotG1IU/s1600/101_7991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0RdoKpKH8evBPp3ypxlBNNDc5IYM8y7lSzlk_xoA6RdOvuI4WggitX6M8Qgg_ngyY7esqYE0Ipm_DdHbuCK-BUVwUt7lzK0n2k_beqIEbdoua5Y2XMFdRpDzhIQQANKU5pZIKAotG1IU/s320/101_7991.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Secondly, the white, gold, and red pattern that I had interpreted from the 14th century altar hanging in the Cloisters (post <a href="http://medievalpurses.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-brickstitch-patterns-for-your.html">here</a>) is well on its way; roughly half done with the embroidery. A portion of that is shown below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNdsFdzt0LUUTpdEMeT8hm4lqVAsffL8IoLY2hN5AX7Ks1zyVBxHeF0xGsVCZlmTaUZRCoyM3Y-ABeJLZxPwr_yxcDphko0hHk93qleQQyovPu2rnCbpO1vZkBJlGszPm9wSTIel2lhla/s1600/101_8019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNdsFdzt0LUUTpdEMeT8hm4lqVAsffL8IoLY2hN5AX7Ks1zyVBxHeF0xGsVCZlmTaUZRCoyM3Y-ABeJLZxPwr_yxcDphko0hHk93qleQQyovPu2rnCbpO1vZkBJlGszPm9wSTIel2lhla/s320/101_8019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally, I've just begun working on <i>another </i>piece of embroidery to turn into a purse. The pattern for this one can be seen in <a href="http://medievalpurses.blogspot.com/2010/02/yes-still-here.html">this</a> post. I think this will be the last bit of Germanic brick-stitch I do for a while. I need to branch out with my embroidery, and I also have a few other non-embroidery projects that need my attention as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eEPGtzzP-c6U_exmOrVxyeBuExlMbIds2iKCMt4m8K9liRjjyX-bquUTpy-QPNqjdaJ2kqdzdw9R9vMai9f2RkGXgLhec9GOUSlMk0vuqNSJjRIrhUuOBifUX3pBp1MoE9szXmPoSIOF/s1600/101_8013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eEPGtzzP-c6U_exmOrVxyeBuExlMbIds2iKCMt4m8K9liRjjyX-bquUTpy-QPNqjdaJ2kqdzdw9R9vMai9f2RkGXgLhec9GOUSlMk0vuqNSJjRIrhUuOBifUX3pBp1MoE9szXmPoSIOF/s320/101_8013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-28521222829290424232012-07-03T14:04:00.000-04:002012-07-03T14:05:04.221-04:00Blog hiatus over / GambesonMy deepest apologies to all of my readers and followers; it's been over a year since I've posted anything of substance here. School, work, and of course my ever-increasing involvement in historical European martial arts (shameless plug: <a href="http://newyorklongsword.com/">NY Historical Fencing Association</a> / <a href="http://nyhfa.blogspot.com/">NYHFA Blog</a>) have all conspired to keep my embroidery progress slower than a snail's pace.<br />
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I have nearly completed a rather large project, however: a gambeson based on an extant 14th century piece, but with modern amenities such as zipper and velcro closures. I say nearly complete, because it is actually functionally complete (and I've already worn it for the 2012 <a href="http://fightlongpoint.com/" target="_blank">Longpoint</a> longsword tournament) but there's some detail work I have left to do. The most significant of these is a hand-embroidered "TZ" monogram that will be appliquéd on the back, between the shoulder blades.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnj_2QwwjPMWKi1zUbxPnKoOEc9HaQtVcrAUn4gdR_yYDcisCYpVJjTQQlmezek3f045C8vVAufA1w0D09Pew_Q-A49iRYBNx9kxq9H347fSSbXeo-OkXKUuNElGchftXyAzi4iKdhmo-v/s1600/tristan_gambeson_01" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnj_2QwwjPMWKi1zUbxPnKoOEc9HaQtVcrAUn4gdR_yYDcisCYpVJjTQQlmezek3f045C8vVAufA1w0D09Pew_Q-A49iRYBNx9kxq9H347fSSbXeo-OkXKUuNElGchftXyAzi4iKdhmo-v/s200/tristan_gambeson_01" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mMaMJHHrRyGxvERGDXtYZEia8wJcF397zMGeOnrtG-Oixj2ZMiYagQaIIMyMWo5VwiTNlt5Q2mKqKLhbBphrSM3Pr6W4gvlcwndZ03Rt_NBq2fMHzL7ShrT-HW9cxpkxiFoF2PK8y6B2/s1600/tristan_gambeson_02" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mMaMJHHrRyGxvERGDXtYZEia8wJcF397zMGeOnrtG-Oixj2ZMiYagQaIIMyMWo5VwiTNlt5Q2mKqKLhbBphrSM3Pr6W4gvlcwndZ03Rt_NBq2fMHzL7ShrT-HW9cxpkxiFoF2PK8y6B2/s200/tristan_gambeson_02" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AIGqa_cijqFW21ZXgrsogmOX3RBdO3eB7ACsZw32m8U0rw3k_qjMmWGygv4sWcOwVTMx7qf3tK40O9d49nvM2WlTa5Hcsu37NIjKUwBAEfLGQ_DWmwE1uqq4cbTazlL8ZwQCVTIS4Ak6/s1600/tristan_gambeson_03" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AIGqa_cijqFW21ZXgrsogmOX3RBdO3eB7ACsZw32m8U0rw3k_qjMmWGygv4sWcOwVTMx7qf3tK40O9d49nvM2WlTa5Hcsu37NIjKUwBAEfLGQ_DWmwE1uqq4cbTazlL8ZwQCVTIS4Ak6/s200/tristan_gambeson_03" width="132" /></a></div>
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I have to give a great deal of credit and thanks to Tasha Kelly McGann of <a href="http://www.cottesimple.com/" target="_blank"><i>La Cotte Simple</i></a>, who got me started by tailoring a pattern for me. Besides her research into <i>grande assiette</i> sleeves, she's also got an interest in <i>aumônières</i> and has pictures of a wonderfully embroidered one on her site. Just go check out her website, it's full of interesting things!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpecIE6GXWpukTr2CpEFpMi-ZXnm5rKr83Sx_dL_LZdL0B6jJQUunT1pYS1ZSE3dyueGyTjpdHpDksyYdRTwdFMiNm6wQgjrRZAzin5wFcrA2LyteC-2doE1T2YFn-8qEcLBdkppmGSKF0/s1600/charles_blois_coat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpecIE6GXWpukTr2CpEFpMi-ZXnm5rKr83Sx_dL_LZdL0B6jJQUunT1pYS1ZSE3dyueGyTjpdHpDksyYdRTwdFMiNm6wQgjrRZAzin5wFcrA2LyteC-2doE1T2YFn-8qEcLBdkppmGSKF0/s320/charles_blois_coat2.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspiration: The Charles de Blois pourpoint</td></tr>
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As I work on, and certainly after I finish, the embroidery for the back of my gambeson I will post new pictures! Stay tuned, and be well!<br />
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</div>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-83909746894740831662011-07-30T16:32:00.001-04:002011-07-30T16:33:52.815-04:00Hello, Readers!After quite a long time, I'm embroidering again! Stay tuned for new updates on some rather old projects.Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-60076224843205316042010-11-19T11:13:00.002-05:002010-11-19T11:17:26.106-05:00Hello, AllAs you have probably assumed, I've been rather busy this semester. I've noticed that my number of "followers" has steadily increased in spite of my inactivity; I promise, more content is on the way!<br /><br />Until then, I hope everyone is well, and finds joy in their own hobbies, interests, and pursuits!<br /><br />-TZTristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-39865620019929208972010-08-26T12:07:00.003-04:002010-08-26T12:36:59.904-04:00Latticework purse - embroidery complete!<b>120 hrs 50 min</b> 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!<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_embrycomplete.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_embrycomplete.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-74644752552019861502010-08-23T11:21:00.002-04:002010-08-23T11:25:15.952-04:00Latticework purse progress: 116 hrsNo 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...Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-64475599261995577432010-08-10T20:50:00.005-04:002010-08-11T12:47:12.002-04:00New brickstitch patterns for your enjoymentRedacted from the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/69.106">14th C. altar frontal</a> at the Cloisters Museum in NYC (which I recently re-visited). This time I've included photos of the original along with my patterns:<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_4_extant.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_4_extant.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_5_extant.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_5_extant.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-12286142281445711552010-08-10T18:49:00.002-04:002010-08-10T19:20:20.026-04:00Cushions - almost finishedHere 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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/cushion_01_unfinished.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/cushion_01_unfinished.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/cushion_02_unfinished.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/cushion_02_unfinished.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><center><small>If anyone wants to know, the sword is by <a href="http://www.albion-swords.com/">Albion Swords</a>, the <a href="http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-crecy-xvi.htm">Crecy</a>.</small></center><br />The cushion under the tip of the sword you may recognize as being based on the Westphalian cushion (see images of original <a href="http://www.doctorbeer.com/joyce/emb/westcush/westcush.htm">here</a>). The other is based on an ecclesiastical stole. See some similar work at Marta's blog <a href="http://marta-acusetfilum.blogspot.com/">Acus et filium</a>, particularly <a href="http://marta-acusetfilum.blogspot.com/2010/08/westphalian-pillow-2.html">this post</a> and <a href="http://marta-acusetfilum.blogspot.com/2010/03/sacrum.html">this post</a>. She does some lovely work!Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-84610351318772952542010-05-18T17:15:00.005-04:002010-05-18T17:31:52.174-04:00A little bit of progressThe blue latticework purse, at 91 hrs 40 minutes:<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/purse_91hrs.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/purse_91hrs.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center><br />Work has been slow on this piece for a few reasons. The biggest culprit is all the little eyelets; not only are they time consuming, but all the embroidery is so tight that the needle often needs extra encouragement to pierce the holes in the ground fabric. I've broken at least a half-dozen needles so far. Modern needles, mind you. I shudder to think about how I'd fare using some hand-made needles.<br /><br />One of the other reasons progress has been slow is due to this little side-project: I'd decided that, after my class on German counted work, I should really have some examples that use the 2/1 stitch slope (sometimes referred to as Gobelin stitch). The patterns are from Richard Wymarc's <a href="http://www.wymarc.com/asoot/asoot.php?show=germanPatterns">A Stitch Out Of Time</a> (patterns 6 & 10 on that page). Both will become small cushions:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/cushions_intheworks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/cushions_intheworks.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-54786761470277779372010-05-16T21:27:00.000-04:002010-05-16T21:28:55.788-04:00Yes, still aliveSemester finished, so in the next week maybe I'll get some embroidery work done.<br /><br />Meanwhile, enjoy some great photos at Racaire's blog <a href="http://embroidery.racaire.at/?p=3153">here</a> (16 May posting), which includes some great detail shots of two purses!Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-52351607864715614692010-03-16T13:58:00.004-04:002010-03-16T15:01:59.901-04:00Teaching brick stitchThese days I am only minimally active in the SCA, due in part to the fact that I am studying German longsword on Saturdays (when SCA events usually take place). Also, the fact that I am trying to raise the bar in my own "historical authenticity", something that certain segments of the rather vast SCA population choose to overlook (and I <i>do</i> feel awkward by my lack of clothing/accoutrement that meet this high standard that I'd prefer to achieve). I am, however, very fortunate to have a small group of amazing researchers and artisans in my local group who are a constant inspiration, even though their own times/places of interest is far removed from my own.<br /><br />So when said small group of people asked me if I'd be interested in teaching a class on brick stitch, with which I've become rather familiar, I of course said that I would. So, I began coming up with some class materials, including a handout, a large-format visual aid, and naturally I brought along a lot of my own work so my 'students' so see some examples up close and personal.<br /><br />The other thing I did, which—and I hate to seem immodest here—I thought was a rather clever idea, was hand out a student feedback form in the last few minutes, in which the participants good give me comments and criticisms about my class, my teaching method, whatever. But I liked having these little comments to work off of to improve the class whenever I teach it again. And also during the course of teaching, I noticed little things myself, for example an erroneous comment in my handout in which I misinterpreted an example of gobelin stitch for brick stitch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/handout_sample.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/handout_sample.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Although I'm sure many of my readers already have at least a working knowledge of brick stitch, but once I have an updated version of my handout, perhaps I will post it up here (I say "perhaps" because I'm concerned about certain museums' images I've used without permission). Things I'm improving bit by bit include: editing and expanding on some of the historical info, adding a list of relevant books and articles besides the ones I directly cite, and adding some more images of extant pieces. I've already added tutorial graphics (as per one student's request), and added a few more embroidery patterns that they can work from.<br /><br />Some other comments (which, happily, were all positive) included the wish for more time (and I agree, 1 hour was decent enough for the presentation aspect, but not really for the hands-on portion), and I did overhear one person telling another about how refreshing? it was to attend a needlework class taught by a man. I smiled at that :-)Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-47930505533378292202010-02-17T10:49:00.003-05:002010-02-17T10:54:39.970-05:00Latticework purse: 72 hrs, 20 minWhole thing:<br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_72-20.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_72-20.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center><br /><br />Corner detail:<br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_72-20_detail.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_72-20_detail.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-18964784430339951822010-02-08T18:06:00.004-05:002010-02-08T18:59:36.701-05:00Yes, still here!I author a few blogs, and posting is fairly infrequent on all of them. However, I always feel a bit guilty about going quiet on <i>this</i> one, since I know there are a decent amount of people who visit it. And while I'm on the subject, thank you all for visiting and commenting—knowing there are people out there with similar interests is a big part of what keeps me motivated!<br /><br /><hr>A few things for today's post:<br /><br />• I've made some progress on the latticework purse, but haven't taken any pictures recently. I'll get around to that before the week is out.<br /><br />• I've been working on a mock-up for a 16th century frame purse—my first commission, for a friend of mine—but the pattern I've come up with need some serious re-working, because I'm not at all happy with it. Expect to hear more as this project develops.<br /><br />• A while back, I came up with some patterns, not necessarily based on any extant pieces, but just getting some ideas on paper (or the computer screen, rather) for my next few projects. These are much simpler than the recent pattern redactions I've posted, and I wasn't originally planning on posting them.. but why not! Here they are:<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 130px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 130px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 130px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/newpattern_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center><br /><br />• Speaking of patterns, I'm continually impressed with my friend Racaire's adaptation of one of my patterns. For those of you who aren't familiar with her and her work, <a href="http://embroidery.racaire.at/?p=2782">here's her latest progress</a> on that piece.<br /><br />That's all I have to offer tonight :-)Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-47993852749352525032009-10-24T14:40:00.004-04:002009-10-24T14:45:44.742-04:00Latticework purse progressThis is after approximately 20 hours of work. Ground is 40ct linen.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/20hrs_progress.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/20hrs_progress.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/close-up.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/close-up.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-83719427368101538532009-09-27T21:46:00.001-04:002009-09-27T21:48:14.079-04:00Spider silk textile projectA friend sent me an interesting article on a project involving a million spiders, and the resulting textile woven from their silk. Read that here: <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/">http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/</a>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-10583409518618115052009-09-03T17:16:00.002-04:002009-09-03T17:22:10.621-04:00An email from the ether..?This afternoon I received an email from a Dr. Anna Kyritsi about a 7-day "EU Grundtvig Workshop in Cyprus" on needlework and traditional 'female' art. It mentioned the possibility of a grant that would cover even the cost of travel. Naturally, I'm intrigued, and yet I have no idea how this email came to be in my inbox. It doesn't appear to have been forwarded by anyone whom I know, nor do I ever recall signing up for any such email notification. <i>And</i> it made it past my spam filter.<br /><br />Do any of you fellow textile people know anything about this? The website is this: www.biolearning.euTristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-77190365679965381232009-09-01T20:14:00.004-04:002009-09-01T20:29:03.727-04:0013th century brick stitch pattern, revised versionAs promised, here's the pattern I've come up with to account for the tantalizing gaps in <a href="http://www.kikirpa.be/">KIK/IRPA</a> object <a href="http://www.kikirpa.be/www2/cgi-bin/wwwopac.exe?DATABASE=obj2&LANGUAGE=0&OPAC_URL=&%250=43380&LIMIT=50">no. 43380</a>. 49% squinting at the computer screen, 51% guesswork:<br /><br /><small>Warning: the image is pretty big. Probably bigger than it needed to be.</small><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/0037_pattern_revised.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 390px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/0037_pattern_revised.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center><br /><br />The grey areas are where the ground fabric seems to be consistently exposed. Much like the last pattern I posted, this could be due to caustic dyestuff eating away the threads, intentional picking out of thread (maybe it was gold!), left like that intentionally for a textured effect, or perhaps some other reason that I just can't think of yet. I have no data yet as to which reason is more likely.Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-349412597281178282009-08-31T13:11:00.002-04:002009-08-31T13:59:55.211-04:00Blue, white & gold purse finished!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_02.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Based on a late 13th century Spanish reliquary purse; <a href="http://www.kikirpa.be/">KIK/IRPA</a> object <a href="http://www.kikirpa.be/www2/cgi-bin/wwwopac.exe?DATABASE=obj2&LANGUAGE=0&OPAC_URL=&%250=43380&LIMIT=50">no. 43380</a>. I designed the pattern myself, based on the portion of the extant piece that was generally intact and unobscured. See <a href="http://medievalartcraft.blogspot.com/2009/07/brick-stitch-pattern-16.html">Medieval Arts & Crafts</a> for a slightly different interpretation. I am currently working on drafting the rest of the pattern, after lots of squinting at those archival photos and a healthy dose of guesswork. I'll post that pattern soon.<br /><br />Materials for this purse: 32-ct ground (cotton, I think), light blue linen lining (just something I had laying around). Embroidery worked in Kreinik silk floss (1096, 2016, 5013 & 7172).<br /><br />The drawstrings were worked with pairs of individual strands of the Kreinik floss in <i>a broad lace of 5 loops</i>; the suspension loop with single strands in <i>a lace piol</i> (braids #1 and #14 in <a href="http://takvbowes.et-tu.com/">Tak v Bowes..</a>, respectively). While I'm very happy with the quality and fineness of the suspension loop—if I may say so myself!—I do think it's proportionally too small for this purse. However, since it took me around 8 hrs to make that length of braid, I wasn't about to scrap it and start again.<br /><br />The gimp thread for the turkshead knots were also made from the Kreinik floss, plied and wound around a linen core. I'm not entirely happy with the result (at this point, I was just trying to be consistent by using the same type of threads for everything), but the resulting knots are passable for my first attempts. I may replace the first two I made at a later date, since I quickly got better at tying them, and they look noticeably worse than the rest (at least to me!)<br /><br />The side-stitching, as you can see, was worked in two colors. I was very happy with the result, except for the fact that I should have doubled the threads in each tablet hole; the woven band ended up being slightly too narrow for adequate coverage of the seams and some "blank space" can be seen peeking through, as well as the warp-stitches. Live and learn..<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_05.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_05.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_03.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_04.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/blue_and_gold_04.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-75984792772862997442009-08-23T16:02:00.005-04:002009-08-23T16:37:12.907-04:00Brickstitch purse with gold: finished!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_05.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_05.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Based on the 14th century bag in the <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/index.html">V&A</a> Museum's collection, <a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/objectid/O115592">object 8313-1863</a><br /><br />Embroidery pattern adapted from <a href="http://www.wymarc.com/asoot/asoot.php">A Stitch Out of Time</a> by T. J. Mitchell (aka Richard Wymarc).<br /><br />Materials: 32-count linen ground, silk (unknown remnant) lining. Embroidery worked in Kreinik silk flosses (1119, 2015, 2017), DMC linen floss, and gold passing thread.<br /><br />The drawstrings were worked with pairs of individual strands of the Kreinik floss in <i>a broad lace of 5 loops</i>; the suspension loop with individual strands in <i>a lace bend round</i> (braids #1 and #25 in <a href="http://takvbowes.et-tu.com/"><i>Tak v Bowes Departed</i></a>, respectively).<br /><br />The side-stitching was woven with 16 2-hole cards threaded with individual strands of the Kreinik floss.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_03.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_04.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand; height: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_04.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_02.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand; height: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/finished_pieces/v_and_a_purse_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-88774186947372547062009-07-27T14:23:00.002-04:002009-07-27T14:54:15.929-04:00Side stitching on pursesOK, someone a few posts back commented that they'd like to know how I finish my purses. I was taught by a friend of mine, Lois S., a method that's a cross between finger loop braiding and weaving. I was going to try to come up with sketch to illustrate the process, but I ran across a post on the <a href="http://m-silkwork.blogspot.com">Medieval Silkwork</a> blog that has an illustration already. So, I'll just point you in <a href="http://m-silkwork.blogspot.com/2006/09/afwerking-van-een-beursje-finishing-of.html">that direction</a>. If you can't read Dutch any better than I can, fear not, it's frightfully simple: As you switch the loops between fingers (and be consistent about which loop passes through the other... for example, bottom always passing through top), you're creating a shed. The weft — here, your needle and thread — spirals through the shed, than into the edge of the purse, then into the next shed, etc. Continue until it's finished.<br /><br />As for the direction of the side-stitching: I don't know if anyone's researched this in depth or not. I've gotten into the habit of starting on the top corner, moving across the top edge, and down the side. This way, when I finish I can use the leftover 'warp' for a corner tassel. I can't tell you if this is an historically accurate way of doing it or not; I have neither seen nor done the research myself at this point. As always, comments and criticisms are always welcome :-)<br /><br />The main problem I've found with the above method is due to the fact that it takes two people to work: one manipulating the loops, one stitching, and both trying to maintain a consistent tension. At the moment, I don't have anyone around to be that second person. So, I've been experimenting with a one-person method; replace the finger loop idea with a series of tablets, with only two threads per tablet, and alternating between Z and S orientation. Move the pack of tablets forward a half-turn for each pick.<br /><br />With a bit of practice, and some luck, I managed to make it work!<br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/sidestitchingexperiment_01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/sidestitchingexperiment_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/sidestitchingexperiment_02.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/sidestitchingexperiment_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center><br />See that blue thread holding on to the purse on the left? When the time comes to turn the corner and work down the side, I'll put another loop through the fabric under the corner, and then attach that to the anchor at the left. This way, you're always working in a straight line, which is obviously what the threads want to do anyway. Obeying the laws of physics is key to not going insane during a project like this..Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-72174594627503020812009-07-27T13:37:00.003-04:002009-07-27T14:18:55.483-04:00A new pattern<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_interpretation.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_interpretation.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I've been intrigued by the late 13th c. reliquary bag <a href="http://www.kikirpa.be/www2/cgi-bin/wwwopac.exe?DATABASE=obj2&LANGUAGE=0&OPAC_URL=&%250=21727&LIMIT=50">IRPA obj. 21717</a> for some time now; between yesterday night and this morning I had nothing better to do, so I came up with a possible interpretation of the pattern, and also a small sample (below). What's interesting about this is that it seems to mix brick stitch (with which I've become quite familiar by now) and a kind of lattice motif made by — I assume — using an awl to spread apart the threads and stitching it open, essentially like a lacing hole on a garment. It also has portions where the ground fabric is visible. Unfortunately, I can't determine whether this was intentional or not; I suppose the stitching could have been destroyed by caustic dyes, or picked out (for example, to recycle gold thread). I've just gone with the notion that it was intended that way, and built my pattern to match that idea.<br /><br />Here's the sample that I did on some scrap fabric (32-ct, I think) with cotton embroidery floss:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_sample.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/latticework_sample.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>You may notice that the yellow-bordered latticework doesn't have vertical stitches. I hadn't originally put them into the pattern, but by the time I got to the white portions and the unbordered latticework (where the ground fabric can be seen) I decided that it did need those stitches on the top and bottom, otherwise it would look strange.<br /><br />The website states that the purse is made of sheep's wool, silk (?), and gold. From just looking at the available pictures, I can't seem to determine where the gold is. I believe this is yet another purse referenced in Frieda Sorber's <i>Tongeren Basiliek O-L-Vrouw Geboorte</i>. I really must get myself a copy of that book.<br /><br />I'd be interested to hear/see any ideas or alternate interpretations of this piece!Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-67171519098110329312009-07-25T16:26:00.007-04:002009-07-25T23:54:48.249-04:00Purse updateWell, although I got all my silk dyeing supplies together, that project got put on hold. The person helping me with that is out of town at the moment... but not to worry, I've used the time for the purses instead.<br /><br />I've done a few finger loop braids for the drawstrings and suspension loops. My favorite so far is this one:<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/fingerloopwithquarter.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/fingerloopwithquarter.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/fingerloopwitheuro.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/fingerloopwitheuro.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><small>A Lace Piol (<a href="http://takvbowes.et-tu.com/">Tak v bowes..</a> #14)</small></center><br />I couldn't find my ruler, so I just used a quarter and .50€ piece for reference (they're about the same size). Because I used Kreinik silk for the embroidery of my three in-progress purses, I wanted to use it for all the detail work as well (for consistency's sake). I pulled apart the individual strands.. it took me about 8 hours to get a decent length. Definitely the finest and most time-consuming braid I've done.<br /><br />The other thing I did was prepare the embroidered panels for being side-stitched; I put the lining in, and basted everything together to keep it from moving around during the final process.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/pinkgreen_basting_01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/pinkgreen_basting_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/pinkgreen_basting_02.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px;" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/pinkgreen_basting_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/bluewhite_basting_01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px" src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h30/tristan1264_research/15th%20C%20Purse%20project/bluewhite_basting_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center><br /><br />In the last one, what I decided to do was put the suspension loop through the edge. It'll get run over by the side-stitching to be extra-secure.<br /><br />Soon (hopefully Monday, but I don't want to make any promises) I'll write a post on the side-stitching process. While I was in Prague I used the two-person method, but there's an equally awkward way to finish it with only two hands.Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-54200823394695428552009-07-03T18:31:00.002-04:002009-07-03T18:36:46.046-04:00Quiet, but not unproductive!Since getting settled back in my hometown (including finding employment and all that), I've had a chance to get back into my hobbies. I've been taking a bit of a break from the purses (I'll get back to them soon) to do a bit of dyeing and weaving.<br /><br />I just got my order of cochineal in the mail today, and I already have a good amount of silk thread to dye. So stay tuned for pictures (hoping to do my dyeing sometime in the next week and a half).Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145394409847954229.post-80115814022951908772009-05-06T01:53:00.003-04:002009-05-06T01:59:27.321-04:00Excuses, excuses..To my dear readers,<br /><br />I know, I haven't posted anything in the last month. Life happens, as you all know. Currently I'm working on enjoying the remainder of my Czech adventure, since I'll be returning to the states in about 2 weeks. There, I'll be putting my nose to the grindstone to finish up undergrad - which I ungracefully abandoned two years ago. After that, who knows..?<br /><br />This is by no means the end of Taschen (in fact I still have some pictures to share from Dresden, etc), but I'm just focusing on travel for now. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!Tristán Z.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01482872961174272971noreply@blogger.com1